《The Origin of Dungeons [Dungeon Core]》


 Chapter 1: The Beginning, The Awakening

    In the olden days,


    We humans had different ways,


    Back then we used to thrive,


    Now we only survive.


    -A traditional rhyme of a certain mountain town of the northern fringes of Eurah Continent. 21 AA (Years After Awakening)


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    It was just another regular old day of June, June 22nd of 2026 to be exact.


    In a certain town called ''Cypress Town'' on the eastern fringes of Europe, a young lad, looking to be 17 years old, with a lack of any distinct features, regular brown hair and eyes, was walking on a relatively busy street. He was passing by old stone houses, which the town was famous for, all while lost in his own thoughts.


    ''Sigh, barely clinched the grades this year. Otherwise, I''d have to study during the summer. Eugh.''


    The lad''s name was Lan, though he preferred to be called ''L'' by his friends, like a certain detective in a certain animation, not that it mattered. No one called him that, because there was no one who spoke to him on a regular basis. He was the ''quiet kid'' type, not because he had an arsenal at home, nor was he an antisocial psycho. Lan simply liked peace and quiet, he often wondered why he didn''t ever get bored being by himself.


    ''Now that this school year''s over gotta find a job or something... Can''t leech off my parents forever.''


    He was on his way back from school, and while everyone was gathering and partying, celebrating the end of the times of boredom, he was on his way home.


    The question is, where exactly? Most official workplaces won''t really accept me till I''m eighteen, nor do my neighbors need anyone to trim their lawns or something... Am I being unimaginative, or finding excuses to be lazy as always?''


    The lad did have a flaw, which was when he was required to go out anywhere or do anything particularly active, he was almost immediately struck by severe demotivation. The complete opposite happened at gaining opportunities to stay at home doing nothing. And to him ''home'' was a room inside the dorm with three other guys living in the same room as Lan.


    Considering they were probably partying right now as well, he wasn''t particularly keen on returning home today. So, he decided to walk around and bask in the summer sun.


    "Nothing beats this feeling of freedom! Hehe..."


    Lan laughed to himself, not even realizing he was also saying that out loud.


    And so, he walked around the small town of Cypress with no apparent purpose or reason, purely enjoying himself, unaware of the great changes soon to come.


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    Depths of Planet Earth, Inner Core, 1 hour ago


    Deep below the mountains, oceans, and the sky, in the midst of searing heat, molten magma, in the depths, no living being has ever seen, something changed. In the deepest layer of Earth, there was... Something resembling a flame, flickering slowly, growing, as it always was for millions of years.


    But that quickly changed, it began swaying and roiling, as if under the winds of a great storm. Then it started shrinking, collapsing inwards as if to turn back into a spark it once was.


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    That kept on going and going, until all that remained was a tiny, almost microscopic point of light so intense, that it could blind any human, if there was one to happen to see it.


    And then...


    It Bloomed.


    It expanded countless times, filling the entire core of the Earth.


    Soon after, invisible waves flew out from beneath the Earth''s crust, sweeping through the entire planet.


    And after it...


    No earth-shaking event really happened, the ground did not split, oceans did not evaporate, and the sky did not wail.


    However... Unnoticeably to anyone... Changes happened to every living and non-living existence on planet Earth.


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    Cypress Town, Present time


    As Lan was walking through the town, somewhere along the way, he took out the headphones from his bag and started playing some music, humming along.


    ~~I''m falling from madness, and down unto sadness


    I''ve even forgotten my goal!~~


    However, as he was engrossed in the music, he didn''t notice that he was walking under a construction site.


    Neither did he notice a crane lifting a steel beam being transported over him.


    The worn-down steel wire also went unnoticed earlier during the safety checks, or maybe no one even bothered to check.


    However, that very wire hit its limits... And snapped.


    Under the widening eyes of the crane operator, an otherwise unnoticed steel beam quickly plummeted towards the ground.


    It went unnoticed all the way until it landed.


    On top of where Lan stood.


    All that was left behind was a steel beam, a gruesome mess left behind of a young boy full of ambition, and the screams of the crowd.


    Unfortunately for all of humanity, this tragedy was far from last today.


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    A Zoo somewhere in the USA


    A crowd was walking around, looking upon various caged animals, set up for display and entertainment.


    However, the long-bound animals were tired of this captivity.


    And they were provided the opportunity to turn the tables that very day.


    In one of the cages, a lion stood, looking over its pride, it was deeply dissatisfied, however, by lack of hunting grounds, lack of FREEDOM.


    In the next moment, however, it felt energy erupting from the very core of its being, spreading through the veins of its body.


    Then, the lion''s muscles bulged, and claws started falling off, only to be replaced by new ones, which were covered in a metallic sheen as if they could cut through metal.


    Under the shocked gazes of the crowd, its height increased to 2 meters tall, towering over any man.


    And this was happening to every animal.


    From fat and cute-looking pandas growing spikes along their spines, turning into muscular and ferocious-looking monstrosities, to massive elephants doubling over in size, gaining additional pairs of serrated tusks and becoming covered in chitin-like armor, and becoming something akin to walking tanks.


    Every animal became bigger and faster.


    Deadlier.


    Exotic plants started growing out of control, roots breaking through glass, steel, and concrete. Former Venus flytraps grew teeth and started actively searching for humans, entangling them with vines and dragging them, screaming, to their inevitable doom.


    Chaos erupted, crowds scrambling for the exit, trampling over each other, shouting, screaming, crying.


    Meanwhile, the Lion that Awakened first, has already broken through the steel that once restricted it, leading its pride out into freedom, unto the hunt.


    Similar scenes happened everywhere.


    Giant birds were catching planes and helicopters flying over forests and mountains, Bears were tearing unfortunate hikers, and instead of being shot by a hunter, a deer instead impaled the hunter with its newly enlarged horns.


    As for house cats... Well, they were sleeping as always. With the exception of terrified former owners hiding in the corners of their houses.


    The humans were no longer at the top of the food chain.


    Everything went back to the way it should have always been.


    However all this chaos that erupted mere moments after the young lad named Lan died, it no longer mattered to him.


    As the energy that composed his very being, his ''soul'' flowed down, back into the earth, to once again return from where it came from, it stopped. Or rather, became trapped in a pile of minerals.


    It wasn''t an omnipotent god who put Lan''s soul there out of spite, it was just entangled inside of a newly spontaneously generated combination of ores, which under the influence of mana''s return, just so happened to have the ability to contain the ''soul''. This one-in-a-billion chance which was only possible during the planet''s awakening, happened.


    And the ''soul'' remained there, silent.


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    As time passed, mana was, little by little, attracted to that stone, that ore, that gem the size of a slightly large pebble, deep underground.


    And, 36 years after the event which later became known as ''The Planetary Awakening''...


    ''What the bloody hell just happened?''

 Chapter 2: Depths of the Earth

    The gem stirred, or rather the flow of mana around it became... different. More agitated, pretty much the same as Lan''s emotions actually.


    ''What in the- Did I just bloody die?!''


    As he tried to look around, he only saw darkness and heard only silence, which only amplified his confusion.


    ''Okay, okay, calm down, deep breaths..''


    As Lan tried to calm himself down, he tried to breathe but realized that he couldn''t. Which instead, amplified his panic. Then, he also realized that he couldn''t move or feel his limbs. Now that freaked him out even more on top of all the previous stuff.


    He didn''t know how long it took him to reorganize, maybe it took him 10 minutes, or maybe it was an hour. Who knows, it''s pretty hard to tell the time in a place of perpetual silence and darkness.


    ''Haa... Okay, what now then? Am I dead? Pretty sure I was just singing along, enjoying my bloody time, and then what? Something fell on me, right? Oh yeah, there was the construction site in the neighborhood, guess something must have fallen on me there, no way to know now really.''


    Lan struggled to remember the memories he now recognized as his final moments. As he dealt with the fact that he was now quite probably dead. And it hit him pretty hard at first, he had yet to truly live, but he was already dead.


    ''So... What''s next? The afterlife? Reincarnation? Is there going to be a goddess greeting me, giving me cheats, and sending me to be a hero in another world? No? Anything?''


    As Lan kept guessing, nothing really happened, no matter how long he waited. And, eventually, he started making guesses that made him uncomfortable.


    ''...It''s not the eternal darkness and nothingness, right? That would suck. I''m probably going to lose my mind because of boredom if it''s like that... At least it''s quiet. And peaceful. Just the way I like.''


    As time passed, with absolutely no changes whatsoever, he began feeling... Bored.


    ''I mean I like it when it is quiet but jeez, at least give me something to do! Who even likes just staring into the darkness? And then there''s the saying ''Stare into the abyss long enough, and the abyss will stare back''. Don''t think I''d want any of that nuh-uh... So uh... What exactly am I supposed to do?''


    As Lan tried doing something, nothing exactly worked: He couldn''t turn his head, move his limbs, or do pretty much anything.


    After an unknown period of time of frantic attempts to do anything, he eventually began to feel...


    Something.


    ''...Huh? What''s this?''


    The feeling was... Interesting, to say the least. At the same time, it felt like a breeze, a warmth, water running against his ''skin'', if he still had it anyway.


    With nothing else to do, he tried just feeling.


    Instead of doing nothing, at least it was something. So he did that.


    He didn''t know when he began feeling, nor did he have any signs to measure time by, but eventually, the feeling became part of himself.


    And that''s when ''shit went from 0 to 100 really bloody quick''.


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    ''Hey hey hey... Now this feels weird... Is this how you would feel after eating some funny mushrooms?''


    Indeed, as his ''senses'' merged with ''the feeling'', the all-encompassing darkness began moving, swirling, going away, as he began to feel not only ''himself'', but also what was around him.


    Totally weird. Like a lot of weird.


    And what he felt around him... Wasn''t some heavenly garden or a hellish landscape. What was around him was mighty, absolute, all-encompassing...


    Rock.


    That''s right, nothing special, he was surrounded by dirt and rock.


    ''Heh, I could say that I am buried alive if I knew whether I am still alive or not. Still, better than just Darkness. Still feels weird though.''


    He didn''t exactly ''see'' what was around him, but rather felt around him, he knew what was around him, the same way you know that 2+2=4.


    ''Now, what the hell do I look like? Am I a floating soul or what?''


    And as Lan turned his attention to himself, he found out that he did, in fact, have a body. However...


    ''Now I was expecting a lot of things, but not this. Of all things I could be reborn as I was reborn as..''


    A gemstone. A teal, irregularly shaped gemstone, the size of a small pebble, just around 10 centimeters in diameter.


    ''Okay... So I guess I am a rock now as well. At least I''m pretty... No wait, I''m handsome, yeah that''s right.''


    However, as the moment of novelty passed, questions began to arise in Lan''s head, or rather, gem.


    ''So if I am a rock, what kind of rocky stuff am I supposed to do? Go fight the demon king of rocks and find myself some rock ladies? But I still can''t exactly move... Welp, I figured out how to see, I''ll figure out how to move. For now, I guess I''ll just... Breathe? Guess I can call it that.''


    So, he kept Breathing. In and out. Again and again. Not that he could do much other than breathe and stare at rocks. Occasionally weird thoughts popped into his head.


    ''Heh, you ugly rocks, I am a handsome rock, I grant you the right to be jealous. Hehehe...''


    Eventually, as he kept Breathing, he noticed that his, what he decided to call, ''perception range'' was increasing, and the amount of ''air'' he was Breathing, was increasing as well.


    At first, he didn''t notice it, but with nothing else to focus on, he found out that he could see ''further'', because... He was counting the small individual rocks around him, which he didn''t really need to do as he was aware of them. And so, eventually, Lan began to feel more of them.


    As for the amount of ''air'', he just noticed that each ''inhale'' was bigger than the last.


    ''So... I guess the more I breathe, the more I see. Guess the local oxygen is good for me. Breathing''s good for you kids, keep on breathing! Heh, beginning to talk to myself.''


    So Lan just kept on breathing. It was pretty nice to see more, even if it was rock after rock, some dirt mixed in, and then more rock. And he kept on going.


    He just kept on breathing until he hit a ''limit''


    Lan tried to ''Breathe'' as usual, but nothing changed, no more expansion, no increase in ''air intake''.


    ''Oh come on! First, you show me the fun stuff, and now you take it away? Now that''s not cool at all. I mean monotony is the opposite of progress but still... Now, I gotta find something new to do...''


    So, he was ''looking around'' his ''domain'' as he began to call it, because ''perception range'' was too uncool of a name, and eventually, he settled on himself.


    ''I''ve come to the conclusion, I can deny it no longer!''


    ''I am small.''


    Yes, with all of the expansion he has been on about, he remained the same. The same pebble-sized, teal-colored gem.


    So, he thought, maybe it isn''t the world that is a problem, but himself.


    In the end, he began wondering, what could he do about it then.


    ''So, I ''breathe air'', which lets me see further... If I see myself as a balloon, I am stretched to the limit. If it is like that, then I don''t want to find out what will happen if I try to force myself further. I need to expand the ''balloon'' itself.''


    ''How do I exactly do that though? Breathe in a super large amount of ''air''? No, that''s exactly what I shouldn''t do... Gaagh! My head- my Gem''s empty!''


    Lan kept going through different ideas, the good ones didn''t work, and he didn''t want to try the bad ones. In the end, he turned to absurd ones.


    ''In the name of the Power of Friendship, I want to grow!''


    ''I will have growth!''


    ''In this entire rock society, I alone am the growing one!''


    But, try as he tried, nothing worked. Lan grew more frustrated the longer this kept on going.


    ''Dammit, I just want to bloody grow!''


    However, before he could add any more spicy words, he noticed something that filled him with elation.


    The tiny gem, which was Lan, had grown. By about half a millimeter.


    ''YES! Haha, I did it! I just have to get angry, that''s all. Or maybe I must want to grow very much for it to work? Whatever, I''ll figure it out along the way.''


    And so Lan, Gem Extraordinaire, kept on using the power of anime protagonists - growing when wishing for it really hard.

 Chapter 3: Growth, Expansion

    So, Lan kept on using what he called the ''Power of Will'' or Willpower, as he called it, to grow his humble gemstone self. It was a slow process, sure, but any progress is better than no progress.


    He decided to set doubling his own size as a goal. He thought that since domain size might be related to the size of the gemstone, the bigger the size, the bigger the domain, right? Double the size equals double the domain.


    ''Heh, and they say size isn''t everything. Try living as a... magic rock then!''


    As Lan kept on ''willing'' himself to grow, he was starting to feel tired. Which was new, considering he didn''t feel tired ever since the ''steel beam crushing self to bits'' fiasco. He hadn''t felt tired all this time, which was weird in and of itself, as he was sure, even though he couldn''t measure time, that a considerable amount of time had passed.


    ''I guess I have ''mental energy'' or there is a limit to my willpower. Okay then, wouldn''t be fair otherwise. Feels the same as when I pulled an all-nighter for an exam that one time.''


    Lan felt that his head would hurt if he still had one.


    ''So, how do you deal with headaches? You sleep. How do I sleep? Now that''s a mystery I can''t figure out right now... So now I gotta sit still and do nothing... Not exactly new to that I suppose.''


    Still, being idle got old real quick. So, with nothing else to do, Lan began to reminisce.


    ''Wonder how Mom and Dad''s now. Hope they''re still alive. Even though I dunno where or when I am, hope they''re still out there. Maybe we''ll meet again someday. Damn, my death must''ve been ''crushing'' for them... Pftt! Look at me joking on such matters...''


    The lad did leave his parents behind, which kind of depressed him, no parents should bury their child... Not that there was much left of Lan to bury anyway.


    After some time, the human-turned-gem started feeling as if his ''head'' was ''full'' again, as if after a good night''s rest, which felt weird, as he didn''t sleep at all. Not that he knew how to.


    So, he immediately continued his growing operations. Initially after ''filling up'' his domain, it had a range of around 100 meters, which, in his opinion, was quite big. Lan was curious, whether the increase in the gemstone size will expand the domain linearly or exponentially.


    And relatively soon, he successfully grew to 20 centimeters in diameter, from his previous irregular shape to one that looked more refined and polished, in fact, it was a bit circular.


    Although the size increase didn''t bring any immediate changes to the domain size, he guessed he needed to complete the needed ''cycles of breathing'' to ''fill it up again''.


    ''Come to think of it, I''m not really breathing, am I? I don''t have lungs that''s for sure, and I think there''s literally no air here to breathe. But still, I''m cycling something guess I''ll just call the whole process ''cycling'' then. Simple and concise.''


    ''Another question comes to mind then. What am I breathing if not air? This something lets me see after all, and putting aside that I am somehow a gemstone, I am sure that gemstones aren''t supposed to see.''


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    ''But hey, I did call myself a magic rock recently, but what if I really am one? Considering my recent experiences don''t exactly disprove the existence of magic... So what if what I am cycling is magic? Or mana, as it is usually called in all those novels and animations. Now that would be fun!''


    As soon as such a thought popped into Lan''s mind, he got incomparably excited, as magic usually meant almost infinite possibilities of fantasy realization!


    But what did dim down his mood a bit was the fact that he was probably in another world, never to see his parents again, as the guy was pretty sure that magic didn''t exist on Earth. Not that he knew of that for sure.


    Still, if he did indeed have the ability to wield magic, which he probably did, considering that the ''air'' he was cycling was magic, that opened up a lot more things to do.


    ''Yeah, magic IS cool and all... But I don''t really know how to use it?.. Bah, whatever, I''ll do what I know I can do, and I''ll figure it out eventually! I don''t have much to do right now anyway. Speaking of stuff to do, I still have mana to cycle!''


    Lan''s excitement briefly overshadowed the fact that he hadn''t yet expanded his domain to the limit, which he promptly continued doing as soon as he remembered it.


    And so, the domain steadily expanded, it was quite a bit quicker than the ''1st expansion'', as Lan dubbed it, he guessed that the more mana cycled, the faster the expansion of the domain. And since his ''mana capacity'' grew, he was able to do it faster. He didn''t know exactly how much faster it was, but it was at least double what it was before.


    From 100 meters... To 150... To 200...


    And it then stopped, which gave Lan the answers he sought.


    ''So, my guess is it is a linear increase. That''s a bit disappointing, but easier to calculate.''


    It felt good to be able to ''see'' so much after being confined in absolute darkness. Quite a novel experience too, not one he could experience as a human.


    As Lan started checking out the contents of the newly gained domain grounds, he found something that excited him.


    ''Hey, is it just me or is it less rocks and more soil now? I think this means I am getting closer to the surface, right? Oh, I am so excited to see what''s up there! Are there two suns? Two moons? Dwarves? Elves? Wait... Am I going to ever see the sun again if I can''t see past my domain? Guess not. But hey, at least I will see some of that sunlight again, the darkness is getting boring. Not that I need light to see, it would be nice anyway.''


    ''But I haven''t reached the surface yet, so I better brag about the fish after I caught it. Gotta grow again.''


    ''Alright then here we go... Haaaa... SUMMON GROWTH SPURT!''


    Lan started pouring his mental energy, as he decided to call it, into himself, yet again facilitating self-growth. However, he noticed that past the 20-centimeter mark, the efficiency of increasing the gemstone size dropped, and now he needed more energy to grow the same amount.


    ''Is it the same as the games? Each level requires more Experience. That''s going to get annoying in the future. I don''t know whether magical crystals can age or not, so whether I''m going to die of old age is uncertain, but still, just sitting here for centuries, wishing myself to grow, just to grow for a millimeter will NOT be fun. Oh well, time will tell.''


    Finally, after around 5 cycles of mental depletion and recharge, the crystal grower managed to increase his own size to 30 centimeters, which although didn''t seem all that special in comparison to the feat of doubling to 20, did manage to bring his domain radius to 300 meters.


    Finishing up his 2nd expansion, Lan immediately checked the upper reaches of his domain, and as soon as his attention reached the top, he felt that he would cry, if he could (which he couldn''t).


    ''It''s... beautiful...''


    What greeted his ''sight'' was a field of green grass, with flowers peeking out their bright-colored heads above it, and at the edges of what he could see was a towering tree.


    ''I''ve finally touched grass again... Ah, sunlight, my lost friend! Ah wind, I''m finally able to hear you again...''


    As Lan was getting all sentimental, something else caught his attention.


    ''...But why is that tree as thick as 5 people, why is this grass so tall, and that butterfly, on that flower... WHY THE HELL ARE THEY SO BIG?! Is this the norm over here?''


    Lan was greatly confused by the standards of the world he emerged in.

 Chapter 4: The Surface, Exploration

    As Lan emerged from the depths of the earth, what greeted him was not a landscape he was familiar with. He was kind of expecting this to happen, since this was probably a whole other world, but still, things here were BIG. Everything here was made for big boys.


    ''I mean, isn''t it a bit absurd for a butterfly to be half a meter big? Or for the earthworm down in the ground to be the size of a regular snake? Like, I get it, magic and stuff, but now I am feeling a bit insecure. Seriously, I''m still less than a meter in size, how am I supposed to compare? Oh well, not that anyone will find me down here without digging for me deliberately... They won''t right?''


    As the lad was lost in his own thoughts, something big entered his perception range. At first, Lan thought that his eyes were deceiving him, but he checked it again several times, and the fact remained unchanged.


    That was a damn 5-meter-tall deer.


    And it wasn''t just the size that was different from regular deer Lan knew, no, if that height wasn''t intimidating enough, local mother Nature decided that its'' antlers (of which there was an additional pair, for some reason), were needed to be perfect for piercing, curved in a way that you would definitely not want to be rammed in your gut.


    And this deer was only the first one. Behind it followed the rest of the herd. At first, Lan thought that it was a group of males, because all of them had antlers, but no, apparently the females had one pair, while the males had two. Well, they probably do need means to protect themselves in a world where everything is supersized.


    Speaking of sizes, the female deer were not short either, reaching three meters, some of them not far from four. The males were generally four meters tall, so that tall one must''ve been the leader.


    So, the herd settled on the small clearing that Lan just so happened to have gained the ability to look over.


    Local critters scattered away, avoiding the fate of getting stomped into a paste by the newly arrived herd.


    ''Well, I guess it''s gonna be like that huh? If everything is super big and deadly, then I have to be super big and deadly too, right? But how do I exactly do that if I can''t exactly move... Right! Magic!''


    Lan suddenly remembered about the desire to explore the depths of his newly discovered ability to wield magic, which he had forgotten about because of the ongoing ''domain expansion'' as he, completely unironically started calling the process.


    ''So, I can feel mana, that''s typical step one done. As for step two, I guess manipulation would be it?''


    ''However, I felt mana by associating it with breathing, so how do I exactly master moving it?''


    The aspiring magician first tried to move mana by... ''Exhaling'' really hard.


    All that came from that though was a slight decrease in the radius of his domain, which freaked Lan out.


    ''Whoa, now that''s not pleasant at all! All right, crossing that off the list. Now here''s to hoping I can just cycle it back to normal.''


    At least that turned the way Lan thought, with the domain returning to the size it previously was at.


    ''In conclusion, the domain may be reduced if I, the crystal, lack available mana. So, in theory, if I were to be completely deprived of it, would I be back in a state of complete blindness? Now that''s a scary thought. Guess I have to watch out for that.''


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    Still, the mysterious research on the usage of magic returned to square one.


    Since Lan found out that messing with the cycling is a big no-no, he started to focus on the ways he began to feel mana in the first place.


    ''I started being able to see when I ''felt'' the mana when I uh... Merged with it? So I guess I would need to do something similar?''


    So, he focused.


    Like, really hard.


    If he could, he would sit cross-legged, that is if he still had legs.


    ''I am one with nature... I am one with the world... I am one with the universe...''


    In the end, the chants didn''t really help. But, they did give him another idea.


    ''Wait... So if I need to ''merge'' with mana, then do I just... Attune to it? Guess that''s the word. Sounds magic-y enough to do.''


    His question remained: How the hell to exactly do that? When he attuned to ''neutral'' mana, for lack of a better word, it was instinctual. Now that he had to make a conscious effort, it was quite a bit different.


    ''So uh... Am I supposed to meditate on it for a century, comprehend the Great Dao, and do other monk stuff? Doesn''t sound exactly appealing...''


    So, Lan started searching his memories for a reference of what mana attunement was supposed to feel like.


    Neutral mana felt like tasteless water, the same as the smell of fresh air, the same as the color white. Just as its name suggested, pretty neutral. No inherent qualities, probably prone to change, though that remained to be tested. It was everywhere, permeating everything, like air above ground.


    ''However, now that I am focusing on it...''


    As Lan moved his attention around his domain, focusing on the neutral mana, he noticed a curious thing about it.


    ''In the deeper parts of the domain, it is denser than the upper ones. If above ground it is as dispersed as air, then deep underground, it is closer to gas, though still not dense enough to see with a naked eye, I suppose.''


    When it was aboveground, just like air, it was floating around, with no particular direction of movement. Again, just like air. Underground however, it could be sensed that it moved outwards from the depths, and upwards to the surface. That gave the lad a couple of ideas.


    ''My guess is that either there is a core source of mana deep underground, which emanates mana, which then permeates the land and disperses above. It could also be a ''mana vein'' or a ''dragon vein'' somewhere below me, a network of mana-dispersing lines, which are spread throughout the world. At least that''s how they wrote in the novels...''


    Yes, novels are a surprisingly good source of information and inspiration when spontaneously dying and appearing in a world of magic one way or another.


    Still, while that was helpful in some ways, he didn''t really know how to use it. So, he decided to try and manipulate the neutral mana somehow. The experiments continued.


    ''Since it just flows around, the fact that I can cycle it means that I already manipulate it to some degree. When I ''breathe in'', I absorb the flowing mana inside me, or rather the crystal, my Core. And when I ''exhale it'', I discharge it back out, however, it ''belongs'' to me, which is probably why it can spread my perception, and thus forms my domain.''


    As Lan was in the process of inventing mana science, he gradually figured out some answers to his questions.


    ''The size of myself, that is the ''Core'', yes, let''s go with that name, directly influences the amount of mana I can claim. Then the reason why just forcing mana into the Core doesn''t help it grow is probably because neutral mana is kind of passive, being only a sort of a ''carrier''. Though mental energy or maybe ''mental mana'' is different in some way. I don''t really understand it yet, but I guess that the source of this mental mana is me, which is kind of obvious in hindsight.''


    He figured out some things, that would probably help him in the future, but the problem of finding useful mana to manipulate remained.


    ''What would be useful then? Fireballs and Wind Blades come to mind, however, there is no fire here, which probably means no fire mana either. The wind on the surface is a light breeze, barely noticeable, not a valid option in the short-term as well... What else is there... Ah!''


    Earth mana. For some reason, it only hit Lan now that he was 300 meters underground, surrounded by stone, dirt, and occasionally other common minerals. So, obviously, earth mana should be abundant here. What remained, however, was to attune to it.


    ''If neutral mana is, well, neutral then earth mana is earth-ish? How is that supposed to feel? Guess I won''t know until I try.''


    Concluding on his course of action, Lan focused his attention on the rocks and stone deep under the surface. Specifically, he tried to focus on the feeling of mana.


    At first, he tried to imagine how it would feel.


    Hard, Solid, Stubborn, Persistent.


    Immovable.


    Then, as if responding to his focus, to his will, he felt it.


    Faint, slow, crawling amidst the stones, almost unnoticeable, but there.


    Earth mana.

 Chapter 5: Observation, Shaping

    Mana is what we called this... Energy, which appeared after the Planetary Awakening. It may have appeared as a consequence of the Awakening, or it may have been the cause of it. In any case, it brought great change to all things. Animals became deadlier, plants became bigger and more resilient, some even gaining mobility and preying abilities. As for humans... Unfortunately, we didn''t change much.


    -An excerpt from ''Thoughts on Mana'', a bundle of notes found in an abandoned building in central Eurah, dating back to 9AA.


    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Lan felt it, he would jump while pumping his fist into the air... If he still had a body. Nonetheless, he took another major step in the understanding of magic, and that made him very happy. Now that he felt it, all that remained was to try and manipulate it. So he tried it.


    ''Oh earth, respond to my call, move according to my will!''


    ...Nothing exactly happened. The earth mana was still crawling along, as it did before Lan''s cringe-inducing incantation.


    ''...What did I even expect, and why did I think it would work? Oh well, not trying that again.''


    Still, it was just the first attempt, so it was within Lan''s expectations. Not discouraged, he kept on trying.


    ''Move!''


    ''Quake!''


    ''Respond to my will!''


    The wannabe mage kept trying to tug on the barely noticeable threads of earth mana, but just as its nature suggested, it stubbornly didn''t move.


    As Lan grew more and more frustrated, he focused all of his attention on a singular strand of mana, that was filling a rock closest to his Core, as that''s where his control of mana was the strongest.


    ''Just bloody move already!''


    With a move worthy of an anime protagonist, he strengthened his willpower with anger, and, surprisingly, that tiny trace of mana responded.


    That tiny rock, which was smaller than Lan''s Core, got crushed into dust.


    ...Just to be replaced with dirt surrounding it.


    ''Ugh... All of that for nothing?! Come on! That was hard y''know!''


    Cry as he might with frustration, Lan''s lamentations didn''t change anything. So, he kept on trying.


    Soon, he realized that befitting of its nature, earth mana was significantly harder to move, requiring focus rather than casual cycling. If manipulating natural mana was like breathing, then manipulating earth mana was like lifting and moving moderately heavy things.


    Still, practice makes perfect, and Lan managed to do it a tiny bit faster in each consequent try.


    ''Focus, move, repeat. Focus, move, repeat. Nice and... Not so easy.''


    Though he was slowly becoming more proficient in... Turning small stones to dust, Lan discovered an unpleasant fact, expressed by the mental fatigue he was starting to feel again.


    ''Am I becoming tired again? Hate this feeling... Does that mean that mana manipulation requires mental mana? But neutral mana cycling never seemed to tire me... Another mystery to solve later. But still, that means I can either grow my Core or actively manipulate mana. Annoying resource management.''


    The increasing lack of mental mana caused Lan to stop his earthly practices, leaving him with nothing to do, so he turned his attention to the place where anything interesting might happen: the surface.


    It was nighttime by then. Moonlight was illuminating the ground in a soft glow. Amidst the silence the herd of deer has long since finished their grazing, laying down together in the center of the clearing.


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    Observing them made Lan realize, he didn''t really explore the reaches of his domain on the surface. So, finding a new thing to do, he promptly began scanning.


    The surface directly above, or rather closest to the Core, was a clearing filled with grass and big, unfamiliar flowers here and there. As for why he called the clearing a, well, clearing, was because, at the edges of his perception, he just so happened to observe stout and firm trunks of trees, of which he couldn''t see the end. Though judging by fallen leaves, it was probably a leaf forest or a mixed one.


    Sometimes among the trees you could spot different bushes and shrubbery, some of them even bearing colorful berries. More disturbingly though, under some plants various small bones, some old, covered half-buried in the ground, and some seemingly recent could be seen.


    ''Guess in this world you don''t harvest the plants, the plants harvest you... Quite morbid.''


    Lan tried to see past the edges to see deeper into the forest, but he couldn''t. On the edges of his domain, it was as if the whole world blurred, making it impossible to distinguish any details.


    ''The domain''s the limit. Suppose that''s another motivation to grow.''


    While Lan kept observing, he noticed or rather felt something different.


    ''Is it just me, or is my mental mana replenishing faster?''


    Remembering the time it took for him to replenish it after growth was clearly much slower than it was now. If back then could be compared to a trickle of water from a faucet, now it was as if the faucet was opened a little.


    Lan tried to feel mental mana, which he hadn''t attempted until now.


    Surprisingly, he immediately felt it.


    Not having any particular feeling or characteristic, he directly felt it as if it was a part of himself. He felt it condensing within his core, seemingly coming from his very soul. However now it seemed to be not the only source.


    Tiny threads of mental mana converged into his core from the outside.


    Intrigued by his new find, Lan immediately tried to track it. The noticeable threads of mental mana were floating towards his core from up above, so his perception followed it all the way up. To the surface.


    Then most threads split apart, however a dozen or so stayed solid and noticeable to his perception. They were originating from... The herd of deer.


    As the giant deer were sleeping, minute amounts of mental mana seemed to radiate out of them, converging together, then being pulled to the Core down below. Interestingly, the amounts of mental mana generated were unequal. The mana radiated by the deer leader was the largest, while the rest of the deer generated less mana, with small differences in quantity among themselves.


    This fascinated Lan.


    ''Does that mean that animals, or living things in general, generate mental mana, which I just so happen to be able to absorb? Convenient.''


    Lan decided to track the other, tiny threads of mental mana, in order to confirm his theory.


    Some of the threads lead to snake-like earthworms burrowing underground, some were flowing from a family of fluffy rodents hiding in their burrow under the roots of one of the trees. The threads generated from insects were truly minuscule, requiring Lan to ''squint'' to see them, but they were still there.


    Interestingly, plants, in fact, also had mental mana radiating out of them. Though differences were still present: Trees and bushes generated energy on par if not less than the insects, though the plant with bones under it had surprisingly more solid threads of mana coming out of it, somewhere on par with the rodents.


    As for various grasses and flowers, if they generated mental mana, it was such a minuscule amount that Lan wasn''t able to notice it no matter how hard he tried.


    This led to the lad changing his understanding.


    ''So not only animals... Maybe it''s all life? Or is it intelligence? Strength? Guess I''ll find out eventually.''


    Still, all this meant that the more life inside Lan''s domain, the faster the recovery of mental mana, and the more he would be able to do inside, including practicing and using mana.


    ''It''s all beneficial, so I don''t see why not.''


    With mental mana being quickly recharged, bringing a satisfying feeling of mental fullness, Lan kept on practicing the manipulation of earth mana.


    Eventually, when just crushing rocks and stone didn''t seem challenging anymore, he decided to do something else.


    ''Now that I think about it... It''s kinda stuffy in here for my little crystal self, eh? Would be nice to have some room, it''s even worse than living in a dormitory.''


    Having found a new task, Lan began a new project: Freeing up space around yourself.


    At first, he tried to crush the rocks surrounding him, turning them into dust, however, when it got replaced with gravel, not wanting to be crushed, Lan began to think differently.


    ''So if removing it doesn''t work, maybe pushing it away will?''


    So, Lan tried it. Tugging at the earth mana around him, he no longer tried to move it randomly, but to gather and move away from him.


    Failing multiple times, at the 12th try, Lan succeded in a way he didn''t expect.


    ''I... Compressed it?''


    The dirt mixed with rocks and gravel not only moved outwards from him but also got compressed together, finally forming a small empty space around Lan''s core.


    Having achieved his goal, Lan did a mental fist pump and continued to expand his ''personal space'' outwards.


    Eventually, he settled on a ''room'' about 2 meters in length and height, with his Core lying quietly in the middle of it on the floor. The walls of the room were compressed dirt, rock, and stone, hardened to the point where imminent collapse was no longer a problem.


    Satisfied, wanting to wipe his imaginary sweat, Lan was startled.


    There was a commotion on the surface.


    ''Okay, what''s going on now?!''

 Chapter 6: Battle, Discovery

    Detecting rapid movement and an unexpectedly big burst of mental mana on the surface area of his domain, Lan quickly turned his attention upwards, stumbling upon an unexpected scene.


    Instead of the peace and quiet of the night, it was now a standoff filled with tension.


    As for the opposing sides, The herd of deer was wide awake, gathered together in a circle, with females on the inside, and males on the outside, heads lowered, with two pairs of horns pointing outwards.


    As for their opponent, it was a pack of what resembled wolves. Covered in midnight-black fur, three meters tall on average, with muscular bodies and eyes gleaming in the dark, they were circling around the herd of cautious deer.


    At first, it seemed that no side was at a disadvantage, Lan soon noticed that one of the female deer wasn''t among the herd, but was dragged away and already bleeding out from a fatal bite wound on the neck. She was probably too slow to react to the attack after the herd noticed the predators.


    Lan also couldn''t help but notice that the amount of mental mana generated by the deer was much bigger than when they were asleep.


    ''Is it because they are awake? Or is it...''


    Lan wasn''t given much time to ponder, as the wolves began their attack.


    Two of them stopped circling the herd and simultaneously ran up to one of the male deer with surprising speed. One of them pounced from the left, aiming for the neck, and another pounced from the right, aiming for the side of the deer.


    The deer wasn''t one to do nothing however, as he struck with his horns towards the wolf aiming for the neck, sending it flying with a whimper, leaving the wolf lying on the ground with multiple gnarly wounds on the belly.


    However, it created an opening for a second wolf, which left a gash on the deer''s side. While the wounded deer snorted with pain, another male deer from the formation chased away the attacker.


    No side went unscathed.


    Though the wolves were a fighter down, the wounded deer was now a weakened link in the chain, which was an opportunity they didn''t miss. While two pairs of wolves pounced towards the deer near the wounded one, another three wolves went for it. One went for the neck while being cautious of its horns, and others went for the sides. This time, there was no one to save it.


    Wary of the one in front, the deer tried to once again fling the offender away, however, the wolf dodged. Noticing the others, the deer tried to jump away, but unfortunately for it, it was too slow.


    One of the remaining attackers tore another gash in its already wounded side, weakening the deer, then another followed up by pouncing towards the yet intact sign, toppling the swaying deer to the ground. The wolf that was originally aiming for the neck didn''t miss its opportunity, finishing the job.


    The trio quickly dragged the fallen prey away from the herd, while the two closest deer were distracted by their own attackers, unable to change anything. While other deer maintained the formation, guarding against the remaining two wolves, which were not yet entangled.


    After dragging the kill out, the remaining wolves of the pack gathered around it. Two of the four who distracted the deer were wounded not too heavily, while another one was impaled on a deer''s horns, leaving no chance of survival. Of the original 10, 8 wolves remained.


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    Having completed the hunt, the wolves dragged away their prey beyond Lan''s domain, out of his sight, while two wolf corpses, a startled herd of deer, and trampled grass covered in blood remained.


    While all this sudden violence was new, shocking, and a bit disgusting to Lan, another thing caught his attention.


    When the wolves and the deer died, their final moments were followed by a burst of a massive amount of mental mana, which shot toward the ground below not only fully refilling Lan''s Core, but even slightly expanding it, greatly surprising Lan.


    Also, during the battle, in the moments when an animal was wounded or closely dodged an attack, they also produced a burst of mental mana, which was much bigger than normal output.


    His Core, which was previously at 30 centimeters, now expanded to around 32, which made his potential domain range 320 meters.


    This gave Lan a lot of questions and possibilities.


    ''First of all, one of my ideas was correct. Mental mana is in some way related to emotions or feelings.''


    Taking his time to observe the recovering deer which were still on alert, looking around, he noticed that their mental output was little by little lowering down to previous levels, about the same as when they slept.


    ''So, if a being is nervous, afraid, or in some other way agitated, they probably produce more mental mana than they would have when they are idle or calm.''


    ''That also means that it would be beneficial for me to have creatures in a state of agitation inside of my domain. Death produces especially high amounts of mental mana, enough for me to increase the Core size. Now the question is, what do I do with all this information?''


    Several ideas began taking form in Lan''s mind. From somehow luring predators and prey to his domain, causing hunts and battles for survival, to somehow causing territorial conflicts between predators. However, he had no idea how to even start implementing those ideas.


    There was one that stood out though.


    ''What if I create an environment where there is a constant battle, constant conflict? That way, I would have a constant influx of mental mana! Growth and profit, this is Grofit!''


    As he thought about it, it seemed like a feasible project, considering that he was slowly figuring out the usage of magic and earth mana in particular, shaping the environment to his will didn''t seem so unrealistic.


    ''There is a problem though... My domain isn''t exactly big on the surface.''


    Yes, the fact remained that Lan''s Core was 300 meters underground, leaving the surface as the tip of the iceberg, or in this case, the domain.


    ''That means I will have to do most of that underground... I mean, most animals are capable of living in caves, plus there are plenty of things capable of life underground... Still, that''s a lot of digging to do.''


    As plans were slowly taking shape in the Core''s head, he suddenly remembered the current problem.


    ''If those deer go away, my mental regeneration will drop drastically, making all the digging projects progress a lot slower, that would be unwanted... Now what can I do about that?..''


    While he did just gain somewhat of a control over earth mana, it''s not like he could trap those deer in the ground, keeping them as mental generators, his control wasn''t that strong yet. So, his thoughts turned to the other sort of mana he wielded, a neutral one.


    ''While it doesn''t really do anything for my Core... What will happen if I infuse it with other creatures? Well, time to fudge around and find out.''


    Having made up his mind, Lan focused the ''breath'' of neutral mana he just exhaled, and rather than let it disperse across his domain, he let it flow towards the deer.


    And then, something rather surprising happened.


    The neutral mana seemed attracted to the deer like a magnet, converging on them. While the herd was startled, seemingly sensing something, the deer that was wounded in the battle found their wounds regenerating rapidly. Soon, there was no trace of any wounds, new fur having grown over them already. And while the deer were confused at the new development, Lan was confused as well.


    At first, when he began infusing his neutral mana, he was unhappy about the fact that his domain, just as he expected, had decreased by around 40 meters. Quite a chunk, but recoverable, however, it severely limited his perception of the surface.


    But then, what surprised him to his Core, was that his experiment resulted in something completely unexpected.


    He could now ''feel'' the herd of deer as a part of his own domain. He could sense their heartbeat, every part of their flesh, their uncertain emotions, their entire being lay clear before him, their minds open.


    Soon after, just to satisfy his curiosity, he tried to nudge the deer leader to move forward.


    To his surprise, after looking around with uncertainty, the mighty deer moved forward step by step.


    To the exact spot, Lan wished for it to move to.

 Chapter 7: Control, Understanding

    The deer moved to the exact spot Lan wanted it to move to. Not immediately, but it did.


    Excited, Lan started to experiment on how far he could control the animal.


    First, he ''told'' it to jump. The deer just looked around and didn''t do anything, returning to his previous spot in the herd. Unperturbed, Lan told the deer leader to run up to a certain bush. While that deer didn''t exactly break into a full sprint, it walked to that bush faster than usual with a brisk walk. Finding nothing of much interest to itself, and with nothing better to do, started munching on the bush''s leaves.


    That series of interactions gave Lan some much-needed clues to his newfound ''control'' over the herd of deer.


    ''It seems to be not an absolute type of control, but rather it''s like giving a suggestion. I can only give them a ''general direction'' of what to do. Being overly specific probably either doesn''t convey the meaning I want, they don''t understand it, or I can''t transfer that suggestion at all. For now at least.''


    After the inner contemplation, Lan extended his awareness to the other herd of deer.


    He also remembered that after the ''connection'' was established, he felt the ''minds'' or ''souls'' of the herd, which were open to him. However, after he got caught up in his ''control'' experiments, he lost the feeling of that vivid sensation. So, he tried to focus on the herd again. However, all that greeted him was the sight and feeling of... The insides of deer.


    While he could now be called a proud deer biologist, now being aware of their every organ and what they''re made of, that didn''t really help him with ''mind sensing'', but it did open up a new source of interest.


    First of all, the biological constitution of deer was interesting, to say the least. The muscles and tissues were densely compressed, with no excessive fat present.


    ''Huh, I wouldn''t even know under that fluffy exterior lies a bunch of muscle bros.''


    The most interesting to him though, was the skeleton, which didn''t only have calcium as a primary component, no, it also had large amounts of metals, primarily iron, integrated with them seamlessly. The antlers, interestingly enough also had noticeable amounts of copper, which would probably make them good lightning conductors if the lightning didn''t move on to fry the poor animal shortly after the strike.


    ''If they''re so tough, it only makes one wonder even more how sharp the teeth and claws of local predators are to pierce all of that.''


    Having more-or-less understood the biological makeup of the herd, Lan remembered a crucial detail.


    ''With all this discovery I almost forgot about magic... This is a magical world though, so it is there somewhere, I did somehow heal those two with neutral mana. In conclusion, they can in some way accept mana internally.''


    So, Lan focused on the feeling of neutral mana. Tasteless, lack of color, lack of inherent nature... Tracing that feeling on the surface, he found deer as a bunch of distinct bunches of neutral mana, which looked fascinating, to say the least.


    ''It''s like looking at those biology books with only veins present... Interesting...''


    What deer looked like in his ''mana sight'', as he now called it, wasn''t just a dozen indistinct clumps, but a bunch of glowing veins spread out into the shape of a deer. They were spread out all throughout the body, even antlers, and then all of them converged back on one spot.


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    The heart.


    That discovery once again gave way to more questions.


    ''So is mana spread out through the blood? Considering that it starts from the heart, it seems likely.''


    Having made that guess, Lan tried to compare the layout of veins and the spread of mana. But another problem made itself apparent. Lan wasn''t able to focus on two things at once. Looking at their blood veins was like ''looking through the eyes'' while observing mana was like ''focusing on the feeling of the skin''. If you focus on one feeling, the other becomes indistinct and blurry.


    Still, every problem had a solution, you only had to find the right one.


    Trying a couple more times to focus on both, Lan gave up and tried a different approach. He memorized the vein layout of the leader of the deer, who was now back among the herd, and then tried to compare it with the mana layout.


    That method yielded multiple discoveries.


    ''First of all, once I memorize anything consciously, then I can easily recall it. I don''t know how far this ability goes, but it still beats my previous fleshy brain. Heh, magic crystal brains for life!''


    ''Second of all, while both vein systems converge in the heart, they are not the same. For example, ''mana veins'' flow throughout the whole body, even inside the antlers and bones. While the blood veins flow through the muscles, under the skin, well, just like normal blood vessels.


    ''So I guess that mana additionally strengthens all of the vital functions and strength of the deer. However, the heart remains a crucial irreplaceable organ, so if you lose it, mana or no mana - you are dead.''


    Having made up a series of discoveries with neutral mana, Lan finally returned to his original purpose, finding the deer''s minds.


    The lad focused on mental mana, his own mind, all that was connected to it, and just like earlier, the deer possessed clumps of mental mana, some more than others, deer leader still having the largest.


    Lan focused on the deer leader, and that clump of mental mana was visible to him in the same way he saw the deer''s inner parts. He understood every part of it. As if it was dissected on a table.


    He now knew every thought and feeling of that deer... Of which, to be honest, there weren''t many. They weren''t that complicated either.


    As expected the animal did not possess any coherent thoughts, but rather feelings, and instincts. It knew it wasn''t hungry, it knew that it needed to protect its herd, and it knew that it needed to search for food when hungry.


    After that, Lan tried to search the minds of the rest of the herd. And soon, he came to a conclusion. Those with lesser clumps of mental mana had even fewer thoughts, thinking only of the current situation and acting on instinct. Those with greater amounts of mental mana, however, had greater thoughts and had more complex reactions to various things.


    ''That''s one of the mysteries answered. The amount of mental mana depends on intelligence and complex thoughts. This is a bit scary considering that some of the plants generate an amount of mana on par with some rodents. It may also be that intelligence depends on mental mana instead, but that remains to be seen.''


    ''That means I will probably be able to suggest more complicated ideas to intelligent creatures, but that''s in the future for now. This discovery also makes me wonder whether I can use their desires to influence the creatures better.''


    With that, Lan tried to convey an image of sweet and juicy-looking berries on the bush on the edge of the clearing to one particularly hungry doe. Her head immediately jerked in the direction of the bush, and she quickly went up to it plucking and eating the berries one by one. As for whether they were poisonous... That remained to be seen.


    ''Idea confirmed then. That opens up some options. If I can create a shelter for the animals of some sort, I can convey to them the feeling of safety, luring them in to stay in my domain. That way they will be constant mana genera-, ahem they will be safe and sound. But, again that all depends on the availability of that shelter. Which means I am back to digging. Hooray...''


    With that, Lan got back to trying to manipulate earth mana, this time closer to the surface to create shelter for various critters and rodents. Manipulating mana away from the Core was considerably harder, but it''s not like he needed to perform high-precision operations, so he got the hang of it after twenty or so unsuccessful tries. He first made a small tunnel under the roots of a tree and then made a small chamber after it. After that, all that remained was to wait for an inhabitant.


    Not long after, a small mouse was skittering by with a piece of fruit in its mouth on the ground nearby, so Lan directed some neutral mana to it, claiming it, and sent a feeling of safety as well as an image of the entrance to the newly dug burrow. The rodent halted in its tracks, looked around, and then cautiously moved in the needed direction.


    Soon, it discovered the entrance, peeked inside, and seeing no apparent danger, went in, put down its fruit, and settled down.


    Plan success!

 Chapter 8: Infusion, Evolution

    With the success of the experiment, Lan began claiming every animal as part of his domain. Whether it be a rodent, insect, or plant, he infused his neutral mana into each and every one of them. However that constantly required cycling new neutral mana, as each infusion took an amount depending on the creature infused.


    With each creature claimed, Lan''s awareness of his domain became more thorough, more... Complete. He now knew where each creature was even without exclusively focusing and searching for them. That also allowed Lan to know whether any new creatures entered his domain, as they would not be marked.


    It took quite a while to find each one though. When he could no longer find an unclaimed creature visually, he began tracking them by their mental strands.


    It took Lan the rest of the day to finish claiming all of them.


    When moonlight once again covered the ground, the herd was once again bunched up in the center of the clearing, and the rest of the critters were in their own burrows.


    With the surface dwellers mostly still, the others who were still moving were all the more conspicuous to Lan. The underground dwellers are the most noticeable of the bunch.


    Through his mental connection, he felt the movement of large earthworms, and moles moving beneath the surface, tunneling along, each having their own purpose.


    Observing these creatures once again reminded Lan of his ''creature habitat creation'' plan. So, he got on with it. Tugging at the threads of earth mana below the surface, he, just like the moles, started carving out stable tunnels. Slow at first, but after getting the hang of it, the digging went along smoothly.


    - - - - - - - - - - - -


    By the time the night came to an end, Lan had already made a small network of tunnels, consisting of small chambers, just enough for a mole or two to live in, all of them connected by tunnels.


    And, his effort paid off. One of the moles, having received a suggestion from the Core to dig towards this network, has just dug through a wall of one of the chambers, peeking its nose out cautiously, and then crawling in, starting to settle.


    Another thing caught Lan''s attention while he was observing that mole. When it was digging, earth mana subtly moved around its claws, helping it dig faster. That surprised Lan yet again, prompting him to once again begin mana research.


    ''Hmm, does that mean that some animals may be able to manipulate mana? Kind of logical to be honest. But what influences it remains to be seen. Speaking of mana and animals, my neutral mana was able to help heal the wounded deer, and then the whole claiming thing came about. But what will happen if I continue infusing mana into them?''


    Lan quickly returned his attention back to the surface. The deer were still there as always, doing things that deer do.


    Still, Lan quickly pulled on the cycled neutral mana floating in the air, as well as some from underground. It quickly converged on the deer herd and things surrounding it.


    Soon after, a series of rapid changes happened to that area.


    At first, grass began to grow rapidly. Flowers that were still closed and yet to bloom immediately opened their petals, showing themselves to the world.


    And then, the thing that Lan liked very much, happened.


    It began with the smallest doe. The flow of mana in her mana veins accelerated, rapidly infusing energy in her muscles and bones. Then, they began rapidly expanding, compressing, and expanding again. While the doe was distressed by the sudden changes, seemingly in pain, her size rapidly increased from a humble 2 meters in height to 3 and a half, not being inferior to some of the males, her antlers gaining a metallic sheen, looking as if they could pierce through anything.


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    But, this change happened to every single member of the herd. While small females became bigger, the males also rapidly gained strength, increasing in height to 5 meters on average, the same as their leader, but that wasn''t the full extent of their changes.


    Except for an increase in height, their antlers became fully metallic, shining under the sun, and their hooves weren''t left behind either, now looking as if each one was a bone-crushing hammer.


    The leader, however, had the most drastic change, gaining all the traits other males did, increasing to 6 meters, but his two pairs of antlers changed in shape, each gaining an additional offshoot, which then intertwined between themselves. After that, various patterns emerged on them, reflecting mana veins beneath.


    And, finally sparks of electricity began running through those patterns, coursing and converging on the antler''s intertwined tip.


    ''Now that''s awesome... Should I call him a lightning horn now? It would be hella cool if he can shoot lightning now, which he probably can.''


    Then, Lan turned his attention to the male deer, who had their horns become metallic.


    ''And as for them, doesn''t Steelhorn sound about right? I mean, technically they still have antlers, but they are more streamlined now rather than branched out, plus steel antler just doesn''t have the same kick.''


    ''As for the females... Well, while they still don''t have metallic horns, they are kind of big. So why not Greater Deer?''


    What also attracted Lan''s attention, was that the mental mana output of the herd increased along with their evolution, most noticeable with the Lightning Horn, which had it nearly doubled. Observing his mind, the thoughts of the Lightning Horn became more complex, and it could now be seen planning solutions for its needs ahead of time.


    The Core continued observing the changes, observing the ground under and around the deer.


    There, not only did the plants increase in size, but the whole patch of land was almost radiating vitality. Various insects also grew bigger, insect eggs underground hatched, and a passing earthworm below also received a share of mana, gaining a set of circular teeth. Wonderful.


    While this experience drastically reduced the ambient cycled mana, reducing domain range, it gave Lan valuable knowledge.


    ''In conclusion, under the influence of dense or concentrated mana, plants and animals alike are capable of... Evolving, for lack of a better word, which also increases the intelligence of a creature. Mana can also speed up hatching processes, probably periods of gestation as well. I guess you could call it all-purpose super fertilizer. As for whether there are upper limits to the evolution, that remains to be seen.''


    When the whole process ended, Lan started to infuse mana once again, having already replenished it to full.


    However, this attempt was to be met with disappointment, as he couldn''t concentrate neutral mana any further than he already had, as it dispersed in other areas, bringing evolution and growth.


    ''While it is nice seeing everything become better and stronger, that''s not exactly what I wanted...


    Having no further success on the surface, Lan began infusing his underground tunnel network.


    There the moles rapidly grew, growing to one and a half meters long, their claws lengthening, gaining ''mana patterns'', as Lan now termed them, the flow of earth mana around them becoming apparent.


    As for the earthworms, they didn''t become any prettier, but they did become longer, at around a meter in length, gaining circles of teeth, slightly beginning to resemble giant alien worm monsters in certain movies. Surprisingly, earth mana also began to flow around them, not to the extent of mole''s claws, but it was there.


    ''Alright then, fascinatingly enough, some creatures are more ''innately attuned'' to elements. Moles and earthworms spend most of their lives underground, so it should come as no surprise that they have earth affinity.''


    However, the mana density continued increasing in the tunnels, moss began growing on walls, small mushrooms started popping out of nowhere, and while moles were busily enlargening their dwellings, they received a further boost, amplifying their earth affinity, not much, but a boost.


    Overall, the limit of the concentration of mana was denser than that on the surface, and it was further amplified in enclosed chambers with only one exit.


    That gave Lan some interesting information.


    ''Basically, the deeper, the more mana there is, that I already knew. But, enclosed environments can contain more mana, without it dispersing as much, facilitating further evolution of flora and fauna. In theory, if I were to create tunnels on the same depths as my core, they would be able to have multiple times the mana density, and as a consequence, stronger and more intelligent creatures. And that means more mental mana, which means more growth for me.''


    But all the thoughts about mental mana reminded the Core of something crucial.


    ''I think I have plenty of mental mana now, right? Especially after the evolution. I guess I can increase my Core size significantly. Well, no need to wait, let''s get on with it.


    The abundance of mental mana allowed the growth to be especially quick compared to before.


    From 32 centimeters...


    To 35...


    To 40...


    - - - - - - - - -


    Finally, Lan managed to increase his Core size to 50 cm before the recovery speed couldn''t keep up with the demand.


    After once again expanding his domain, he could see in a radius of 500 m.


    And what Lan saw on the surface half-worried and half-excited him.

 Chapter 9: Hindrance, Concept

    What Lan observed on the surface was that when it once again became dark, wolves came back around. This time they brought back some friends.


    Now, a total of 16 wolves were approaching the herd of deer quietly. Some of the wolves looked starved and emaciated, with ribs being visible. Others still bore not yet healed wounds. It was obvious why two separate packs joined forces. Because otherwise, they would die.


    The newly evolved deer were not caught off guard this time, however. Whether by virtue of enhanced perception or experience of the past encounter, they were already wide awake and on guard, gathered into a defensive circle.


    Although the wolves held a numerical advantage, the deer were now stronger than any single wolf. Even a single Greater deer could kill a wolf one-on-one not to mention Steelhorns and the Lightning Horn.


    In the end, there were 16 wolves against a Lightning Horn, four Steelhorns, and eight Greater Deer females, with males once again being the outer circle of the defense.


    The wolves did not keep themselves waiting. The black-furred beasts again paired up during the attack, forming 8 pairs. One such pair executed their tried-and-true tactic: attack from both sides, aiming for a Steelhorn. This time, however, this did not go well for them.


    Once they started running, out of their expectations, the Steelhorn took the initiative. It quickly moved with speeds surpassing those of the wolves, taking them by surprise, running its horns through one of the predators, cleanly piercing it, and then throwing the mortally wounded wolf with a shake of its head.


    The other wolf, which was pouncing toward the Steelhorn''s side during this, did not succeed in its attack, missing the Steelhorn entirely, and then being kicked with the hind legs of supposed prey, crushing its neck and skull. To say the least, it didn''t have a chance of survival.


    Such scenes were happening all over the clearing, wolves that were aiming for the Steelhorns being pierced and crushed, some even being torn apart.


    And the unfortunate pair which targeted the Lightning Horn had it even more badly. During the initial charge, arcs of electricity quickly converged on Lightning Horn''s antler tip, then forming into a lightning bolt and shooting towards one of the wolves. Without even a chance to react, it was turned into a burnt corpse.


    The second wolf managed to partly dodge the subsequent charge of the Lightning Horn, however, its side was grazed by the still electrified antlers, paralyzing and sending the wolf tumbling to the ground, helpless. It wouldn''t get up from the ground ever again, as it was finished off with a stomp of Lightning Horn''s stomp.


    Lan, who was observing the battle, noticed an abnormality in mental mana though. The amount of mana that was generated during the battle, and particularly during the wolves'' demise was large, however, less than half of it was actually absorbed by the Core.


    Closely examining the flow of it, Lan found the source of the problem. Mental mana was actually actively dissipating while it was pulled down, and while it moved quickly on the surface, it was slowed down when passing through the ground. While it was passing by through the underground tunnels though, it was once again pulled along without much trouble, moving through the routes leading closer to the core, and then once again worming its way through the dirt and stone.


    Lan was left without much time to ponder on it though, as he felt a feeling of intense panic through one of his mental connections to the deer, and then the said connection dimmed down to the point where it was almost invisible.


    Looking back to the surface, he quickly found the source of said feeling. One of the Greater Deer was in the end taken down by the fortunate pair of wolves, which were somehow successful in their attack. And now, they were dragging the corpse back with surprising agility, seemingly not slowed down at all.


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    They were the only fortunate ones though, as the rest of the wolves who were not yet dead, quickly met their end.


    This battle ultimately ended in the herd''s victory, massacring the assailants, but Lan was not that happy, as one of his claimed Greater Deer died.


    The annoyance quickly turned to puzzlement, however, as the mental mana of the deer, which was pulled down to the Core already, was not absorbed, instead flowing on the surface of it, not dissipating, maintaining its integrity.


    Lan tried to move it, and it was freely under his control, just like his own mental mana. Not yet sure what to do with it, he left it alone, the Core once again examined the surface.


    Most of the herd was intact, with only one Steelhorn having superficial scratches. It would seem that their defensive capabilities were greatly improved during evolution.


    While Lan was scanning the rest of the domain, he came across a peculiar scene. That pair of wolves did not leave the area completely, instead devouring the corpse of the Greater Deer on the spot.


    Examining it curiously, he noticed an interesting detail, the mana contained in the flesh of the Greater Deer was flowing into them with the consumption of it. And when they split and devoured its'' heart, an intense surge of mana flowed into the pair, healing their wounds, and strengthening them, not dissimilar to the evolution process. They no longer looked starved, but now their fur was lush and full of vitality, the animals had even gained in size.


    ''While this came out of the blue, this must be an important part of the local ecology. One can evolve through the consumption of flesh, and herbivores must have a way to gain mana too, probably through the consumption of mana-infused plants. The prey eat plants and slowly gain mana, predators consume the prey, and if prey manages to kill the predator, then the mana of the killed is slowly dispersed in the surroundings, thus yielding mana-infused plants.''


    ''And while it''s nice knowing this, how to apply this remains to be seen...''


    While he was thinking of this, quite an obvious idea popped into Lan''s head. If the wolves were in his domain, why wouldn''t he claim them? Acting on the thought, he focused cycled mana onto them.


    As expected, the mental link was immediately established. And the fact that Lan now had both large predators and prey under his control, gave him some more new ideas.


    ''I already had the idea of establishing an environment of conflict, now it seems all the more feasible. But, I will be wasting a major amount of mental mana if I were to carry this out on the surface, as mana will be lost during transport...''


    ''And the fact that the majority of my domain is underground remains. It''s settled then. I will make an underground world, where every living being will be fighting for its survival!''


    Immediately acting on it, Lan quickly focused on the newly gained mental mana, noticing that his Core had grown to 51 cm in the process, enlarging his domain once again.


    Once Lan focused on the surface, he arrived at a dilemma: Where exactly to begin digging down?


    Thinking that just a hole in the ground, while looking pretty bad, is also prone to flooding during rain, he thought up a plan.


    The plan was to rise up a hill in the middle of the clearing, and then to start digging from the side of that hill, making a cave leading downwards.


    Starting up the plan, Lan first commanded the deer to move from the center of the clearing, in order not to bury them. Then, he began focusing on earth mana, tugging on it, pulling it out from the depths and up.


    With a slight trembling of the ground, which startled the herd a bit, the ground started gradually moving upwards, as if it was there was a bubble of air below it.


    By the time it slowly rose to the height Lan planned, which was ten meters above the ground at its'' highest, he still had around half the mental mana remaining.


    Already knowing where to use it, he slowly began carving an entrance in the base of the hill, slowly carving the way in.


    The sun was already rising when Lan finished digging. The finished product was crude, Lan admitted it, but it was only the beginning.


    For now, the entrance looked like a circular hole in the hill, which then led to a relatively large but short corridor, only two meters in length, which led to a large and spacious chamber with a spherical ceiling seven meters high and a floor which was mostly flat, but a part of it that was near the wall opposite the entrance was tilted downwards as if leading to a tunnel, which was not present.


    ''Welp, quite ugly and unnatural-looking, but it is a start. I would''ve done more if I hadn''t run out of mana... I''ll improve it later. For now, let''s welcome the first residents!''


    With that said, he commanded the herd of various deer to move inside. Soon the ''cave'' welcomed its first dwellers.


    But this was a humble beginning of something far greater.

 Chapter 10: Soul, Instinct

    ...It can be observed that large amounts of evolved animals, now often referred to as ''monsters'', gather in places with high mana concentration. These places are usually notable for their abundant and sometimes even excessive amounts of vegetation. While the correlation between lush growth and mana was initially unknown, it was later confirmed by mind-evolved humans, which are sensitive to mana. Such places are hereby referred to as ''monster nests'', usually having further evolved and quickly multiplying monsters. As such, monster nests are a priority target for elimination...


    -An excerpt from ''Mana and Evolution'' by Joseph Larring, 25 AA


    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Once the herd moved in, Lan began filling the newly made cave with neutral mana. Once again confirming Lan''s theories, the concentration of it was higher than it was outside.


    Under the influence of the mana increase, soon various kinds of moss and mushrooms began quickly propagating along the walls and the floor of the chamber. Such mana-infused plants would surely be good food for the herd.


    Having done that, Lan continued digging a tunnel leading further down, making an exit from the chamber opposite the entrance. He dug it in the shape of a large downward spiral, which went alongside the expanding edges of the domain, to maximize the use of his domain in both width and depth.


    Such a large undertaking once again drained his mental mana, forcing him to turn his attention to other things.


    First of all, residual mental mana from his linked creatures which died one way or another.


    While it didn''t get absorbed immediately, instead floating around the Core, it didn''t stay that way forever. It was slowly being absorbed, like water flowing down a clogged sink. As such, the residual mental mana, or the ''soul'' of the deceased Greater Deer was almost completely absorbed by now, with only a tiny amount of it remaining.


    Lan guessed it had something to do with his earlier mana infusion and the linking process, but he wondered what he could actually do with it.


    First, he looked at the ''soul'' of a recently deceased mouse, which was killed during a collapse caused by the construction of the hill by Lan. Oops.


    It was still largely intact, so he pulled it away from the Core and then began to think of uses for it.


    ''I mean... If I treat this as a soul, then maybe resurrection would be possible. Wouldn''t it be a perpetual engine if things died, I resurrected them and they fought again? My growth would be endless!''


    Inspired by such thoughts, Lan found the corpse of said mouse, and by manipulating earth mana, pulled it towards the surface.


    Once again pulling its'' soul, bringing it back to the body, he ''pushed'' it back in. The soul was absorbed back without a problem.


    Then, the body jerked and shivered, the reborn mouse opening its eyes again... Only to start squealing in pain, unable to move.


    ''Riight... While it died from suffocation, its'' bones were broken during the collapse, and resurrection doesn''t automatically heal its'' wounds. Oh well, nothing a little magic can''t solve!''


    Once again proving its'' usefulness, mana-infusion quickly repaired the broken bones, with them snapping back into place, the mouse even gaining in size in the process.


    Soon, instead of a lifeless and broken corpse, now an incredulous mouse was sniffing around, not really knowing what just happened. While to Lan, this once again expanded his skillset.


    ''Nice! That means I can respawn stuff! Perpetual mana engine, I am coming for you!''


    Filled with excitement, Lan quickly found another corpse, one left behind by a little bird which fell out of its'' nest and broke its'' neck. Quickly identifying the soul belonging to it, which was still intact, Lan tried putting it back in as well.


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    However, this time he was not met with success. After the corpse jerked, it lay still again, the soul floating back out without even giving Lan the time to heal it. The soul once again rushed back to the core, now even smaller than before, soon being absorbed, never to be resurrected again.


    ''...That didn''t go so well.''


    While unsuccessful, this gave more information to Lan.


    ''Okay, so the body must be in a state which can support life for some time. If it can''t, such as having a crushed head, being decapitated, or destroyed beyond healing, then respawning is impossible.''


    The excitement of initial discovery having died down, now knowing the drawbacks, the idea of respawning didn''t seem so viable anymore.


    ''Now that isn''t useful at all! I mean, after a fight the body is almost always eaten, who even leaves it intact? And then even if I try to resurrect an animal after a fight, it would probably get ''spawn-killed'' again, only wasting the mana and the soul... Ugh, mana alone can''t solve everything.''


    Indeed, while mana is a form of life-bringing energy, energy can''t completely replace matter. And without having a way to create new intact bodies, resurrection would be largely useless. Still, Lan was able to resurrect the animals who died in smaller accidents, so there''s that.


    Still, during the time Lan spent experimenting with souls, his mental mana fully recovered, allowing him to continue digging.


    After finishing a segment of the tunnel which was around 50 meters long, and moved downwards, still being tall and wide enough for even a Ligtning Horn to pass through, Lan once again began digging a chamber, a bigger one this time, at around 40 meters underground, giving Lan more space to work with, without worrying about the ceiling collapsing.


    He once again expanded outwards, compressing the ground and stone together, fusing into the sturdy walls and ceiling.


    The end product was fifteen meters tall, and a hundred and fifty meters in width and length.


    Then Lan began cycling mana through the new room, filling it with magical energy. The result was different from what he imagined though.


    Even though this chamber was deeper underground, it logically should have had a bigger concentration of mana than the entrance chamber. However, it was instead lower, puzzling Lan. After comparing the two though, he found where the problem lay.


    ''...Aha, I got it. Though the upper chamber is closer to the surface, it is smaller, thus mana is more concentrated, the second chamber however is much bigger, and the advantage of being deeper is nullified by being larger.''


    Having identified the problem, the Core quickly went to fix it. And the fix was simple really: lowering the size of the room.


    So, Lan reduced the size from one hundred and fifty meters to one hundred, still leaving plenty of space for the future dwellers, and increasing the concentration of mana.


    From this whole ordeal, he gained valuable information for future digging: The size of the chambers may increase only as one gradually goes lower because otherwise, the concentration of mana will be unsatisfactory.


    As he was finishing up the new chamber, it got an unexpected visitor, the Lightning Horn.


    Even without a command, it moved downwards towards the new chamber, the herd following closely behind it.


    Lan was confused. While deer are able to live in caves, they aren''t really underground dwellers, as their food is usually on the surface, so why would they move here out of their own initiative?


    As he was pondering though, new vegetation sprouted up along with the increase in mana, and the herd was already nibbling on it, absorbing mana within. Through this, answer immediately became apparent.


    ''...Is it mana? Is the fact that mana-dense areas have food with more mana make animals instinctively seek them out? And because of this, when the herd felt higher amounts of mana flowing from the tunnel, they instinctively went down? Guess that''s the ecology of a magic world for you.''


    Though the deer had a stable source of food and mana, Lan noticed that they still lacked water. It was probably thanks to mana that they weren''t dying of thirst by now.


    As such, Lan went looking for water within his domain. It didn''t take him long to find a small underground stream flowing not far from the surface.


    Lan then started carving a channel not far from it, leading into the second underground chamber, then coming out of a wall. In the chamber he carved a shallow channel on the floor, mimicking how a stream on the surface would look like. That channel was carved across the room, dissapearing into the wall opposite of it. Lan carved the channel connecting it back to the stream, forming a loop. After that, he carved into the stream itself, and water, having found a new path, quickly flowing through.


    ''Water supply established! Can''t exactly call myself a professional plumber, but hey, it''s a start!''


    Having more or less finished the second chamber, Lan turned back to the first one, which, unexpectedly, already had new occupants.


    The remaining wolf pair, which was hanging around his domain recently, was eyeing the mana-filled cave for a while now. And now that the terrifying horned herd moved downward, the wolves, probably with their sense of smell, quickly found out.


    They soon settled in the corner of the chamber, making themselves at home.


    When Lan was scanning the wolves though, one detail attracted his attention.


    The female wolf was pregnant.

 Chapter 11: Reinforcement, Creation

    The female wolf looked as if it had been pregnant for a month or two, even though a week ago it was still not. It did not take much effort to guess that it was because of mana, as during the first mana-infusion Lan did, many insect eggs were instantly hatched.


    ''Well, at least with this I guess I won''t have to worry about lacking the population down here.''


    After the wolves moved in, they did not remain the sole dwellers of the chamber for long. Lured by dense mana, various rodents, insects, and even a snake moved into the small chamber. At least the wolves wouldn''t starve.


    Some animals though were hesitant to move in despite the promise of mana, and some among those who rushed in, were now looking around haplessly, disoriented.


    At first, Lan wondered what the problem was, but noticing their disorientation, understanding dawned on him.


    ''Damn it, how could I not think of that, they can''t see in the dark. The deer and wolves possess night vision, but not every living being has that trait. While the light does shine through the entrance, further down there is none.''


    That problem seriously stumped Lan, as he hadn''t the slightest clue how to make a light source.


    ''Damn, unless I figure that out, the majority of animals won''t be able to live down here.''


    Still, some rodents such as mice, did not need light to move around, having other methods of feeling the surroundings. Those who could do things like that gladly settled inside the cave, some already evolving further.


    A small part of them though, were not satisfied with just that, rushing through the tunnel further down, moving towards the lower chamber. Among them, surprisingly, was the mouse Lan resurrected.


    As for those left behind, they were already establishing their dwellings, digging into the walls and making burrows, or piling together moss and leaves to form a nest.


    Still, the fact the animals could so easily dig through the walls gave Lan a concern.


    ''Doesn''t that mean that the walls and tunnels are still easily destructible? Doesn''t that mean that all of this could quite easily collapse? That would be bad... Not just bad, that won''t do at all!''


    Somewhat distressed about this issue, Lan quickly reviewed what he could do.


    First, using earth mana he could disintegrate and move stone, soil, and various other earthly minerals. Then, he could manipulate neutral mana in the air, concentrating it, and creating mana-dense locations. Lan didn''t really have a ready-made solution, but reviewing this made him think.


    ''...It would seem I didn''t use mana manipulation to its'' full capabilities. I only move around and focus neutral mana in the air, but why didn''t I ever infuse it into something other than animals? Also, if neutral mana could be infused, who''s to say earth mana can''t? And what if I try to infuse both? The possibilities are endless!''


    Feeling enlightened, Lan immediately executed his idea.


    First, he tried infusing neutral mana into a pebble that was lying around in the second chamber, because mana there was more abundant. While it didn''t change visually, mana did stay inside of it instead of dispersing. After trying to infuse more, again it didn''t change. Still, he kept going.


    After infusing one-tenth of his cycled neutral mana, the stone gradually started changing. It began to crystallize, turning from an ordinary pebble into a pure crystal. What Lan likedy very much about it though, was the fact that it was shining with a soft glow.


    ''Hahaha! If you have a problem, the solution is probably right by your side! That''s illumination problem solved!''


    Now having found a solution to a recent problem, Lan continued the experiment. Now that the pebble turned into a... Mana Crystal, for lack of a better definition, instead of infusing ambient neutral mana, he started pulling on earth mana hidden inside of rocks and stone.


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    The process this time was much less smooth, as earth mana was harder to manipulate, so the infusion was happening much slower, but still, there was change.


    The crystal which was originally shining in pale-white light, slowly changed its color to yellow, and then brownish, the color of the ground.


    Now Lan could vividly feel how the concentration of earth mana inside the crystal was increasing, feeling it much better than when it was hidden inside of rocks. This caused him to have a realization that mana crystals may not only help in illuminating dark rooms, but also in attunement, improving the mastery over the elements.


    Eventually, with the continuous infusion, the mana crystal lost its transparency, now resembling a pure piece of agate. Soon, it seemed to reach its capacity, which was in and of itself impressive for such a small piece of stone.


    Satisfied with the outcome of the experiment, Lan left the stone behind to its'' fate, now focusing on the entrance chamber.


    Now, with the knowledge of mana crystals, he wanted to create lamps of some kind. But soon, Lan realized a problem, if he infused a regular wall with mana, it would probably take a lot more in both mana and time to crystallize, and it would be a glowing wall instead of a lamp. So, just like the pebble, Lan needed to make a separate piece of stone.


    At first, he tried to carve it out of the wall, separating a mixed ball of rock and dirt. Then, he started infusing neutral mana into it. Just like the pebble, it soon started to crystallize, however not completely. While the stone crystallized as expected, the dirt started being covered with moss. As such, the end result was a mix of crystal and moss, not really the lamp Lan wanted.


    Lan didn''t like the result, so he tried a different experiment at the same time, reabsorbing mana from the crystal. It worked surprisingly well, with neutral mana being sucked away from the crystal, followed by it crumbling. The ball of moss was left behind though, not that it mattered.


    Following the first attempt at carving and infusion, Lan tried to make a lamp using this method several more times, all ending with similar results. While observing the failed lamps, Lan found the problem.


    Different minerals reacted to mana infusion differently, and without having a piece of the same material, it would be impossible to make a consistent and pure lamp. Finding a piece of pure material would be troublesome in the immediate vicinity of the chambers, as the walls, ceiling, and floor were made from the compression of various materials.


    So, Lan needed to either find a source of pure material each time he wanted to make something mana-infused... Or he had to make the material by himself. Lan liked the latter option.


    Having a target, Lan once again started to experiment.


    First, he attempted to raise earth mana into the air, but this failed, as the result was the rising of the minerals along with the mana, forming a pillar made of stone and dirt. Then, Lan tried to use neutral mana in the process, but that formed a mana-infused pillar. After these fruitless attempts, Lan finally focused on the earth''s mana itself.


    ''I don''t want to raise up the minerals along with the mana residing in them... I guess I''d have to focus on it at first... Alright then...''


    ''Earth Mana.''


    Solid. Stoic. Unshakable.


    Lifegiving.


    The foundation of growth.


    While Lan, along with his entire being, his entire Core, focused on the earth mana, the feeling of it, the essence, outside of his perception, the earth mana shook, forming ripples with his Core as a focal point.


    And the Core was soon brought out of his trance by a familiar yet unfamiliar feeling.


    Familiar, because it was an unmistakable feeling of earth mana that he was just focused on. Unfamiliar, because he felt more of it. It was not an increase in quantity, no, he felt it slowly forming and flowing in lazy currents, permeating throughout his domain, slowly flowing from the depths below. The same as neutral mana.


    Curiously, he once again reached out for it, not needing to focus on the ground, not needing to tug and pull it out forcefully. No, now it responded to his will as easily as neutral mana, swirling like dust picked up by the wind.


    Then, focusing back on the entrance chamber, he focused that swirl of earth mana into a circular ball.


    And that immediately showed results. At first, dust gathered in the center of the swirl, then forming a clump of dirt, then enlarging to the size of a ball, until it looked like the perfect sphere he imagined it to be.


    As the mana continued to be infused, the dirt gradually solidified, soon turning into stone. At that point, Lan stopped controlling the earth mana. The sphere, which was previously suspended midair, landed on the ground with a thud, not a crack forming on it.


    As Lan examined the sphere, it seemed to be made of pure stone. Remembering his previous objective, he started infusing neutral mana into it.


    And then, under the infusion, the sphere of stone slowly turned into a sphere of crystal, now shining in a light that continued to brighten as more mana was infused into it.


    Not long after, that single sphere''s light now illuminated the whole entrance cavern.


    In the end, Lan did succeed in making a source of light, inadvertently further attuning to earth mana.

 Chapter 12: Restructuring, Growth

    Still, having achieved his goal, Lan immediately got onto creating said lamps.


    First, he needed to find where to place them, he couldn''t have them just stick out of the floor or the ceiling after all, who knows if they''ll fall or what if some curious animal damages them? So, he quickly thought of a solution.


    ''...Can''t just place them on the surface of things... Then how about... Inside?''


    A curious idea popped up in his head: Form the lamp inside the walls, ground, or ceilings and then, depending on the amount of illumination needed, form cavities in said wall to release the light. Not perfect, but effective.


    Soon, mana was converging inside the ceiling of the entrance chamber, forming a sphere of pure stone and then turning into a mana-fueled lamp.


    Then, Lan carefully dug out a crevice leading to the lamp, and soon the gentle light was filling the entire chamber. It looked similar to when light rays get underground through small holes, creating a wondrous scene.


    The critters and various animals that were previously afraid of the dark did not keep themselves waiting for long, the underground chambers welcoming a new surge of life, for now, limited to the entrance chamber.


    As the rest of the underground remained unilluminated, Lan soon got onto converging and infusing once again.


    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Somewhere in the nearby wilderness


    A shadow was stalking through the darkness, its'' agile form making nary a sound as it moved through the undergrowth.


    The prey it was stalking, quite a big rabbit with a horn on its'' head, did not notice it either.


    When it noticed something wrong, it was already too late, jaws and claws filling its'' vision.


    A moment later, atop the corpse of the rabbit with bloodied jaws stood a majestic figure, its blood splattering as it devoured the kill.


    It was a cougar, big even by the standards of the awakened planet, standing proudly at two meters tall, three and a half meters in length. Although it may not compare to large herbivores and some of the greater predators in size, its'' agility and stealth are unparalleled among the inhabitants of the forest. By the time anyone notices it, they are usually already dead.


    The fact that the hunt succeeded was nothing new to the cougar, it never failed since it learned to hunt on its own.


    As it was devouring and absorbing the prey''s meager mana, it noticed something abnormal in the flow of ambient mana.


    The amounts of mana brought by the flows from the north were incomparably more intense compared to the mana it was used to.


    Having absorbed the remaining mana within the rabbit, the cougar turned to the direction of the north, the direction of mana.


    To the direction of its new hunting grounds.


    ...


    Similar scenes happened in the nearby regions.


    A group of two-meter-long lizards left their caverns.


    A flock of birds, whose feathers gleamed with the sharpness of metal turned their heads and, set off in search of a new nest.


    A tiger with numerous scars covering its face, telling of many hard-fought battles, turned its head in a certain direction while standing atop a defeated foe. Living creatures around it either gathered in worship or were already dead.


    All sensed a new promised land, a promise of mana, a promise of strength.


    A promise of evolution.


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    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Unaware of the winds his metaphorical wings have made with their flapping, Lan was finishing the last lamp in the second underground chamber.


    Soon, the entire chamber was filled with a glow akin to moonlight, as if it was not underground at all.


    ''Phew... Now that that''s done, I think this place looks too simple, doesn''t it? Not that tough-looking either... Time for a renovation!''


    Now that Lan was confident in conjuring earth and stone, he was excited to reinforce his entire underground. First, he decided to start with the entrance.


    Currently, it was raining outside, and what didn''t make Lan happy was the fact that some of the water was indeed leaking in through the entrance.


    ''As expected... Restructuring is a right choice.''


    First, to stop the potential flooding, he changed the entrance itself. Manipulating the earth mana, he raised the roof of the entrance, making it so that the rain slid off the sides of it, not into the cavern. Then, he reinforced the entire circular entrance with earth mana, solidifying it into stone.


    Following that, he noticed that the whole hill under which most of his domain was situated was... Rather bare and ugly, still looking rather bald after it was created. Not liking this one bit, Lan quickly infused it with mana.


    Soon after, grass and various flowers sprouted from the seeds that were either remaining or brought up from the underground.


    Satisfied, Lan got back to reinforcing structurally the underground, not noticing how a tiny tree sprout was rapidly growing, spreading its roots, quickly absorbing the abundant mana...


    Meanwhile, Lan was turning parts of the walls into stone, making it so they wouldn''t collapse because of one reason or another, and at the same time leaving space for animals to dig their burrows or nests.


    In the second chamber he even added a pillar connecting the top and bottom in the middle of it, and in the middle of the pillar, a shining crystal, that being the mana lamp, illuminated the entirety of the chamber. It also grew over with moss and vines under the influence of dense mana, giving off a natural and magical feeling.


    While Lan was at it, he couldn''t help but notice that just like his hill not so long ago, it was... Rather barren. Other than some mosses, mushrooms, and vines that grew from existing seeds and spores, no surface plant life was here.


    Considering that despite being underground, the chambers were teeming with life, including surface animals, why couldn''t the surface plants be here as well?


    Putting the idea to the test, Lan pulled some berries, fruit, and other ripe seed containers underground, planting them and nourishing them with mana.


    They didn''t seem to require any sunlight, mana replacing the sun''s rays.


    Sure enough, previously gloomy caves now looked as if they were a small underground patch of forest.


    With new additions though, Lan realized that the amount of space was lacking with just two chambers, and to make a large new chamber, he needed to enlarge himself, that being the Core.


    As he was always busy reasearching mana or realizing his ideas, he never really got to growing the Core as much as at the beginning, despite having abundant mental mana.


    So, focusing only on the Core, he began the rapid growth.


    At first, the core was sitting at now seemingly humble 52 centimeters. That didn''t remain like that though, as it began to grow as if on a timelapse.


    From 52 to 60...


    To 70...


    85!


    One meter!


    As the core grew over 100 centimeters and into the meters, the growth slowed down slightly, but not that much. It still kept on going.


    It still stopped at 120 centimeters however, bringing a feeling of exhaustion, and satisfaction to Lan, as logically his mana capacity, and by extension, domain, have increased to 1,2 kilometers of perception!


    Immediately cycling through his neutral mana, his ''vision'' quickly expanded. This process gave Lan a feeling as if he was opening his eyes for the first time... Once more.


    He now saw far beyond the small hill he created, beyond the surrounding woods. Taking in the sights, he took note of his newly discovered surroundings.


    Not that far to the west, not even close to the edge of his new domain, there flowed a river, fish occasionally jumping in and out... The fish were gigantic as well.


    To the east there lay what seemed to be slopes leading into the mountains, though the mountains themselves lay beyond his perception.


    To the south, the woods seemed to become yet denser, being home to beasts more ferocious-looking than the ones surrounding his hill.


    To the north, were what seemed to be the beginning of plains, trees thinning out, fields filled with sunlight and dancing winds replacing them.


    As Lan took in those sights, he was touched by a sliver of melancholy.


    ''Hah... Isn''t it just like it was back home? Our Firefly town always had mountains to the east, which were surrounded with dense woods and mystery... There was a river there as well.. Guess fate just wants to rub it in my face that I''m never going to see them again huh...''


    Still, he quickly snapped out of it, a newfound determination beginning to blaze, replacing his former glum mood.


    ''...So what if I won''t see those sights again?! Those plains, forests, mountains... Give me enough time and I will make my own! Sunlight? Heh, I will find a way as well! I will unfold the secrets of magic of this world, make them my own! Magic will be my hands and mana will be my feet!''


    Burning away the melancholy, a newfound ambition started in Lan''s heart.


    As Lan quickly began digging into the ground once more, much faster than before, thoughts echoed through his mind.


    ''Mom, Dad, even if you aren''t going to find me all the way in this world... I will find you eventually somehow, bring you here, and we will be reunited! I will carve out a world underground, and I will show it to you someday... Though I may have left you for now, I will make you proud!''

 Chapter 13: Generations, Mana bodies

    Lan was drilling deep into the underground of his domain yet again.


    This time, fueled by his newfound ambition and newly gained domain space, he didn''t plan to make yet another simple chamber or ''room'', no, he wanted to make something more... Grand.


    The tunnel leading into the depth from the second chamber this time was much longer and deeper, spiraling all the way until the total depth from the surface reached two hundred and fifty meters.


    This took a significant toll on Lan''s mental mana resources, so he quickly checked what else he could do with what remained.


    First, he checked on the entrance chamber yet again.


    There, to his surprise, he found a rather heartwarming scene.


    The previously pregnant female wolf had given birth and was currently feeding the litter of puppies.


    Though the insects and small creatures of his domain multiplied and procreated constantly, he didn''t pay them much attention, as Lan was usually busy with other things. This time though, he was able to take a closer look, and thus, made yet another discovery.


    First of all, the puppies were already connected to his mental network, needing no further infusion. Thus it could be surmised that the offspring of the already connected creatures will stay the same as their parents.


    That wasn''t only the first half of the discovery though, it was the second half that especially interested Lan.


    The bodies of the little ones differed greatly from their parents, and the difference lay not only in size but on a more fundamental level.


    A significant part of those puppies'' tissues were made not of matter such as muscles and bones, but rather concentrated mana replacing them. Half of the total mass to be exact.


    The reason this discovery excited and interested Lan was because of the problem of recreating bodies a while ago. He couldn''t exactly recreate matter to make those bodies from...


    However if a full mana-body replacement is possible, and he could learn the principles of how mana may replace the organs and tissues, then a full-body repair, or better yet, creation from zero is possible.


    And that would open the possibility of ''respawning''.


    All of that made Lan check yet again the dwellers of his domain.


    The ones living on the surface didn''t change that much, the ones living far away from the entrance to the underground only having around one-twentieth of the body turned into mana. The ones living closer to the entrance though often had one-tenth, sometimes even one-fifth of the body turned into mana.


    The dwellers of the exceptionally mana-dense underground though had it the best.


    Most of those living in the entrance chamber, just like the wolves'' descendants had half or more of the body turned into ''mana flesh''.


    As for those living in the second chamber though, they once again surprised Lan, as he recently hadn''t paid them much attention.


    First, the most noticeable was lush vegetation now suffusing the entire chamber. Trees were stretching all the way to the ceiling, bushes were brimming with leaves and berries (some once again having small skeletons buried under their roots. The quiet stream of water ran in the middle of this small piece of forest, dividing it in two.


    Amidst all this, in the very center of such a scene, stood the pillar with the mana lamp in it, spreading light throughout.


    Currently, amidst such a paradise, the familiar herd of deer stood out, being overlords in this area thanks to their earlier evolutions. Some of the does were pregnant, the herd guarding them.


    Though they hadn''t had any descendants yet, their bodies changed, slowly integrating the mana into them.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    As Lan quickly ''scanned'' through them, he confirmed that their physique did indeed change as well, even without being born inside of the mana-dense environment.


    Some smaller creatures have reproduced in that short time however, their offspring possess bodies composed mostly out of four-fifths mana flesh, and one-fifth of living tissue. And the progenitors had around two-fifths of mana flesh.


    From all of this, Lan was ready to make a few conclusions.


    The creatures that lived amidst high mana environments, even without procreating, their flesh would convert to mana-flesh as well. This process however seems to be much slower than just being born in a high-mana environment. However, this option may be better for creatures without mates or those with long gestation periods.


    Also, obviously enough, this process accelerated proportionally to the amount of mana in the environment.


    Still, having found out all that, Lan observed how the amount of mana flesh influenced the life of creatures. So, he started comparing a mouse living on the surface, and a mouse living underground.


    ...


    After observing them for six hours, he made several answers to his own questions.


    First of all, the need for food and water decreased. Mana flesh seemed to replace nutrient intake with... Mana intake. Creatures with mana flesh passively absorbed mana, replacing the need for feeding. They still did hunt, however, as the accumulation of mana still served as a way to evolve.


    Second, the creature grew stronger proportionally to the amount of mana flesh. The regions ''manatised'' were also seemingly not random, usually being symmetrical muscles, whole muscle groups, or tendons. The manatised regions of the body were far more efficient, having higher levels of fatigue resistance and output.


    For example, the mouse living in the domain underground was faster and stronger than the one living on the surface.


    ''...Ah, the possibilities. The more I learn the more ideas I have... I would have to learn how the whole process works though, and how to recreate it. For that, I would have to wait for a creature to have a complete mana body. I don''t think I will have to wait long with sped-up reproduction rates though.''


    Putting the solving of the ''respawn project'' to the back of his mind, Lan returned his attention back to the end of the newly dug tunnel, as his mental mana was greatly recovered.


    Quite a few small creatures were already skittering about, seeking more mana. The Lightning Horn came to check it out earlier as well, however deeming it unfit for habitation, he returned back.


    Lan didn''t know about that though, as he was already making a plan of the third chamber in his mind.


    Although he was ambitious, he was still lacking some means to achieve his dreams. He didn''t know how to make an artificial sun that would be emitting warmth, nor how to make day-night cycles with it.


    He would work with what he could though.


    So, he approximated the initial size in proportion to available mana, in order to make good mana density.


    Finally, after a short deliberation, Lan settled on a rather ''humble'' size.


    A chamber eight hundred by eight hundred meters in width and length, as his domain allowed it due to the proximity to the core, and nearly a hundred meters in height.


    Lan deliberately made this ''chamber'' if he could call it that in its size, far deeper than the second one especially for making it... Big.


    The amount of mental mana to dig the whole thing out was no joke though, as this was easily the biggest project of Lan''s yet.


    As he was working on it, it gradually became easier and easier. Considering his attunement to earth mana was on par with neutral mana, it was to be expected.


    Still, digging out such a chunk was impossible in one go.


    However, considering the amount of creatures living inside his domain, Lan had gone a long way from when he just saw the surface.


    Now, even with his current mana capacity, he didn''t need for a whole day to replenish it. Only two hours would suffice.


    As such, Lan spent the next whole day, or so he assumed, as he counted the replenishment cycles rather than hours, digging.


    In the end, after spending fifteen replenishment cycles on digging, he succeeded in carving out the chamber he wanted.


    Soon after that, he cycled the neutral mana through, and it began flooding into the new space. The mana concentration was incomparable to the previous chamber, being nearly doubled by Lan''s estimations.


    A different problem became apparent, however.


    ''...With how big this place is, isn''t it even more likely to collapse? Don''t tell me I need to infuse the walls with earth mana now, c''mon...''


    Still, the Core didn''t wallow in his tiredness for long, getting back to work.


    ''No one''s gonna do it but me''.


    As such, Lan now had a new source of mental mana investment.


    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    A cougar was running through the undergrowth.


    It wasn''t chasing nor stalking any prey this time however, it was rapidly moving in the direction of mana.


    Suddenly, a pulse of even more intense mana swept from the direction it was moving to.


    It was more dense, more concentrated, more desirable.


    Feeling that the scent of mana intensified even more, the predator nearly growled in anticipation.


    Soon after it ran up an elevated slope, and from there a wondrous sight opened before its'' eyes.


    Not that far in the distance, just about a kilometer away, there stood a clearing, a hill in the middle of it. On top of that hill grew a small yet visible from this distance tree, already having spread out its'' leaves and branches.


    It didn''t attract the cougars'' attention though, no, its'' eyes were drawn to an opening radiating mana, inviting all living beings.


    The hunter didn''t linger. She quickly set off in that direction with newfound speed.


    Those grand hunting grounds would be hers.

 Chapter 14: Fossils, Guest

    Lan had to reinforce the walls and the ceiling before beginning to do any modeling in this chamber. The standard compression of them would not suffice at sizes this big.


    ''Come to think of it, this chamber is quite big to still be called just a ''chamber''... I think ''Floor'' would be more appropriate. The first two still remain chambers though... Maybe I could collectively call them ''entrance''? Sounds good enough.''


    Following his thoughts, Lan named them as such. The first two chambers would be the entrance, a ''tutorial'' he supposed. But the ones following the third, as each one would be bigger, would be called ''floors''.


    After that, the Core continued reinforcing. It was a tedious process, repeating the same action over and over: Use mana to reinforce and wait for mana to recharge.


    Meanwhile, the first floor, with the abundant mana stimulating the growth of all things, was gradually being covered in vegetation.


    Among said vegetation, mosses, mushrooms, and various underground lichens were not the only ''native'' plants anymore. And it was because of Lans'' further digging that it happened.


    Earlier, when the floor was being dug out, Lan didn''t pay much attention to various ores and curious things underground: He simply had no need for them, as he could probably create them with the help of earth mana if the need arose.


    However, certain things useful to him were resting underground which he missed. Fortunately, they were compressed into the bottom of the Floor, otherwise intact.


    As for what those things were, they were fossils.


    Plant fossils to be precise. It was quite obvious that if he continuously dug down, he would find things long buried underground. This thought never occurred to him, however.


    As a result of all this, mana was now being infused into long-forgotten fern fossils.


    At first, nothing happened, but then, as if a spark of life was lit by mana, which then turned into a raging fire of life. The stone-like surface cracked, and tiny green sprouts burst forth, rapidly growing.


    They quickly enlarged, becoming the size of bushes, some even growing further to become akin to towering trees.


    In the end, the floor ended up looking kind of weird, half of it giving off a cave-like feeling with mosses and lichens, and the other half giving out the impression of a jungle.


    Eventually, Lan noticed the peculiarity, much to his surprise and delight.


    ''And I was just racking my Core for ideas on how to make something different from the entrance. Who would''ve thought that a jungle would spring out of nowhere... All that''s missing is a tiger or two. Not that there are any in the forest though...''


    Just as the Core was thinking this, a wave of panic and terror could be felt from multiple of his mental connections on the surface. This distracted Lan and prompted him to immediately look upward.


    Even before he saw the situation, while he was getting closer he felt a big mental presence inside his domain, the amounts of mental mana radiating off of it comparable to the Lightning Horn. And it was not connected to him obviously. Which also meant that the intruder had quite a developed intelligence.


    As Lan''s attention finally arrived on the surface, it didn''t take long for him to find the source of the disturbance.


    A large... Cat was moving from the edges of his domain with a brisk pace, a half-eaten corpse of a fox lay behind it. How it managed to consume it so quickly remained a mystery, however, as Lan was given no time to ponder, for the predator was walking straight toward the entrance to the underground.


    The cougar, as Lan finally found the resemblance to an Earthen animal, soon stepped through the entrance, right into the first chamber.


    All small living beings skittered away into their burrows and hiding spots. The residing wolf couple, however, could afford no such luxury, standing on guard side to side, their pups behind them.


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    The cougar already noticed them, both sides locked gazes. The tension was palpable.


    This day would not be the last for the wolven pair, however, as the intruder spared them only a single glance, continuing to move forward to its'' true target: a place with more mana.


    While the inhabitants of the first chamber could be said to sigh in relief, the big cat already arrived in the second one, moving out of the tunnel, and cautiously moving through now more apparently present vegetation.


    It didn''t take long for it to come face to face with a second group of potential foes: The deer herd that was settled in this dungeon from the very beginning.


    The Lightning Horn, Steelhorns, and Greater Deer were already alert, seemingly alerted, perhaps sensing the unease of other dwellers of the underground, perhaps owing to being connected to the Core as well.


    The herd was previously grazing near the central pillar of the chamber, soft light illuminating their surroundings from above. But it didn''t take them long to assemble themselves into a formation, not a circular one this time though.


    Instead, they assembled into three rows, Lightning Horn at the front, followed by Steelhorns and Greater Deer.


    The cougar, emerging from the undergrowth, was immediately met with the fierce gaze of the herd''s leader. Recognizing a strong foe, the feline tensed its'' stance and yowled threateningly.


    It was at a severe disadvantage in numbers, however, it was far stronger than any member of the herd, except maybe for the Lightning Horn. The stalemate did not last long, however, as arcs of lightning gathered on the tips of the Lightning Horns''... Horns in response to the threat and a lightning bolt is shot out soon after.


    While it previously had a record of killing a black wolf instantly, the cougar was not so easy to fell. As soon as the horns lit up, the cougar as if sensing the danger, immediately sprang into a dash, moving forward and to the side.


    As expected, the bolt missed, leaving a charred patch of grass. On the contrary, the cougar was near the Lightning Horn, right in the melee range.


    What happened next, was an exchange in a matter of moments.


    The cougar, carrying its'' momentum, attacked from the side with its'' claws, aiming to slit the Leader''s neck.


    The Lightning Horn reacted quickly, lowering its'' antlers, aiming to both defend its'' neck and repel the attacker. However, it didn''t react quickly enough.


    While the head wasn''t fully lowered, the attack already arrived, tearing a claw mark across the Lightning Horns'' face, turning half of it into a bleeding mess.


    While the cervine was in intense pain, unimpeded, with a burst of strength, it quickly moved forward and using its'' horns, tossed the predator over itself, as the feline hadn''t yet moved away after attacking.


    Although not impaled or seriously wounded, the cougar flew over the Lightning Horn''s back, and behind it.


    When it was still in the air though, the Leader of the Herd hadn''t yet finished his attack.


    Without any chance to dodge, it was wide open to a kick of hind legs that arrived with the force of a sledgehammer.


    The feline was flung further through the air with much force, slamming into the central pillar, the herd quickly rearranging themselves away from it.


    As the cougar fell to the ground, it quickly got back up, disregarding the fact that several of its ribs were broken, and its'' spine was almost snapped. The evolution granted it impressive resilience though, as after receiving a normally lethal attack, it could still continue the battle.


    As such, no side remained unscathed during the first exchange, both trading blows.


    As the predator glanced over the herd once more, having fully understood the Lightning Horns'' threat, it searched for an easier target: the Steelhorns.


    It quickly dashed away once again, a lightning bolt landing where it was just a second ago.


    Avoiding the Lightning Horn, it dashed past it, sweeping towards one of the unprepared Steelhorns. This time, it didn''t have time to react.


    The feline claws tore through the Steelhorn neck with close to no resistance, leaving the animal no chance of survival.


    As the predator with bloodied claws dashed away from the herd, the mortally wounded Steelhorn fell over. Noticing this, the Lightning Horn let out an enraged bellow.


    Its'' horns seemed to shine as an even larger amount of mana converged on their tips.


    Without leaving a chance to react, an even greater lightning blot tore through the air towards the cougar, being even faster, even bigger.


    As a result, the cougar was hit, being blasted backward with a yowl of great pain.


    The dust soon settled, and the result was shown: The cougar was still alive, albeit barely, its'' side charred, blood dripping from it, the predator was breathing heavily as it got up with great difficulty.


    Such power didn''t come to the Lightning Horn without a cost though, as it now swayed unsteadily, as if about to fall, being completely exhausted its'' mana.


    In conclusion, both sides'' main battle power was down for the count, but the herd had a great advantage in the form of well... The rest of the completely fine deer.


    Realizing it won''t succeed in its'' hunt for the first time in its'' life, the cougar quickly escaped, with as much agility as its'' injuries allowed.


    Since it could not win now, it could only come back stronger, and that would only be possible if it was still alive.


    The defeated predator ran in the direction of mana instinctively, which turned out to be the tunnel to the newly finished first floor.


    Lan though was bewildered at the whole situation.


    ''...I was joking that the jungle needs tigers y''know...''

 Chapter 15: Connection, Barrier

    "...The monster nests, sometimes called ''dungeons'' by the explorers, pose a significant threat because of the creatures nurtured by dense mana.


    The monsters residing in them not only multiply quickly but also absorb ambient mana in various ways, evolving and becoming stronger.


    Fortunately, though, the ''masters'' of the nests change often, with various monsters vying for control. However, if a monster manages to remain long enough unchallenged, its strength will outgrow all possible competitors.


    Such monsters, often ironically called ''monster bosses'' pose a significant threat to nearby settlements and are the reason for monster nests being a danger.


    Slaying the ''boss'' however, is highly rewarding due to..."


    -A page from ''Mana, Monsters and Nests'' by Joseph Larring, 35 AA


    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    The whole ''invasion'' fiasco left Lan with a lot of things to consider.


    First, his domain was all too vulnerable to external factors. If a strong enough invader appeared, then they could simply slaughter all his connected creatures, or simply avoid them, descending down unimpeded.


    If the target was his Core, which for now remained concealed, then he would be even more doomed.


    Also, if the world he was in had sapient species, mostly likely humans, then they could probably raze his entire domain to the ground, or regularly sweep out all strong creatures, cutting off his mental mana supply.


    All this required Lan to seriously reconsider the structure of his domain.


    The first thing that came to the Core''s mind was to make some sort of barrier during descension, but that would block his creatures from going down too.


    Then, after some thought, a feasible idea slowly took shape. Each chamber or floor must have its'' own ''guardian'', the strongest creature on the floor.


    The guardian would occupy the only path of descension, not letting an invader to just breeze through ignoring everything, it would present a challenge.


    It would not mind the small rodents, insects, or beings of similar strength from going further down, as they would be beneath its'' notice, and required to support the ecosystem down below.


    At the same time, the guardian would stop all beings above a certain mana threshold. It would battle them, stopping the descender, or dying in the process.


    Although considering the whole ''kill or be killed'', it would be favorable for the guardian to possess a whole mana body, in order for it to be theoretically possible to respawn it.


    Lan stopped this thought process, as he hadn''t even tested the whole ''respawn mechanic'' yet. And to test it, he needed to find a mana-bodied creature. So, he quickly swept his ''gaze'' through the domain.


    At the bottommost layer, the first floor, the only notable inhabitant was the previously intruding cougar. It hid away in the further reaches of the floor, licking its'' wounds.


    Curiously enough, it lay near a wall that was closest to Lan''s Core.


    Yes, the first floor was deep enough to be on the same level as Lan''s Core, 300 meters below the ground, but still not yet connected. While Lan could connect to the rest of his underground domain right now, the recent intruder made him apprehensive about exposing a potential weakness.


    Examining the intruder in question though, Lan was surprised.


    First of all, with the help of ambient neutral mana, the wounds of the big cat were healing rapidly. Second of all, the amounts of mental mana radiating off of it were the greatest compared to the rest of his creatures, signifying great intelligence.


    ''Wait... If it is so powerful and smart, wouldn''t it make a perfect guardian for the floor? A perfect guardian for... Me?''


    This thought prompted the thrilled Core to try and establish a mental link with it, immediately attempting so.


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    The process however differed greatly from the one with unintelligent animals.


    When the mental mana surged, the cougar flinched, seemingly disturbed. When the connection was being established, Lan could feel feelings of fear and unwillingness. And soon, like a thread stretched to the limit, it snapped.


    ''...Well, this didn''t work how I thought it would.''


    Lan tried several more times, each try yielding the same, perhaps even worse results, the feline growing startled and wary, not seeing the attacker, but being on guard nonetheless.


    ''Not going to work this way I guess... How do I make it work then?''


    Lan began digging through his memories, trying to find a solution or a clue to it. After some time he remembered something promising.


    When he controlled the herd of deer to go into the freshly dug entrance to the underground domain, he transmitted to them the feeling of home and safety, as he didn''t possess absolute control over them. Maybe the same approach was needed in this situation as well.


    But, the cougar was no peaceful herbivore, so its'' desires would obviously be different.


    ''Now think... What would an overgrown cat want? Food to catch, a comfy place to laze around in, someone to lord over (usually humans). While he didn''t have any sapient species to speak of in his domain, Lan did possess plenty of prey animals and he could build a nice place.


    Having established the plan, he executed it.


    Again the Core weaved a thread of mental mana toward the predator, not forcefully but slowly. This one, however, transmitted images and feelings instead of mere domination.


    --------------------------(POV switch)--------------------------


    The Huntress felt the foreign presence again. She felt it before, trying to dig into her head, open it, take control. She couldn''t see it, she couldn''t hunt and kill it, but she felt it.


    She hated that, she was born to hunt, she was born to be free, and she would never be bound.


    This time though, was different.


    As the Huntress prepared to resist and expel it from her mind again, what she felt was not a heavy force, but a careful touch upon her mind.


    A series of images flashed through her head.


    In one of them, she was running among the greenery, chasing down various prey, stalking them, hunting them.


    In others, she could be seen lying on a nest that she felt was softer than the fur of her mother, basking in the warmth of the sun.


    She could see herself standing proudly, all unworthy prey trembling and running away at the mere sight of her, and other hunters could only bow their heads in respect.


    The Huntress... Liked that.


    She liked what she saw, a life of hunt, domination... And a little bit of comfort never hurt anyone.


    All of those images gathered in her mind, and then transformed into another one, accompanied by sounds which she could understand the intent of.


    The Huntress could see herself standing before... A crystal, one of teal-green color. She understood how various mana flowed from it, shaping the lands into the promised hunting grounds.


    She understood the conveyed intent, the intent of the Core.


    ''Protect... Me... Recieve... The promised reward.''


    The Huntress understood. She pondered as much as she could with her still limited mind. She came to a conclusion soon enough.


    She will protect the Master of The Hunting Grounds.


    --------------------------(POV change to Lan)--------------------------


    As he conveyed the various images, feelings, and words filled with intent, Lan realized something.


    ''...It''s kinda weird that the first living being I''m having a conversation with after being sort of reborn is a big cat.''


    Although, this was less of a conversation and more of a negotiation. Lan hoped to get a boss for the floor and himself, the cougar had its'' own needs as well.


    Fortunately, though, the negotiations didn''t fall through and no war was declared, the cat agreed to the conditions.


    As Lan sighed in relief, the connection was finally established. But, it was different.


    If the previous amounts of information received from the connected ones were like a sheet of paper, then the cougar was like a thin book.


    While it was not overwhelming, the amount differed greatly.


    The simple animals held simple instincts. The Steelhorns and the Lightning Horn could plan actions without stimuli.


    The feline however had damn near coherent thoughts, just short of forming words, being more like intentions for now.


    And this connection had two-sided communication, apparently, because the big cat also sent Lan its- no, her own messages.


    First of all, Lan learned that she referred to herself as ''The Huntress'', and she made a name for himself too, one which made him cringe a little.


    ''...Master of the Hunting Grounds?.. I can feel my inner weeb senses tingling.''


    But still, she was the closest to a sapient creature he now had in his domain. Having someone to talk to is nice.


    However, with the amounts of mental mana being radiated off of her, a long-forgotten problem became apparent.


    The mental mana did not transmit through the ground that well. That was the whole reason he even began the undergound domain at first.


    As all mental mana was absorbed by the Core, it first deftly flew through the various tunnels and chambers, losing close to no ''mass'', however, a chunk was lost passing through the final wall separating the Floor from the Core.


    Lan was reluctant to take down that last barrier, as that would fully reveal himself to the world, possibly endangering himself.


    But, in the end, Lan convinced himself.


    ''...I can''t hide forever. If I am to have such grand ambitions as to create an underground world, I can''t just chicken out, right? Besides, I have a guardian of my own now, don''t I?''


    As he ''glanced'' at the Huntress, she seemingly feeling his attention, glanced back at him.


    Reaffirming his will, he slowly started making the tunnel from the first Floor to his small Core Chamber.


    And, as soon as the final barrier disappeared, things happened.

 Chapter 16: Core, Pulse

    Once the final bits of the earth barrier blocking Lan''s Core from the rest of the underground domain crumbled, a drastic change occurred.


    Mana seemed to be excited, as if seeing a long-lost friend, moving quickly and erratically, startling all living beings inside Lan''s domain.


    At first, physical changes happened to the core itself.


    Before, it was barely floating above the ground, bearing the form of a rather asymmetrically shaped crystal, being 1.3 meters in size, having grown from casualties of fights.


    Now, however, the Core was enlarging rapidly.


    Like foam from a reaction of a certain cola and chewing gum, an amorphous mass seeped out of the Core, and then, under the influence of extreme amounts of mana, was compressed back into the Core, forming layers upon layers of additional surface.


    Gradually, along with such a process, the Core no longer looked like some kind of deluxe version of a mana crystal, no, it was now much more grand.


    When the rapid expansion finally stopped, Lan''s Core was now 5 meters in size, being a symmetrical crystal, having something like a teardrop shape: thinner at the top and thicker on the bottom, but having edges instead of being smooth.


    It was now steadily hovering over the ground, spinning in place.


    Mana was rushing through it with no signs of stopping, the speed of mana cycling increasing exponentially. If the previous mana cycle could be compared to a breeze, then the current one could be compared to a hurricane wind.


    Along with the gushing mana that was damn near condensing, forming a fog near the Core, the Core Chamber was gradually being expanded, the stone being eroded by intense mana, not even having the chance to absorb it. The whole spectacle looked as if the walls themselves were retreating away from the Core.


    After a while, the result of such a change looked like this: The Core floating amidst a spherical chamber, walls being 20 meters away from the Core in every direction.


    However, while all of this was happening on the outside, Lan himself was undergoing changes as well.


    When he just broke down the wall and connected to the domain fully, he felt it.


    Like a blind man opening his eyes for the first time,


    Like a deaf man hearing a sound first time in his life,


    Like a disabled man finally feeling his legs after a lifetime of living without them.


    He now felt...


    Complete.


    A deluge of feelings and sensations rushed into Lan''s mind, the concept of an ''attention point'' losing all meaning.


    Strangely enough though, Lan was not overwhelmed, his mind, his soul greedily absorbing and processing the data like a thirsty man drinking water, as if it was meant to be originally like this.


    He felt everything.


    The Core was his brain.


    The Domain was his flesh.


    The Mana was his blood.


    Every little thing was reflected in his mind. If he wanted to find something, as long as it was within his domain, it could not hide. From a blade of grass on the surface to the cougar hiding amidst the grasses, to a previously unnoticed tree (which was quickly growing as well) atop the hill on top of the entrance to the underground, everything lay beneath his gaze.


    Mana, which previously flowed and needed conscious control, even the most docile neutral one, now flowed as a part of him.


    As he connected to the rest of his body, one thought appeared in Lan''s mind amidst the euphoria of new feelings.


    ''Damn... Why didn''t I do it sooner?!''


    With mana becoming a part of him, it acted the part. Just like you usually don''t usually control breathing, the mana cycled automatically in a similar way.


    The earth mana, although previously obedient, now could be felt pulsing in its'' own rhythm, forming its'' own cycle.


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    Slowly recovering, Lan was eager to test his newfound capabilities.


    First of all, he tried to manipulate earth mana, to reinforce the first Floor(not Chamber), the most strenuous task he could think of. This time though, it was completely different.


    Earth mana manipulation, completely different from before, required close to no mental mana expenditure, just like ambient neutral mana. With but a single command, it surged into the walls and ceilings, ground which was not yet solid nigh instantly turning to rock, and then solidifying further, turning even darker and probably sturdier by the moment.


    Stunned, Lan released the control, observing the result of his ''effort''.


    ''I really, REALLY should''ve done that WAY sooner!''


    With the previously hard task easily done, Lan looked for a new challenge, which soon revealed itself in the form of a boring and barren first floor with the exception of ferns, The Huntress, as no wildlife gathered their courage to go down yet apparently.


    With an 800x800m playground, Lan got to work.


    ----------------------------------------------------


    Meanwhile on the surface...


    While Lan was basking in newfound power below the ground, a tree that was previously 10 meters tall, which resided on top of a hill where lay the opening to the underground, could be seen absorbing mana.


    When the Core Connection was executed, accelerating mana flow greatly, the roots which were covering the top of the hill slowly, got to work.


    The roots absorbed the mana surging from the underground as if it were water, spreading themselves across the rest of it in the process.


    And the tree itself, receiving the ''nutrients'' was quickly growing in height.


    While it started from 10 meters, it thickened and stretched upwards.


    It didn''t take long to reach 15 meters...


    20 meters...


    30 meters...


    Finally slowing down at a whopping 50 meters in height, its sprawling branches covering the sky above the previously sunny clearing.


    Its roots now enveloped the whole surface of the hill, enveloping it.


    However, the strange thing was, that the roots avoided coming close to the chambers dug underground by Lan, weaving through the ground only a certain distance from them.


    The Tree''s roots now reinforced the ground leaving no possibility of collapse, at the same time absorbing any mana that would otherwise leak from underground, the only untouched exit point being the cave entrance.


    At the same time, while the Tree stopped growing, it was still absorbing mana. If one could see the flow of mana though, one would see a curious scene.


    The mana wasn''t being absorbed completely but rather sucked in, stored, and then released back, like some kind of mana photosynthesis.


    However, the mana being released was different from the neutral mana, it felt different.


    When coming in contact with said type of mana, plants grew even more rapidly than they did under the normal condensation of mana. Near dead insects and plants were rapidly recovering, wounded animals staring in shock at quickly healing wounds.


    The mana felt gentle, and uninvasive, spreading throughout, forming a haven beneath the Tree''s branches and beyond.


    As a consequence, however, it could now be felt by those even less attuned to mana...


    ----------------------------------------------------


    Somewhere to the west


    Beyond the western borders of Lan''s domain, beyond the running river and the woods lying beyond it, there was a certain point where the woods began to thin out giving way to patches of tree stumps, and plains.


    Eventually one would come across linear patches of land barren of grass, stretching throughout.


    Roads.


    And following one of the said roads, built in a valley, to the view would come a peculiar-looking settlement.


    It was quite large, looking like it could house thousands of people. However, the reason it looked peculiar was not because it was a mishmash of wooden or stone buildings built from zero, differing in style. No, instead it was the presence of houses that looked as if they were a patched-up ruin, the architecture being completely different.


    Interestingly enough, ruins possessing the same architectural style sprawled outside the stone wall that was surrounding the settlement.


    Between said ruins, repaired roads of the same style ran to the settlement, leading to the gates in its walls.


    And on said gates, a sign hanged for one to read:


    ''Welcome to Cypress Town''


    And beyond the gates lay a vibrant town, with humans going on their ways in crowds, some selling wares in street stalls, some browsing said stalls.


    And beyond all that, in the center of the settlement, a high tower stood, (unironically) towering above all other buildings.


    And in that tower...


    A man was sitting cross-legged in the middle of a room. He could be easily mistaken for being asleep. In truth however, he was listening, constantly listening to the quiet flows of mana.


    Such was his job, for he was one among many mana-sensors, responsible for... Sensing mana.


    As the day was quiet as usual, an abnormality occured within the familiar flow.


    From the far east, mana changed. When it could be said to whisper like a passing wind, it was now louder, it was now singing.


    It became louder and louder, and at some point, a wave of mana swept over the man, and all others in the tower, striking him awake from his trance.


    The man, panting heavily, having fallen over, mumbled to himself.


    "Curses... Such a strong mana pulse is unprecedented! It usually only happens when a boss monster is formed... For it to be this strong..."


    His eyes gradually widening in realization, he immediately got up and slammed out of his room, beginning to run up the stairs which were just outside of it.


    Eventually, he came before a grand, adorned door. The man spared no time to admire it though, as he hurriedly knocked and entered without waiting for a response.


    Behind the door lay a luxurious room, with tables and shelves filling it at the sides, various equipment of unknown purpose on them.


    His attention was drawn to a different place however. In the center of the room, there stood a big desk facing the entrance, and behind said desk was a window which presented a view of the entire city and its'' surroundings.


    And facing such a view was a woman.


    She stood tall, her raven-black hair cascading upon her back, white robes adorning her contrasting sharply.


    Even as the room was entered, she showed no response.


    The intruder himself though, talked in a loud voice.


    "...Pardon for my intrusion, Tower Master! But the situation is urgent, the mana..."


    "I know."


    The panicking man was cut off suddenly by the woman. Her voice sounded raspy, emotionless.


    "A monster nest has appeared."

 Chapter 17: Threat, Remy

    "I know what you came running here for. I am not the Tower Master for nothing."


    The woman then turned around.


    "A boss monster has been born. Such a mana pulse is created only when a certain monster evolves past all other contenders, becoming highly attuned to mana... At least that''s what we know anyway."


    Muttering the last part under her nose, she brushed away her hair, which was previously partly covering her face.


    The Tower Master was not young, wrinkles forming on the edges of her eyes, nor was she a country-shaking beauty in her past. However, her deep green eyes held the wisdom of her years. She, indeed, wasn''t called a Tower Master without reason.


    And said wisdom quickly dictated the course of action.


    "Inform the Scout and Research team to move out, find the location of the nest, determine its'' exact strength."


    The man was doubtful, however.


    "But Tower Master, what about the Hunter team? Shouldn''t we nip the problem in the bud?"


    The Tower Master immediately responded.


    "We would only send them to their deaths with just them. You have felt that pulse, have you not? The mere fact that you did means that we are dealing with a powerful one, and without sufficient manpower, elimination of it is impossible."


    She turned back to the window.


    "And we don''t have the manpower in question. While the new Monster Nest may pose a problem in the future, we have our hands full with the present."


    The Tower Master seemed to focus on the distant horizon.


    "We cannot remove those culling the monster hordes in the northern parts of the plains. Or else... This quaint little town will be wiped out like the other two that were previously there."


    She once again glanced back at the messenger.


    "We will deal with everything step by step. Inform the Team Leaders."


    "Yes ma''am!"


    The man quickly saluted by pounding a fist over his heart, and moved out of the room, leaving the woman to her own thoughts. She looked away at the setting sun, various things going through her mind.


    ''First, the northern Nests spilled out, causing destruction of two settlements, now another potential threat in the east?''


    She humphed.


    ''Never let us rest, do you, Mother Earth?''


    ----------------------------------------------------


    Back at Lan''s Domain


    Far away from the troubles of those living on the surface, Lan felt as if he was playing a certain game about crafting and mining.


    With newfound effortless control over mana, he now could shape the ground however he wanted.


    First, he started off slow. He tried to make some small hills, not unlike the one he made back on the surface.


    In less than an hour, the First Floor now was no longer just a plain and flat Floor with only ferns growing. Now, hills and bumps of various sizes marked it. He raised the ground in some places more, and in some places less. Lan even lowered it occasionally.


    ...It was not that aesthetically pleasing.


    ''Is it just me, or does it look like a mix of moon''s craters and random bumps?''


    Lan was no land designer, and, as he had no idea what he was doing, it turned out terrible, not looking natural at all. Still, he left it as is, because returning it to the previous state would be a waste of mana.


    He ''looked'' elsewhere, though it was less of a conscious action, but something more like a flick of the eyes, one moment he was staring in one spot, the other he was elsewhere.


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    Lan checked out the changes that his Core Connection brought to the entire domain. Because all that he knew was that mana cycling sped up drastically, and the consequences remained to be seen.


    He went from down to the top, checking out the Second Chamber, immediately being met with a surprise.


    The last time he checked, the creature that progressed the most had at most 4/5 complete mana body, now however he found something different.


    Inside a small burrow under one of the trees, a mouse was undergoing a mysterious process, mana converging around it. It was curled around a crystal that was emitting earthly-yellow light, emitting earth mana which was also being absorbed.


    Lan was stunned for a second as he recognized the small creature.


    ''Is this mouse a protagonist?''


    The reason was that that mouse was the only one he resurrected all the way back, and the crystal it was curled around was the first earth Mana Crystal that Lan left behind after experimenting with mana infusion. Truly, a series of coincidences led up to the current situation.


    Lan began to closely observe the rodent, which could not be called small anymore, having grown to half a meter in length thanks to evolution, but having no other notable traits except for its'' luck.


    It was seemingly unconscious, and the inside of its'' body was undergoing tumultuous changes.


    A majority of its organs were disintegrating, turning into mana, mana which Lan hadn''t felt before. It felt... Vibrant and lively for lack of better words.


    It felt like the Sun''s rays and smelt like lush forest and greenery.


    However, Lan was distracted by the continuous internal changes of the small animal, as nearly all its'' organs were gone.


    It did not die, however, still breathing by some unknown means.


    The mana released during ''Internal Disintegration'' as Lan termed it, suffused the entire mouse''s body, not dispersing out of it, instead circulating throughout.


    The rodent also was undergoing external changes. It was slowly growing with each circulation, fur growing longer, becoming slicker, and even changing in color.


    The previously unremarkable grey fur turned into an earthly-brown one, resembling the glow of the crystal.


    The growth of the mouse''s body stopped at one meter, and once it did, another internal change occurred.


    As the ''life'' mana circulated, it facilitated growth. However now that the growth stopped, it suddenly sped up in circulation. It was no longer spreading through the body, it now converged onto the heart, the only organ which was still intact.


    Under the assault of mana, it turned into life mana as well, however, it stayed at the heart''s place, not dispersing. Instead, dispersed life mana converged to it, as if it was a magnet. It soon formed a swirl, a large part of diffused life mana being sucked in.


    That was not the end of it though, as surrounding mana began to get absorbed as well. The earth mana in the surrounings, and especially the one in the crystal, were absorbed.


    Seemingly under the pull, the rest of the mana of the Mana Crystal got sucked out, it crumbling into nothingness.


    Meanwhile in the place of the mouse''s heart, in the center of the swirl, a crystal was being formed. It was quickly growing, absorbing and incorporating the swirling mana. With life mana being gone first, neutral and large amounts of earth mana were next.


    Not long after, a crystal similar to the one that just crumbled, yet greatly different, was formed.


    As soon as it did, it released a weak pulse.


    Lan then saw that the rodents'' mana circuits seemed to respond to it.


    A startling change soon occurred.


    Beginning from the ''Heart Core'' the mana circuits thickened and grew, surrounding mana filling them out. On the exterior the mouse continued to change as well, yellow glowing patterns reflecting the circuits underneath formed, becoming similar to the Lightning Horn''s horns.


    The whole body of the mouse resonated with that pulse, growing and changing. The entire process, however, lasted less than 10 minutes.


    After said time had passed, the changes seemed to slow down, the entire internal system of the animal being changed completely. It seemed like the mouse was now dead though, seemingly not breathing, its'' heart being absent as well.


    However-


    *BA-DUMP*


    A ''heartbeat'' sounded, being so loud that the sound spread throughout the whole burrow and even beyond it. It originated from the Heart Core of the mouse, being the first pulse, and first beat since being created. As if it was shaking announcing its'' presence, that beat spread not only through sound but also being reflected in the mana flow, spreading like a pulse similar to when Lan achieved Core Connection.


    The mouse then opened its'' eyes, which briefly glowed in yellow along with the Mana Patterns, soon settling down into a dimmer shade.


    *Squeek!*


    It let out a loud sound as if announcing its own survival, its'' own success, mana reacting to it slightly. The mouse''s mental link thickened greatly, amounts of mental mana increasing immensely.


    Lan unconsciously let out a sigh of relief in the form of a weak wave of mana. He would be lying to himself if he said that he didn''t cheer on the mouse during the whole process. The transformation also gave Lan insights for his future projects, especially the ''Respawn'' one.


    Meanwhile the mouse seemingly explored its'' new body. Lan already knew that visible Mana Patterns suggested the ability to use magic, but he was still surprised by what he saw.


    Small rocks floated up near the magical mouse, turning into pointed needles, eerily similar to claws, then flying away quickly with a burst of air, embedding themselves deep into a rock inside a wall.


    The mouse seemed... Happy? Its'' hard to tell a mouses'' facial expressions. However, it seemed to notice a foreign presence, that being Lan.


    Such a thing happened before with The Huntress, so he was not surprised. Still, it meant that the mouse developed a certain degree of perception after the Core Formation. As The Huntress had her own name, Lan, feeling sentimental decided to give a name to the mous-, no, to him.


    ''From now on, your name is Remy.''


    Feeling funny from naming the mouse like a cartoon character, he didn''t notice a sliver of mental mana being emitted by him, and then absorbed by Remy.


    It was transferred through the mental link, embedding itself not within the Heart Core, but withing the Core of Remy''s being, inside his soul.


    And soon, deep within the underground, inside Lan''s domain...


    A certain mouse formed its'' first thoughts.


    ''I... Am... Remy!''

 Chapter 18: Naming, Manatization

    Observing the process of Core Formation gave Lan information on how a being obtains a complete mana body.


    Abridged it was something like this: Organs dissipate into life mana, then said life mana helps disintegrate the heart into mana, all of which concludes in forming a Heart Core by converging said mana and absorbing surrounding mana as well.


    Curiously enough, although the internal reproductive system was disintegrated as well, the external organs remained intact, perhaps still being functional in some way.


    Another curious thing about the whole ''transformation'', was that an animal with no initial affinity for mana, just like Remy previously, can obtain an affinity by absorbing enough elemental mana.


    ''...And if I''m thinking right, then it may mean uniquely evolved animals depending on the mana available in the environment.''


    That thought gave Lan another idea for future Floors... Although he hasn''t finished the first one yet.


    However, on the topic of evolution, things got a bit confusing. Lan called both the standard animals, evolved animals, and mana-bodied animals just that, ''animals''. So, he decided to reclassify them a bit.


    ''Okay, then let''s leave the slightly big animals just that, animals. They''re not that different from the ones I''ve seen on Earth, just slightly bigger.''


    ''Then the evolved animals... Hm. With evolution they sometimes change their appearance and size greatly becoming bigger, stronger, more... Monstrous. Yes, that''s it, Monsters!''


    ''And as for the animals with mana bodies, they could be said to be made of magic, I will probably call them Magic... Animals? Sounds lame, how about Magic... Beasts! Yeah, Magic Beasts, that''s the one.''


    As such, Lan classified the class system for the creatures, animals evolve into Monsters, and Monsters evolve into Magic Beasts. Plain and simple.


    Being done with the brief internal monologue, which Lan had plenty since becoming a... Core, Lan got back to his domain.


    ''Jeez, just as I try to build something, stuff constantly pops up. Gotta stop being distracted.''


    Re-examining the domain, Lan noticed that Remy was far from the only one who turned into a Magic Beast. In fact, several Monsters were undergoing Core Formation at the moment.


    Most prominent among them in the Second Chamber was the good ol'' deer herd, a part of them manatizing their bodies, Lightning Horn absorbing the most mana.


    In fact, he was the one who finished the process first, finishing up forming his Heart Core. Surprisingly, even though he had no Mana Crystals near him, his Core did get an attribute, being slightly purple in color, arcs of electricity occasionally forming on the surface. It was quite obvious that it was of lightning element.


    That confirmed one of Lan''s theories about the fact that a Monster that has an affinity will probably gain the same attribute for the Heart Core.


    The Lightning Horn then underwent physical changes. Thankfully he didn''t increase in size, being big enough already. Instead, mana patterns engraved on top of his horns became more elaborate, having begun to shine with a weak light even without being used to shoot lightning.


    Also, mana patterns became apparent on the Lightning Horns'' body, covering it in mysterious patterns. Interestingly enough, as they covered the left, wounded side of his face, the point where the eye should have been began shining with a purple light.


    Now the Lightning Horn seemingly had his eye back in a way, as for whether it was functional or not remained to be seen.


    Lan felt quite sentimental about the Lightning Horn, as he was one of the first bigger creatures that became a domain dweller of Lan''s. As such, Lan felt that he was deserving of a name as well. Small problem though, Lan was bad at naming. As such, Lan picked the easiest solution.


    ''Lightning... Horn... I got it! Your name is now Lorn!''


    As yet another case of bad naming struck again, a sliver of Lan''s mental mana was yet again transferred and embedded in Lorns'' soul, Lan witnessing it this time.


    ''Huh? What''s this?''


    Being confused, Lan examined closely the connection with Lorn. Other than the usual increase of mental mana output because of the evolution, Lan felt something... Else.


    Usually, the mental connection lets Lan suggest various things and images to the connected one. Also, he could somewhat read their thoughts and intentions, although it became somewhat vague with the more intelligent Monsters, such as The Huntress, ''reading'' her was really hard.


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    However, after he had named Lorn, he could feel yet another... Link between them. As if he could feel... The Core of Lorn''s being, the central clump of mental mana, the ''soul''.


    Lan didn''t know however what exactly that meant, as other than feeling the link to it, that soul giving out a feeling of being anchored, nothing else changed.


    After observing for a while longer, Lan gave the whole matter a mental shrug, as he could find out nothing more at the moment.


    ''Turning'' to look at the rest of the herd, they have achieved various degrees of success in their manatization. All of the Steelhorns succeeded, forming their Cores, however, they didn''t possess innate lightning affinity, and as such neither did their Heart Cores.


    Instead, their Heart Cores shone in soft green light, patterns of the same color enveloping them. It would seem that Lorn was unique among them with his Lightning affinity.


    Lan had never seen such mana, but he could easily speculate on what it was, as the feeling it gave out was all too familiar.


    ''Life Mana.''


    It would seem that Steelhorns somehow got a Life Mana affinity, maybe because of the time spent among the forests, Lan didn''t know for sure.


    Lan then observed the few remaining Greater Deer, which were constantly dwindling after being subject to various attacks. However, although they underwent the manatization process as well, things were different here.


    The biggest one among them succeeded in forming a Heart Core, it being a light blue color surprisingly. Somehow that one got a Water Mana affinity.


    The others weren''t that lucky in that regard, however.


    The other Greater Deer did disintegrate their organs, though from that point on things were different. After said disintegration, during the Core Formation, things went wrong. The mana gathered around the heart, turning it into mana, and forming a crystal. However, that crystal was way smaller than a normal Heart Core.


    It didn''t shine in any light, but rather it was opaque. Those Greater Deer didn''t obtain any mana patterns or mana affinity. It could be said that the crystal, which could not even be called a Heart Core, but rather a False Heart Core, only made sure to keep the Monster alive, not being a source of magic.


    Those Greater Deer have failed in Core Formation, becoming stronger than a Monster, but weaker than a Magic Beast.


    ''I guess they could be called... Half-Magic Beasts.''


    A unique case among them was a female who was pregnant. Although she did disintegrate her organs as well, the fetus remained intact. It was encased in a membrane of mana, and it was constantly being fed mana instead of nutrients. Even though its'' mother remained a Half-Magic beast, what it would be born as remained to be seen for now.


    The scenes of manatization and evolution appeared constantly throughout the whole domain, triggered by the Core Connection. Lan guessed that it would be a one-time occurrence, which would be good.


    As for the reason why it was detrimental, well, because many of the monsters didn''t possess an affinity yet, their manatization left the Domain with a lot of Half-Magic Beasts, and not that many Magic Beasts.


    Surprisingly though, the pair of wolves all the way back in the Entrance Chamber seemed to be amidst the Core Formation process, signifying a possession of affinity.


    The male wolf''s Heart Core shone in a white and bright light, the mana it gave off was unfamiliar to Lan, being warm and bright.


    Lan remembered though, that the said wolf liked to laze around in the light, sometimes even going outside to bask in the sunlight. This prompted Lan to name said affinity the Light Affinity.


    Another curious detail was that his previously midnight-black fur rapidly whitened as if it was bleached. Soon, there stood a white wolf with glowing patterns on him. The light shimmered around him, sometimes making it seem as if the wolf wasn''t there, and sometimes it seemed as if there were multiple of him.


    After observing this, Lan decided to name him ''Tag'', which in the German language meant ''Day''. He wasn''t feeling creative.


    The mate of Tag was undergoing Core Formation as well, though the resulting Core was the complete opposite of Tag''s.


    It was dark, seemingly absorbing light instead of radiating. Instead of being warm and bright, it felt cold and dark. Being the opposite of light, Lan named it Shadow Affinity.


    Her already dark fur became even darker, to the point where it became hard to distinguish where the edges of her body were as if she was blending in with the darkness. Her mana patterns couldn''t be seen either. However, what could be seen were her now-crimson pupils, as if two spots of light floating amidst the darkness. Pretty creepy-looking, to be honest.


    Matching her mate, Lan named her ''Nacht'' which meant Night.


    Completing the Core Formation, the pair howled in celebration, sending out yet another pulse of mana. Though soon they were back to sleeping and cuddling together.


    At this point, Lan wondered whether they would descend further down. However, they showed no indication of doing so, staying near the tunnel leading down, otherwise just guarding their puppies which were nearly fully grown compared to couple of days ago.


    ''I wonder if i should build a separate room for them, as they are the strongest beings in this Chamber... This ties up nicely with my idea of Floor Guardians. A Mana Beast may be a bit strong for the entrance, but they can always go down when i make further floors...''


    As Lan was just about to build the ''boss room'', he noticed something different about the mana.


    ''Is it just me, or the ambient mana here is higher?''


    Checking it out once again, Lan confirmed his guess. With the mana cycling being sped up by the Core Connection, the concentration of ambient mana increased, and as such...


    ''That means I can make this room bigger now!''


    Excited, Lan immediately got on with it. Previously the Entrance Chamber was approximately 30 meters in length. Pretty cramped compared to the rest of the underground domain.


    So, with newfound amounts of mana, he expanded it (startling all dwellers in the process) until it was around 100x100 meters, same as the Second Chamber which he would soon expand as well.


    Acting according to his words, he expanded the Second Chamber soon too.


    In the end it became around 300x300.


    As Lan ''sighed'' in satisfaction, he noticed something odd.


    ''...Does some of the mana come back from above? How is that possible? Mana only comes from underground.''


    Lan immediately began to investigate. In doing so, he stumbled upon an unexpected find.


    ''Roots?''


    He found a roots spreading above the Entrance Chamber, mana moving upward was absorbed by them, and they themselves seemed to expel some Life and Neutral mana out of themselves.


    As for the source of those roots, well...


    Lan was met with an unexpected sight.


    ''Since when was there a giant tree on top of my Hill?!''

 Chapter 19: Success, Investigation

    When Lan looked to the surface of his domain he witnessed a 50-meter-tall towering tree casting a shadow over the hill and the immediate surroundings.


    Its roots enveloped and burrowed into the top of the hill, absorbing the mana, and preventing it from leaving the underground domain. At the same time, it seemed to emanate Life Mana, filling the very air all around with vitality.


    ''That''s a big bloody tree...''


    At first, Lan was confused as to how he even missed it, but then he remembered that he was basically cooped up like a mole deep underground.


    ''Still, it''s not really detrimental in any way to have it there... On the contrary, less mana ''evaporates'' from the underground thanks to it, so it''s rather beneficial. And the mana it emits...''


    Lan could constantly feel the vibrant Life Mana, which now replaced the previously bland neutral mana.


    ''This might be very, very beneficial.''


    Compared to the brief feeling of Life Mana during the Monster''s manatization process, or the weak feeling of it coursing through the Life-attuned Steelhorns'' mana veins, it could be constantly felt, strongly and vividly.


    Thanks to that, if he could remember that feeling and attune to it, he could attune to Life Mana, which was crucial in the ''Respawn'' project.


    ''If you have a problem, the answer is always nearby... Thank you, miss...ter? I don''t know, thanks my dude Big Tree.


    After giving thanks to his benefactor(tree), Lan didn''t dally and immediately began attuning to Life Mana, instead of merely trying to manipulate it, as it would be much too inefficient, as previously proven by Earth Mana when he was unattuned to it.


    As always, he concentrated on the feeling of it, purging all other mana from his senses, which came quite easily after the previous times, perhaps owing to his newfound photographic memory.


    Life Mana.


    Green. Lush.


    Vibrant, Nurturing.


    Lifegiving.


    A ripple of Life Mana resonated throughout the domain, a faint sound of swaying grass and singing birds could be seemingly heard all around. And, as if unlocking another type of vision, Lan once again saw it.


    Green motes spread all around in the air, strings weaving inside the grass, intertwining with the trees.


    He saw, he felt Life Mana.


    ''Ah... Never going to get tired of doing that.''


    The feeling of ''unlocking'' a new mana type was exhilarating as if opening a door to a brand new world of possibilities... When he hadn''t even used much of the ones he already had.


    As if doused with a cold shower, Lan came back to his senses.


    ''That''s right, it''s good that I feel it, but it''s of no use if I leave it just like that. Off to work with it!''


    Putting the newfound capabilities to the test, Lan started off slow, filling the Entrance Chamber with it.


    Quickly the scattered, nigh omnipresent Life Mana gathered inside that 100x100 Chamber. The various plants and lichens grew ever bigger and longer, and previously unclaimed walls after the expansion began to gain a life of their own, joining the picture of greenery.


    Overall, it seemed to have the enhanced effect of a standard neutral mana infusion, accelerating the growth of living things. It came with an added effect which well... Let''s just say that the Entrance Chamber won''t suffer from a lack of population anytime soon.


    ''...Well, that''s one way to use it.''


    But that wasn''t the way Lan wanted to use it, no, he wanted to recreate a Mana Beast from scratch! To create a ready-made body to put the souls of the fallen beasts in, to respawn them!


    Still, each soul had a corresponding body, if you put it in the wrong body, then, as a result of Lan''s tests, it would lead to the destruction of the soul due to the inability to adapt. He often wondered why that didn''t happen to him when his soul got trapped in a Core, but that wasn''t something he could find an answer to yet.


    So, Lan took a look at currently available, recently deceased souls hovering around him. Although Connected Creatures did ''listen'' to Lan, they weren''t pacifists, and as such, they often killed each other during various hunts.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    One among those unfortunate creatures was a mole, who was killed and eaten during a fight for a female. His soul was hovering around the Core, not yet absorbed, leaving a possibility of resurrection.


    Initiating the first experiment, Lan focused, on creating a mental image of the body of such a mole. Then, picking a spot in one of the empty burrows in the Second Chamber, he ''funneled'' the Life Mana into such a shape.


    Quickly, it began to converge, forming a glowing green image of a mole.


    Then, it went further, becoming flesh and fur. Soon a ''mole'' was lying on the ground. A perfect replica of an image in Lan''s mind.


    ''Whew, mental mana is truly something... Hold on, wait a minute, something ain''t right.''


    A small problem became apparent when he examined the ''mole'' further. It was a shell instead of a body. Quite literally, it only possessed the animals'' outer appearance, being hollow on the inside, lacking all organs, bones, and whatever else there was supposed to be.


    This issue didn''t take Lan long to figure out.


    ''...I get it, I never saw a Mana Beast mole, nor did I witness a process of manatization of one. And without getting a ''blueprint'', I can''t ''build''.''


    With vast amounts of mana at Lan''s disposal, that wasn''t much of a problem though.


    Lan quickly found a Monster mole, or rather the better sounding ''Earthclaw'', which was nearing the threshold of manatization. As it already possessed an innate Earth Affinity like the rest of its kind, it would (probably) not fail the Core Formation.


    Plus, Lan would increase the mana concentration in its lair, just to speed up the process.


    ''Rejoice, for you have been chosen... to Ascend! To become a progenitor of your kind!''


    Shouting various tacky things over the mental connection, Lan increased the neutral mana concentration to the maximum amount possible, even adding some earth mana to the mix.


    The greatly confused Earthclaw almost immediately began the manatization, successfully forming a vibrant yellow Heart Core soon afterward.


    During the whole process, Lan closely paid attention, paying attention to every little detail, to every movement of mana, which, after the Core Connection became surprisingly easy.


    ''Why would I even want a human brain? Cores for life!''


    As a result, if you could project Lan''s memories onto a wall, you''d get a super detailed video filmed from every angle of Earthclaw manatization.


    Having obtained the ''blueprint'', Lan began to ''build'' once again.


    Lan returned to the ''test burrow'', disposing of the empty shell of an Earthclaw by dissipating it into mana, Lan began the experiment anew.


    He focused his mental mana into an image, and then funneled the Life Mana into it once again.


    Once again a glowing image was formed, the result being completely different this time.


    The condensed mana formed a Earth Heart Core, and then... Dissipated.


    This confused Lan for a second, but he discovered the problem once again.


    ''Ah, of course! At first i had the ''bottle'' without the ''water'', and now i have the ''water without the ''bottle''! Both must be present for things to work out nicely.''


    In high spirits, the Soul Within the Core continued the experiment.


    For the third time Life Mana poured into a shape given by Mental Mana, shell forming first, making a ''bottle'' of skin and tissue made of mana, followed by the ''water'' made of circulating Life Mana and a Heart Core.


    This time, the result was...


    ''A success! Yeah! Call me Lan the Researcher from now on!''


    A copy of an Earthclaw lay on the ground, mana circulating within, Heart Core sending out heartbeat-like pulses. However the eyes of the body were dim, lightless, lacking the spark of life.


    Mentally holding his breath, Lan pulled the soul of an Earthclaw to the prepared body.


    The soul went in without much resistance, like a pebble sinkining into the water.


    Not long after, the pupils of the body... Moved.


    The limbs of the body began to twitch, clenching and unclenching. Soon, the body, no, the Earthclaw stood up groggily, as if waking up from a deep sleep. The soul accepted the body.


    Lan let out the breath he was holding, bursting out laughing, which sent reverberations in mana.


    ''Hahahahaha! It''s alive! ALIVE!''


    ''You! Your name is Frankens-, no you''re Frank from now on!''


    ----------------------------------------------------


    Somewhere to the West


    A team of 4 humans were trudging through the plains, walking towards their target, even though they didn''t know where exactly it was.


    They were dispatched on a ''Locate and Investigate'' mission, but they had yet to complete the first part of it, as they have been walking for an entire day without any result to speak of.


    A woman with short brown hair, equipped in leather armor a broadsword hanging on her back, was walking in the middle of the group. She sighed, with tiredness being audible in her voice.


    "Hey boss, are you sure you didn''t get on the higher ups'' nerves lately?"


    A man walking in the front, being more heavily armored, wearing armor of boiled leather further reinforced with steel plating, who also had a big shield and a heavy mace, replied.


    "No, why the question Stacy?"


    The short-haired woman called Stacy let out a snort.


    "Well, if you didn''t, then why were we sent out in the middle of nowhere out of the blue? If it really was a monster nest that they detected, then we would have found it long ago, not walking who knows where for the second day in a row! Ian, do you even feel anything?"


    The man behind her who was lightly armoured, wearing slacks, and a knee-long jacket with a leather chestplate underneath, looking much less muscular, replied.


    "What, you question your walking mana sensor that easily? Come on, I thought we were closer than that!"


    Stacy merely scoffed. However, as if to further rebuke Stacy''s claim, another person, this time a woman replied.


    "If you don''t trust your mage, than trust your tracker, that being me, Anna!"


    "Why do you even constantly remind us of your name, its'' not like we''d forget it..."


    The slightly flustered woman, who wore camouflage clothing and leather boots with a crossbow on her back, who called herself Anna, ignored the question.


    "Anyway... What I''m trying to say is that there are a lot of animal tracks going in that direction. It''s unlikely for it to be a migration, as there are different species mixed in, it''s as if they were lured by..."


    Finishing her thoughts, Ian replied.


    "By mana. I told you I can feel it. The flow from the east is intense, like a beacon. If we follow it, we will find something... Eventually. But Johann, if it could be felt way back from ol'' Cypress..."


    The mace-wielding leader of the group, Johann, finished the thought.


    "It must''ve been powerful enought to be felt... We will have to be extra careful, we alone might not be enough."

 Chapter 20: Room, Unknown

    In dungeons deep, a valiant band,


    Four delvers, hearts and souls in hand.


    There''s Anna, swift with blade and bow,


    Her arrows piercing, laying low.


    Next comes Ian, a mage of might,


    Spells and Magic, taking flight.


    With sturdy shield, stands Johann bold,


    Protecting comrades, stories told.


    And lastly, Stacy, the Demon Sword,


    A metal arm, a hurtful tongue.


    Together they delve, through shadows dim,


    Facing perils, overcoming whim.


    From goblins cunning, to beasts of dread,


    They fight with courage, never misled.


    -Part of a song ''Legend of the Four'', composed in 54 AA.


    ----------------------------------------------------


    The party became solemn at Johanns'' words. This was far from their first expedition, and Johann wasn''t their leader for nothing. When he said that things might get tough, things usually would be tough.


    Still, a change in scenery slightly lifted their mood, as sharp-eyed Anna pointed towards the horizon.


    "Hey, there''s a forest up ahead! This is the first time I have come this far east! At least we will have shelter if it rains."


    Ian followed up.


    "And there will be plenty of places for monsters to hide as well."


    "Don''t be so pessimistic, why do you always search for negatives!"


    "That''s called being smart, Anna."


    As the duo was about to bicker, which they did pretty often actually, Johann intervened.


    "That''s good and all that you get along, but I''d rather get there by nightfall. Camping out in the wind again is not a thing I would want."


    Letting out various sounds signifying agreement, the group increased their marching speed.


    ----------------------------------------------------


    Lan''s Domain


    Meanwhile, Lan was always basking in the light of new discoveries. This time it was respawning.


    Having finalized his project, he was eagerly playi- *ahem* perfecting the process, by respawning various recently deceased souls. Sometimes it was rather easy, for example when the body was small.


    The bigger bodies required more concentration though, as a small slip could botch the whole process.


    One such failure was when he was trying to reconstruct the body of a boar that was hunted on the First Floor.


    He mixed the internal and external structures together, which surprisingly didn''t result in it simply dissipating into mana, but rather something more disgusting. It became a fleshy monstrosity with a functioning Heart Core.


    Needless to say, Lan disintegrated the body but kept the memory of the process to note down the failure, and possibly for future reference.


    Still, the excitement eventually died down, and he once again looked at his domain. This time in terms of structure.


    The first problem was that he had ''Guardians'', but no special room for them, and the tunnel leading below was still unprotected.


    So, he got onto it. The Entrance Chamber was the first subject to change, obviously.


    First, he looked at the living conditions of Tag and Nacht, in order to build something resembling that.


    The pair no longer had the litter with them, as the pups were probably proper wolves by now, judging by their previous growth speed.


    Still, Lan didn''t see them anywhere in the domain, so the conclusion was that they either were dead (Which kind of depressed Lan), or they went away from the domain for whatever reason (Which was unbelievable as well, since mana concentration outside was severely lacking).


    ''Whatever, can''t do much, either way, better focus on the present.''


    So, he got on with making the ''boss room''.


    The pair of wolves lived pretty humbly if he was honest. They dug out a small hole in the ground that could house both of them. It was also camouflaged by the bushes, providing sufficient cover.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Finally, he began construction.


    Lan first started carving out the walls behind the entrance to the tunnel leading downwards, expanding them into a room.


    As such, it looked like this: In place of the usual downward leading tunnel, there was a brief corridor that led from the chamber and into the ''boss room''. On the opposite side from the entrance into the boss room there lay the path to the depths.


    Still, for now, the boss room looked simple and unadorned, though some moss was quickly sprouting about. Truly, this stuff was everywhere.


    Lan did have a basic design in his mind though.


    The room was 20x20 meters in size, providing sufficient space for any battles that would occur. He also wanted to add some trees and vegetation that would provide cover for the wolves, as they were ambush predators.


    So, taking a few tree seeds available in the Second Chamber, he planted them around the First Boss Room. Lan also added a few berry bushes, various shrubs, and even mushrooms for good measure.


    After that, he made sure that the room was thoroughly suffused in Life Mana, making growth near instantaneous.


    Soon after, the previously barren and boring room became a patch of a lush forest, though lacking in fauna. Also, it was near pitch-dark, as Lan hadn''t yet installed the illuminating Mana Crystal.


    It didn''t remain that way for long, as he created one in the ceiling, then made it shine in a way that only the central patch of the room, which was free from trees, was illuminated by the soft light.


    Outside of it, the edges of the room were shrouded in shadows.


    Now that the general layout was done, he needed to provide the proper ''living quarters''.


    He didn''t want his wolves ambushed when they were sleeping, so he dug out a small opening in the wall to the side of the boss room, making a den big enough to house Tag and Nacht. To add comfort, he even covered the floor with a patch of soft moss.


    Now that the room was done, he could send the soon-to-be tenants the ''memo'' to move in.


    ----------------------------------------------------


    Forest not far to the West


    As shadows lengthened and dusk fell, the Investigation Team of four trudged through the forest, with Stacy occasionally swinging her broadsword through particularly dense growth.


    The darkening forest made for a gloomy atmosphere. Still, that didn''t deter Stacy from nagging.


    "Why. Is. This. Damn. Forest. So. Bloody overgrown?!"


    Her arms were sore from constant swinging, as this forest was unusually lush and as such there was no clear path to walk through. She even wondered why no one packed a machete.


    Ian was once again the one to answer questions.


    "Well, at least it means we are closer to what we seek."


    "Whaddya mean bookboy?"


    Ignoring the nickname that Stacy gave him as always, he answered.


    "Do you not remember the signs of a monster nest? Well, overabundant vegetation is one of them. At least read the advice old Larring has written down."


    "Books ain''t my thing... Well at least his grandson explains it well enough."


    Ian didn''t answer the compliment.


    As the party continued in silence, Ian suddenly called for attention.


    "Careful now. The massive source of mana is up ahead, just beyond those trees."


    Though it was hard to see in the dark, everyone subconsciously tried to peer through them. Though only Ian was a Mage, even the other three felt the gradual change in the air.


    Soon after, once they stepped past the treeline, a shocking sight unfolded. Even the usually quiet Johann muttered.


    "What the hell are we getting into..."


    They could now see a massive tree, the kind that they had never seen on their previous expeditions. Its branches sprawled across the clearing it was in. The sky remained hidden, as if they hadn''t entered a clearing at all.


    The Mage among them was especially shocked.


    "...This mana... Is it possible for it to be so much?.."


    He could feel the sheer quantities of mana emanating from it. Having never felt such amounts, he was near hyperventilating, struggling to breathe it in, that was how pure it was.


    Still, he was snapped out when Anna patted him on his back.


    "Hey, you Ok? Is that our target? You look a bit out of it."


    Under her usual torrent of questions, Ian turned his attention back to the tree, trying to ignore the mana.


    "Y-yeah, it seems so... No wait."


    As he glanced about, he noticed that among the roots of the tree, an opening in the ground stood, and from it even greater amounts of mana radiated, impossible to be ignored.


    "No... Look over there... If a monster nest is here, then it would be there."


    The other three looked where Ian pointed his finger, looking apprehensive.


    Stacy was the first to speak up.


    "Now not that I have a great intuition, but if even I feel somethin'', then that means that whatever lives there is strong... And I kinda want to fight it."


    As she grinned, she was reprimanded by the group''s leader.


    "Don''t be reckless, especially if a strong monster is possibly ahead. We are tired after a day''s journey, so we will rest before doing anything else. However, what we do tomorrow remains up for debate. Stacy probably wants to proceed, however, our mission is only Location and Investigation, so we can also go back and report it. My vote is in favor of returning."


    Anna, cheerful as ever, expressed her opinion.


    "Now not that I don''t want to go back home, but... Just coming all the way here with nothing to show for it would be lame as hell! I wanna know what''s down there! And if we can''t beat it, we can... Probably run away!"


    "So, Stacy and Anna are for, and I''m against. As the leader''s vote counts as two votes, we got 2v2. Ian, what do you think?"


    The mage, looking at the eager faces of the women and the stone-like Johann''s face, slowly made up his decision.


    "...I know it might be dangerous, I really do. But... I have never felt such quantities of mana, this is clearly an abnormal place. It may be highly dangerous and unpredictable if left alone. So... I think we have to complete the investigation properly. I''m for going down there."


    Johann looked silently at Ian, making a bit nervous, but soon said.


    "...Very well, we will go down tomorrow."


    After that, he started unpacking supplies in the bag.


    "Set up the camp, I will take the first watch."


    And with that, the party of four began to prepare for rest before going into the unknown.


    ...Little did they know that this simple scouting mission was going to be later named as the First Expedition.

 Chapter 21: World, Combat

    While the party of four was preparing for rest, Lan was snapped out of his constant underground projects by four completely new Mental Mana Signatures which appeared on the surface of his domain.


    Said signatures were strong, completely unlike any animal he felt before, signifying great intelligence.


    ''Dammit, the Huntress brought me a surprise ''visit'' not too long ago, but now there are more?!''


    Still, the fact that the creatures moved together meant that it was either a herd of strong herbivores... Or a pack of strong predators. The first option would be desirable.


    Still, however much Lan was prepared, he wasn''t prepared to find...


    ''Humans!''


    Yes, when he turned his ''gaze'' towards the surface he witnessed four humans on the edges of the clearing where the entrance to the underground was.


    They were currently trying to set up camp, making a campfire and pitching tents.


    ''...Ahhh I''m kind of excited! First sentient being I''ve... Met. Humans of another world!''


    Still, when he gave them a closer look he found out that they looked a bit weird to be typical ''medieval fantasy humans''. Their clothing and weapons didn''t exactly match his imagination.


    While some of their equipment looked the part, like plate armor, giant swords, and maces, some of it didn''t.


    ''...I guess fashion here is a bit modern with those slacks and a jacket, but...''


    Looking towards the woman who was supposed to be the ''Rogue'' or the ''Ranger'' of the group, a sense of incongruity emerged.


    ''Isn''t a recurve crossbow a tad too advanced for a fantasy world? With a scope at that... And camouflage too? That clothing looks as if it came from a modern army storage!''


    Lan''s fantasies about Fantasy worlds were cracking, however further reinforced his doubts about the world he was currently in was the conversations they were having.


    "Stacy! Seriously? We were going on an expedition yet you took alcohol with you?"


    They spoke in English, though with a distinct accent.


    The woman, apparently named Stacy, took a swig out of a bottle of alcohol with an eerily familiar brand engraved upon it and responded to the Ranger.


    "What, you jealous, Anna? I saved ''specially for tense moments like these!"


    Raising up the bottle proudly, she proclaimed.


    "And look what good stuff it is! Found it inside of a ruin, somehow intact, ''Huntermeister'', made before the Planetary Awakening! If I die tomorrow, I''d regret not having drunk it!"


    While the group was bickering and chatting, Lan was thrown into a world of his own thoughts by the information he acquired.


    ''...Could it be?..''


    A previously unlikely possibility appeared within his mind.


    ''Could it be... That I''m still on Earth? That I... Could see them again?''


    --------------------------(POV Switch)--------------------------


    Dawn soon came, most of the group was asleep except for Ian who was taking the last watch.


    Soon though, Anna groggily got out of a tent she shared with Stacy, who followed not long after.


    The group leader Johann came out last, and the part of four gathered together to discuss their exploration. Johann spoke first.


    "I''ll repeat it once again, we go in, find out what''s going on down there, and go out. If it''s something we can''t handle, then we retreat immediately, no playing hero, no trying to push your limits. I''d prefer we all return alive after this."


    He then turned to the entrance which was covered in shadow, yet seemingly had a faint light coming from within.


    "I''ll go in front. Stacy, after me."


    She nodded.


    "You got it, bossman!"


    "Anna will cover our rear."


    The ranger fistpumped.


    "You can count on me!"


    "And Ian, stay behind me and Stacy, as always."


    Ian answered calmly.


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    "Got it."


    "Well then, off we go into the unknown."


    The Four gathered into the previously discussed formation and cautiously advanced to the entrance to the underground. The shadow cast by the giant tree loomed over them, seemingly casting invisible pressure on their minds.


    Still, undeterred they went towards the opening in the ground and went in.


    Once they did go in, the sun''s light disappeared, a soft glow of unknown origin replacing it. Once their eyes adjusted completely, they were met with an unexpected scene.


    "This is unlike anything I''ve seen before."


    While they expected a dark and dreary cavern, what greeted them was like a small underground forest.


    The ground was covered in bushes and shrubs, trees of moderate sizes emerged all the way to the ceiling, and you could hear various sounds of wildlife: A rustle of bushes here and there, or an occasional insect'' noise.


    In fact, it could be said that this cave was more lively than the outside forest.


    What attracted the most attention, however, was the crack in the ceiling, from where a soft white glow illuminated the area akin to moonlight. Ian the Mage was especially astonished by it.


    "The mana in here... Is even purer! And over there, up in the ceiling!"


    As the party focused there he exclaimed.


    "The mana there is tremendous! It''s almost blinding to me!"


    Looking at the overeager mage, Stacy asked.


    "So, whatevers'' there is valuable or somethin''?"


    Ian nodded at first but then shook his head.


    "Of course it is! But don''t even think of trying to take it. We''d have to carve it from beyond the ceiling, whatever it is. And if we try to damage it... With the amount of mana there, I would not be surprised if we would be blown to bits along with most of this cave."


    "Soo... It''s useless as it is then?"


    "Pretty much."


    While the two were discussing, Anna was looking around, admiring the scenery yet paying attention to her surroundings at the same time. Suddenly, seemingly detecting something, she exclaimed.


    "We''ve got incoming hostiles! 1 O''clock!"


    Immediately alert, the four explorers gathered back together, ready to face whatever danger came their way.


    And their way came a giant fox, enlarged by mana. It attacked out of the bushes, aiming for Ian, the smallest target, but was deflected by Johanns shield, being bounced back.


    Stacy came forward as the attacker.


    "Just another overgrown animal, piece o'' cake!"


    She swung down with her unsheathed broadsword, which the animal evaded, only to be shot by an arrow to the neck by Anna.


    "Nice one blondie!"


    Giving a thumbs up, Stacy turned to the would-be predator.


    The dead fox looked rather starved, perhaps that being the reason for the sudden attack.


    Johann then reorganized the group, rubbing his shield-bearing arm.


    "Back to positions, it was just a normal monster. It was tougher than the ones on the outside though."


    Ian then intruded.


    "I''d suggest to harvest meat from this one, it''s practically soaked in mana. I''ve never seen such a thing before."


    Anna, who usually did the job, shrugged.


    "Well if you say so. Doesn''t take much effort with my evolution direction. Gives a nice increase to dexterity."


    While Anna was disassembling the dead animal, the group protected her. They moved on as soon as she finished.


    "Advance carefully. While that fox wasn''t too strong, we don''t know what else lives here."


    So, the party did as Johann suggested, moving meter by meter. It didn''t take them long to encounter another opponent.


    Anna was the first to sense them, though later than usual. The reason being...


    "Watch out from below!"


    The enemy this time came from under their feet.


    The ground erupted, giving way to an earthworm a meter in length, which lunged towards Stacy''s leg, not threatening her very much.


    It bit into the leg protecting armor, not piercing it. Although the worm itself was pierced by her broadsword the next instant.


    "This little!.. Johann, on your six!"


    Having dealt with the attacker, she noticed multiple bumps in the ground, from which more snake-like earthworms attacked Johann.


    Immediately reacting, Johann turned around, blocking two of the attackers with his shield. Another earthworm lunged toward his arm, however Johann intercepted it midair with his mace, slamming the creature into the ground, and finishing the monster off with another swing of it.


    "Careful! There might be more! Anna!"


    The ranger, knowing what she was commanded to do, put her crossbow on her back, and switched to a melee weapon, that being a combat knife on her waist.


    A new wave of enemies soon came, this time from the rear. Five of them to be exact.


    Anna attacked deftly, evading the one that aimed for her leg, sliced the one aiming for her torso in two, and pierced the third, which tried to attack Ian.


    This left her open to another two behind her, one of said earthworms managed to catch her off-guard, biting her thigh.


    "Ugh-"


    Grunting in pain, she sliced off the worm which was stuck to her.


    "Don''t get too distracted!"


    Hearing Ian''s shout, Anna turned around, only to see him extend his hand, from which an invisible blast swept past her. That blast turned the last worm which was midair into mush.


    That seemingly put an end to the attack, as no new enemies appeared even after waiting for a minute. After that, the party relaxed slightly and went to support Anna, who had a bite wound on her thigh. Ian quickly checked up on her.


    "Hey Anna, you alright? How bad is it?"


    She answered, sitting down on the ground with a wince.


    "Not too serious, it''s shallow... Hurts like a bitch though."


    The mage then went on one knee and put his hands around the wound.


    "Well, good to hear it. Let''s patch you up."


    Anna then felt a warm current, which she long knew was mana, entering her leg through Ian''s hands. The wound then began quickly closing up, as if it was a sped up timelapse.


    After 20-something seconds, it was as if it was never there, except for a hole in her clothing. Ian then wiped the sweat off his forehead, and stood up.


    "There you go, good as new. That took a bit out of me. It would seem that those nasties carried some sort of poison or disease, it took more mana to fix than a wound of that size should have."


    The leader of the group then asked.


    "Is it too much, or can we go on?"


    "Nah, I''m fine. My tank''s far from empty."


    "Good. Then let us continue. Ian, do you have a direction for us?"


    "Sure. The flow of mana is obviously denser and comes from over there."


    Ian then pointed his finger to a wall opposite the entrance, which was hidden by nearby greenery.


    Following the given direction, the party advanced. What soon met them was an opening in the wall, behind which was seemingly... A corridor, behind which another room was present.


    Johann, being in front, inspected it.


    "It looks artificial. Too smooth to be a natural opening."


    Stacy the Warrior then asked.


    "So like what, you''re saying someone dug this out? That someone lives here?"


    "No, it''s also possible that it is a pre-Awakening mine, though it lacks any other traces of human activity. Still, it gives us yet another reason to investigate what''s going on here.


    With that, the four explorers advanced, into the room behind the corridor.


    It looked pretty similar to the one they just came from, though with a major difference, which didn''t go unnoticed by Anna.


    "Guys, is it just me, or... Is it too quiet in here?"


    Indeed, compared to the previous room, the ''forest'' here lacked any sound of activity. And as the party was carefully moving inside...


    Two pairs of eyes, one yellow, one crimson, opened amidst the darkness...

 Chapter 22: Shadow, Light

    The party advanced amidst eerie silence, the ominous feeling around them seemed to intensify, the air becoming harder to breathe, fear of the unknown pressuring them invisibly.


    As if to add to the atmosphere, the group''s ranger whispered.


    "Guys, I hate to say it but..."


    As the other three held their breath waiting for her to continue, she said the words they were afraid of.


    "I think we are not alone."


    As soon as they heard that, the group tightened the formation even more, almost bunching up.


    The party kept glancing around, trying to find the source of the ominous atmosphere, all without results. They did, however, feel a tingle on the back of their necks, sixth sense screaming of danger.


    They were being watched. They were being hunted.


    All of a sudden, feeling something, Ian screamed.


    "STACY, WATCH OUT!"


    While Stacy had her back protected by having it turned to the center of the group''s formation, she didn''t notice a particularly dense part of a tree''s shadow... Part from it, and lunge towards her.


    Though thanks to Ian who sensed an abnormality in surrounding mana, she gained the barest of moments to react.


    Within that split second she turned toward her left, seeing a pair of crimson eyes rapidly closing in, burning their gaze into her.


    Stacy instinctually protected her chest and throat by bringing up a left arm, having no time to move the sword in defense.


    As soon as that seemingly slowed-down moment ended, the time continued, showing the result of their actions.


    A dark shadow bit into Stacy''s left arm, and with its enormous size, it tackled her to the ground, tearing her away from the formation.


    "Stacy!"


    The team reacted quickly, Anna being the first to do so. She unleashed the arrow that was loaded in her crossbow towards the attacker.


    The arrow followed her precise aim toward the target''s neck. The shadow''s eyes darted toward the incoming projectile, and it then let go of Stacy, jumping away from danger.


    It was then blasted away further by Ian''s hastily gathered blast of mana. As it rolled over a few times, it stood back up, giving the party an opportunity to finally look at its'' appearance.


    What attacked them seemed to be four-legged creature with a pair of eyes that were akin to burning coals amidst the darkness. It was nearly two meters tall, dwarfing each person in the group.


    "...Is that... A wolf?"


    Johann muttered in confusion, as it was hard to tell because the fur of the monster seemed to absorb the very light around, blending in with the darkness. Only a black silhouette of the beast could be seen.


    The beast did not stay in one place for long though, as if feeling that it was at a disadvantage, it dashed towards the shadows of the treeline, melding into them.


    The party reacted just as quickly, moving towards Stacy who was getting back up on her feet. Ian then asked with concern.


    "Hey, you good? How bad is it? Need a heal? You..."


    He was, however, interrupted.


    "Quit your yappin'', I can take this much... I guess."


    Stacy rebuked, however after glancing at her left arm, the armor of which was torn up, showing a rather severe bleeding wound.


    "Save yer mana for now, bookboy, don''t want you fainting right now."


    Ian nodded, reluctantly, as his mana might be more needed to survive the battle in the first place.


    "I don''t think I''m gonna be able to swing hard anytime soon though."


    The group then reestablished the formation, now watching the shadows, and listening to sounds around them.


    As they cautiously stood, being ready to defend, they were once again warned, this time by Anna.


    "Ian, above!"


    A mass of shadow lunged from a branch of a nearby tree, jumping down towards the vulnerable-looking mage. Ian however, seemed to have noticed the attack before Anna did, and his mana was gathered by the time he was warned.


    Raising his head towards the wolf, he blasted it out and upwards.


    The shadow, clearly not anticipating being counterattacked, was blasted backward, drawing an arc through the air. It then landed with a yelp, clearly more hurt this time.


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    The wolf then stood up, snarling, both frustrated in failed ambushes and furious at the prey which fought back.


    "Welp, bookboy, it seems that you royally pissed that thing off."


    Ian only gulped at Stacy''s remark, continuing to preemptively gather mana.


    The wolf, as if understanding that the ambush tactic wouldn''t work, dashed toward the group directly, leaving a trail of shadow-like smoke behind it.


    Seeing the incoming beast, Johann came forward with his shield, planting it into the ground, ready to repel it. Not slowing down, the wolf crashed into the shield, bringing forth powerful momentum along with it.


    Johann grunted as a seemingly unstoppable force crashed into him, pushing him back, the shield leaving a groove on the ground. The leader of the group did not fall.


    As for the beast, it retreated backward after an unsuccessful charge, leaving a deep claw mark on said shield in the process.


    "...What a heavy fucker."


    Johann muttered so, as he didn''t have the slightest opportunity to counter that charge with his mace.


    The wolf then switched targets yet again after briefly circling the group, measuring them with its eyes. This time, it rushed toward Anna which was the furthest from Johann, being protected by Stacy instead.


    "Don''t even think of it-"


    The monster rushed past the swordswoman, deftly avoiding the downward swing, dodging to the side, and kicking off of her, toward Anna.


    In the meantime the ranger fired a shot, which struck true this time, into the wolf''s neck, the wound however was shallow, not stopping the charge.


    The next thing she saw was the jaws closing in toward her, clamping down on her shoulder.


    "Anna, no!"


    Anna screamed, never having such pain before. Amidst the pain, however, she managed to pull out a dagger from the sheath and plunged it into the vulnerable eye of the beast.


    The wolf let her go in pain, and she fell to the ground. The disoriented wolf was then struck by a piercing attack of Stacy''s blade, driving it further backward.


    As the attacking beast was occupied, the mage and healer of the group ran up to Anna, and kneeled next to her, who was gasping in pain, coughing up blood. He then started the healing process, shouting various things.


    "Damnit, hold on!.. I told you to be careful... Damnit. Blood in a lung, luckily the artery isn''t damaged..."


    Luckily for Anna, her wounds were severe but not completely lethal. If the wolf aimed for the neck, she would be already dead.


    While Ian was preoccupied with healing, Stacy managed to pierce and slash the beast, forcing it to retreat, wounded.


    "Boss! I think Anna is down for the count!"


    Johann, who was already near Stacy and watching the wolf then said.


    "Use Wolf-type boss strategy C!"


    Said strategy meant to pursue the heavily wounded target, not giving it a chance to counterattack.


    So, Stacy and Johann rushed in toward the black wolf, starting the attack. As the wolf was losing blood from multiple long slash wounds, it was noticeably slower, being unable to retreat into the shadows.


    It wouldn''t just let itself be attacked though, as it bit into Johann''s shield, then pulling it back with an enormous force, forcing Johann to let go.


    However, this presented an opening, which Johann didn''t miss. He executed a heavy attack with his mace, it smashed into the side of the Wolf''s jaw, damaging it with an audible *crack*.


    Stacy followed from the other side, slashing downward, leaving a wound on the other side of the wolf''s face.


    The beast then staggered backward, however as it quickly came to its senses, it dodged the next attacks to its full capacity, sustaining multiple more wounds in the process, but leaving a nasty claw mark, which pierced through the thickness of his chestplate. The armor did its job, with Johann himself sustaining a minor scratch to his body.


    What the beast did next was unexpected though, as it let out a painful howl into the air. The humans did not understand the meaning of this action, continuing the attack, unaware of a shimmer of light that moved closer to them.


    As Stacy moved in for yet another slash with a broadsword, a shimmering figure materialized at her side, leaving her wide-eyed as it bit down into her already-wounded left forearm.


    She was unable to react when jaws covered in white fur clamped down with a force greater than a hydraulic press. They clamped down and pulled.


    Still in shock, she watched as her left forearm was torn away, blood flying through the air. She watched as the beast jumped away with her left forearm in its mouth. She watched as a white wolf with yellow eyes chewed on it and spat it out as if it were a toy.


    As she came back to her senses, pain flooded her, but she fought through it, dropping her sword, ripping away a piece of her shirt, and tying it tightly above the elbow to stop the bleeding. All this was done in less than 10 seconds.


    Stacy then shouted out through her teeth.


    "Urgh.. There''s a second one! Pull back!"


    Johann, noticing the predicament, retreated backward toward Anna and Ian along with Stacy, regrouping. Their group was now at a clear disadvantage.


    They were outpowered and outmaneuvered. Who would expect that there was a monster just as strong hiding, not participating in the attack until its own kind was heavily wounded? Biding it''s time until they let down their guard.


    "Damn it all... Plan... There''s no plan! Protect Anna and Ian, let''s hope we get out of this somehow."


    Johann at first wanted to strategize, however he wasn''t given any time to think as the pair of wolves was already rushing to them from two sides. Although the black wolf was wounded and weakened, the white one was fresh and full of strength, while the entire party of four sustained some injuries.


    Still, all they could do was defend.


    Johann engaged the white wolf, while near-crippled Stacy defended against the black one.


    They were at a clear disadvantage, if this went on, they would all die here. It would take a single mistake to die, and it would take a miracle to get out alive.


    And a miracle came.


    Stacy was fighting the black beast, which was avoiding her attacks, and attacking with it''s claws. While it did not manage to wound her severely, she had multiple new scratches on her torso from a few near-death dodges.


    However, as the ove-eyed wolf yet again attacked her, a blast of mana swept past, staggering the beast. Stacy didn''t miss the opportunity she was given, and slashed upward at the exposed neck, slashing it open.


    As the wolf was staggering in place, Stacy raised her heavy sword.


    "Take this you bitch!"


    She then plunged said sword into the already pierced eye, piercing beyond it, and into the brain. The wolf then stiffened and fell over. It was dead.


    She then roared out in victory, which caused the white wolf which was at a stalemate with Johann turn its head toward her. As it noticed the dead wolf at her feet, it let out an enraged growl, as it ignored Johann which landed a hit when it was distracted. The wolf then ran toward Stacy.


    However, just as it was charging toward her, an arrow flew toward its side and deeply pierced into its neck, followed by yet another blast of mana, which knocked it off its feet.


    Meanwhile, the corpse of the black wolf seemed to disintegrate, turning into shadows and evaporating into the air at the same time. However left behind was a pitch-black crystal, of the same color as the fur of the beast.


    Stacy noticed it, and she grabbed it before returning to Anna and Ian as quickly as she could. The ranger was considerably healed up and her shoulder bandaged, already proven to be in condition to shoot arrows.


    Meanwhile, Ian was pale, with cold sweat running down his face, as if he was about to faint.


    Johann quickly made it back as well, and looking over the worn and torn group, he gave the order.


    "On your feet, we''re getting out of here!"

 Chapter 23: Escape, Perspective

    "On your feet, we''re getting out of here!"


    Johann shouted, throwing the collapsing Mage onto his shoulder beginning the charge backward towards the entrance. Meanwhile, Stacy and Anna retreated just as quickly, with the Ranger first and the swordswoman last.


    At the same time, the white wolf was snarling toward them, the arrow still being stuck in its'' neck, blood leaking out.


    When it once again began the charge toward the escapees, Anna already had her crossbow loaded.


    "I''ve had enough bites for today, no more bites Mr Fluffy!"


    With a questionable warcry, the arrow loosened, forcing the beast to evade, which it was fully capable of. Though that did impede its momentum, it didn''t help much.


    As such, the party still had a very much pissed wolf on their heels.


    While they were running out of options, Ian''s hoarse voice could be heard.


    "Out of the way! I''m going to use that!"


    Anna was the one to respond.


    "No way! You know what will happen to you!"


    "Better that rather than being dead!"


    Biting her lip, she sprinted to the side, Stacy doing the same, opening a clear view of the chasing wolf.


    The air seemed to vibrate around Ian, who was still on Johann''s shoulder, as the even surrounding mana converged around his hands.


    With a shout that seemed to resonate with the air, a blast wave visible to the naked eye swept through space.


    "GO AWAY!"


    The words echoed and followed the shockwave that went by the other party members, nearly knocking them off their feet, and staggering them.


    The shockwave was extremely fast, and the wide-eyed wolf was caught right in the middle of it.


    The white beast was instantly halted, and flung backward, flying to the opposite end of the room, slamming into the wall heavily. Some bones would definitely be broken.


    Such a powerful attack didn''t go without a price though. As soon as the blast was sent out, the Mage coughed up blood, it streaming from his eyes, ears, and nostrils, followed by him losing consciousness, his later fate unknown.


    "Ian!.. Damnit, run, don''t waste this chance!"


    With Johann''s exclamation, which was completely unnecessary, the tattered part of four sprinted out of the boss room, ignoring various critters that tried to attack them on their way to the entrance. Their armor took most of the hits, however the injuries were accumulating. It would be a wonder if they weren''t crippled afterward.


    But the sunlight from the entrance was their beacon, and they wouldn''t die here today.


    As for whether they would return... Only time will tell.


    --------------------------(Pov Switch)--------------------------


    Lan, shortly after the party''s entry


    When the party was only just advancing through the underground entrance, looking around and observing their surroundings, Lan was observing them in turn.


    ''Stare into the abyss, and the abyss will stare back... But today, I am the abyss.''


    Now that Lan had suspicions, nay, near complete confidence in the fact that he remained on Earth, he was curious how an average human survived amidst all kinds of beasts and monsters. Some average Joe wouldn''t make the cut, that''s for sure.


    And indeed, he found some differences.


    Most obvious of all, was the fact that they had fully active mana circuits, though mana pulsing through them was low in quantity compared to an average Monster. The amount seemed more appropriate for a strong Beast. (Changed regular ''animal'' to ''Beast'')


    However, when they did engage in battle, their teamwork was good. The leader of the group, who was apparently named Johann, was blocking and redirecting the attacks, a Ranger called Anna provided ranged support, and Stacy the Swordswoman was a powerful attacker.


    However, Ian the Mage attracted most of Lan''s attention. The reason is that the mage could manipulate mana similarly to Lan but in a much inferior way.


    This was displayed when the Ranger got wounded by a surprise attack by of one the Worm Beasts. Then the Mage displayed the process of healing by mana infusion, similar to when Lan first discovered it by healing the deer herd way back then.


    This however didn''t use much ambient mana, instead pulling mana directly from the mage''s mana circuits, which were in fact, larger than the other members''.


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    This discovery also notified Lan of different Mana Circuit structure amidst the party''s humans.


    The party leader and the Swordswoman had Circuits of similar structure: Running through their muscles and bones, providing additional strength to their muscle. The leader though seemed to concentrate it in his arms when blocking, while Stacy used it in bursts of strength.


    However, they seemed to be unaware of this. Perhaps it was an instinctual action, like when you don''t think of using each muscle individually when walking.


    The Ranger possessed yet another type of Mana Circuit. It spread primarily through her ligaments, tendons, and joints. This type of circuit seemed to increase flexibility and agility at first glance. Additionally, in Anna''s own words, it also seemed to boost dexterity.


    As previously mentioned, Ian possessed the third Circuit Type. It didn''t seem to reinforce any physical capability, instead, it seemed to contain and circulate greater amounts of mana through it, and unlike other Circuit Types, it also reinforced the brain.


    Thanks to this the Mage seemed to possess the talent for mana detection and manipulation, which proved him useful as an additional scout and support, though not much beyond that.


    As Lan watched Ian fight, he was kind of disappointed as the only kind of attack the Mage possessed seemed to be a simple blast of concentrated mana.


    ''Well that sucks, I kind of expected him to start flinging wind blades and fireballs or whatever... Still, it''s good not to worry about a potential forest fire. That would suck even more.''


    In conclusion, from what Lan observed so far, there seemed to be three types of mana circuits. It could be said to be similar to an RPG game ''Class''. A typical Warrior, Rogue, and a Mage.


    There could be more, but Lan had yet to ''meet'' other humans and/or other sapient species.


    The Core then began observing the mental aspect of the humans. They emitted enormous amounts of mental mana, especially in battle, compared to a Monster it could be said to be multiple times more.


    However, that very same emission seemed to make a kind of a ''barrier'' around them, making them impervious to any attempts to establish a mental connection. In fact, they didn''t even seem to sense it at all. Though at a closer look, the Mage was sometimes turning around, as if unsettled, perhaps shrugging it off as an ominous feeling.


    That very barrier also seemed to influence a part of the mana around them, making it impossible to manipulate. And while that barrier wasn''t very big, barely covering the surface of their bodies, it made it impossible for Lan to, say, encase them in the ground and bury them alive, make the plants devour them, or...


    Noticing rather grim thoughts, Lan shuddered mentally.


    ''...Where did these dark thoughts come from? Is it from a change of mentality? Did I start seeing humans as... Another Intruder?''


    Nevertheless, while Lan was having a mild existential crisis, the party advanced up until the ''boss room'' where Tag and Nacht resided. This brought back Lan''s focus to the matter.


    The wolven pair themselves were already aware of the intrusion, the shared mental link probably giving them some degree of information.


    As such, they were fast awake and on the prowl. Both of them went into ''stealth'' in their own ways. Nacht used her recently gained ability, and her fur seemed to darken even more, becoming one with the shadow.


    On the other hand, Tag possessed Light Affinity, the polar opposite of his partner. Still, he possessed a similar ability. Light''s rays seemed to bend around him, light shimmering until all that remained of his figure was a twisting silhouette of twisted light. Pretty much optical camouflage.


    When the group of humans reached the middle of the room, far enough from the entrance so that they wouldn''t run away immediately, Nacht began the hunt alone. Tag wasn''t an active one, so unless the situation got dire, he wouldn''t intervene.


    The center of the clearing was convenient due to being surrounded by trees, providing ample cover and shadow to retreat into, a favorable terrain for someone of Nacht''s abilities.


    So it wasn''t surprising that her initial ambush succeded, though partially. She initially aimed for the throat but the Swordswoman was quicker than expected.


    Nacht then began probing various targets, not meeting much success until attacking the ranger.


    At the sight of her nearly torn apart, Lan mentally gagged. Although he had seen plenty of violence amidst the Beasts and Monsters, it felt more like watching TV. Seeing a human like that provided a whole different feeling. Lan wasn''t quite sure how to feel.


    Surprisingly though the human didn''t die, thanks to the Mage''s healing. Instead, Nacht was pushed on the back foot. To be fair, Nacht didn''t have much experience in hunting small and dangerous prey which was sometimes more nimble than herself.


    As a consequence, she got beaten up to near death. Finally, she decided to give Tag the signal to attack, which resulted in the Swordswoman Stacy losing an arm.


    ''...Brutal. That''s just how it is. It''s either the wolves or the humans. Yet another battle for survival.''


    With that the humans were back at a disadvantage, however in the end Nacht was killed, thoroughly enraging her mate. His anger didn''t give him a sudden power-up though, but reduced his combat efficiency.


    Meanwhile, Nacht''s corpse disintegrated into Neutral, Life, and Shadow Mana, dispersing back into Lan''s domain. However, her Heart Core and energy contained within remained on the ground, which was promptly picked up by the swordswoman.


    At the same time, Lan paid attention to her Soul, which was already orbiting Lan''s Core, not being absorbed in the slightest.


    It would seem that the mental ''mark'' placed by naming her, made Nacht''s soul treated as a part of the Core, staying completely intact.


    ''...That''s a relief... I can bring you back. Sorry for all that.''


    Still, Lan continued to watch the ''boss battle'' soon after, eager to see the conclusion.


    He was surprised though when the Mage started rapidly absorbing the ambient mana, his circuits overloading and shining in Lan''s perception.


    Then, a large amount of mental mana also got added into the mix. And such a combination was fired off toward Tag.


    In return, Ian''s Circuits seemed to wither, devoid of any mana. At the same time, his mental barrier diminished to the point of nothingness, leaving him open to any mental connection.


    Lan didn''t miss the chance, throwing in a sliver of his own mental mana. This way he would have at least one ''connected'' human. As to how that would work out, only time would tell.


    Meanwhile, the humans escaped rapidly, exiting the underground domain shortly afterward. They then collapsed back at their camp, breathing heavily.


    And while Lan would be happy to continue observing them, he had another problem at hand.


    Tag, who was left alone in the boss room, stood still, blood still flowing from various wounds, staring at the distant entrance with anger in his eyes. Eventually, though he limped back towards the den, where he heavily crashed into the bedding. Alone.


    He whimpered, energy draining out of him, as he was now far from a predator on the hunt, closer to a defeated beast, devoid of any will to live.


    As Lan poured in mana to heal him, although Tag''s wounds closed, he didn''t seem to get any better. He still lay curled on the ground, without any energy. Feelings of immense grief, anger, and sadness could be felt through his connection.


    Tag was mourning his partner.


    Feeling guilt toward his own Guardian, his friend, Lan couldn''t help but comfort him.


    ''You''ve fought well, but don''t lose hope.''


    Tag then raised his head, but the next words caused light to return to his previously lifeless eyes.


    ''She is not yet gone.''

 Chapter 24: Respawn, Forest

    ''She is not yet gone.''


    Lan felt apologetic for just sending his companions into combat as if it was a game as if they were an NPC. He didn''t consider the fact that they were actual living beings, and unlike some mob, they had feelings and emotions. Hence, Tag was pretty much depressed after the death of his life companion.


    While death may be commonplace in his domain, Lan would not let his friends die.


    Still, he had predicted the possibility of such an outcome as Nacht was inexperienced in combat against humans, and as such he had already memorized the ''blueprint'' of Nacht''s body.


    Soon mana started to converge near Tag, not startling him in the least, on the contrary, he looked toward the swirling mass with expectation.


    Flesh made of mana emerged, fur darker than the night covering it. Red eyes remained hidden behind the closed eyelids. A Heart Core was pulsing inside of the chest, shadow mana being generated inside of it, suffusing the body through the newly built Mana Circuit.


    But it remained still as it was without a soul. Though Lan was quick to fix that.


    He directed the Nacht''s soul into her new body, merging them flawlessly.


    Soon, her eyes opened, once again burning in the dark.


    She remembered her battle, her failure, her death. Nacht remembered the grievous howl of her companion in her final moments. As such, upon seeing him once again, she immediately nuzzled close in a display of affection.


    Lan was observing this all the while. He was genuinely happy to see them back together and relieved that Nacht retained her memories. That was good for two reasons.


    The first is the fact that Nacht remained Nacht and not some other Shadow Wolf. The second reason is the retention of memories. She would grow with every battle, gaining experience and wisdom.


    That would probably be the same for every respawned creature, allowing them to gain strength and descend further.


    Also, her reconstructed body was the same as before she went into battle, with the exception of Shadow Mana, as Lan wasn''t attuned to it. However, Shadow Mana was engraved into the structure of Nacht''s Heart Core, allowing her to regenerate it from nothing, not losing her precious affinity.


    This also meant that if Lan updated his records of Beast Blueprints or ''Beast Patterns'', his Guardians could ''level up'' by retaining the mana gathered during the period before the respawn in the form of a bigger Heart Core, which got bigger with the accumulation of mana.


    Still this whole ''raid'' taught Lan some things as well.


    The overall strength of the Entrance Chamber was lacking, with Beasts being easily overpowered by humans, and not inflicting any severe wounds on the party. Only the Floor Guardian could present some form of challenge.


    While it was expected of the ''tutorial level'' with the smallest concentration of mana, it was still disappointing. However, the party was well-coordinated and versatile. Lan estimated that any unprepared human without a party could easily perish here.


    The second thing that concerned him was the fact that his bossroom didn''t possess any doors. The invaders could come and go as they pleased, even running away from the battle. Meanwhile, in any standard RPG game, it was a battle to the death, either the attacker or the boss died.


    Lan had no idea how to create such a door though, so he put it down on his to-do list.


    The fact remained that the human party escaped, and humans usually lived in communities.


    ''In conclusion, they are very likely, no, certain to report my location to their settlement. And they will either avoid my domain... Or try to destroy me. They might have even been sent specifically to find me... I need to be prepared.''


    Lan concluded that his defenses were still lacking, the Entrance Chamber being largely irrelevant, and other Chamber and Floor not even possessing a boss chamber at all.


    Not having any ideas for further reinforcement of the Entrance Chamber, Lan turned his gaze to the Second Chamber, which was largely empty after being expanded to 300x300 meter size.


    However, Lan realized something.


    ''What''s the use of all that space if the enemy can just walk through all that without nary an obstacle, straight to the tunnel down? While it does give ample living space for the flora and fauna, it doesn''t give much protection...''


    Suddenly Lan got an idea.


    ''...Mazes... Forests... Labyrinths... Got it!''


    The idea was to make the entire Chamber covered in a dense forest, which would be hard to navigate, the central pillar''s light only providing minuscule illumination under all the leaves and branches, the pillar itself not being visible.


    Amidst all that, there would be an obvious path, but it would wind through the whole chamber, not being straightforward in the slightest. It would lead through territories of various Beasts and even Monsters, forcing the enemy to engage in battles should they follow the path.


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    And if they didn''t follow it, they would have to navigate the forest with their own skill.


    However after Lan recalled the primary method of navigation all invaders, be they human or beast, this whole idea could turn for naught.


    That issue was the navigation using the flow of mana. As the passage leading downward naturally leaked stronger mana, the direction of it was quite obvious.


    ''Ugh... What a pain, a bunch of cheaters, the lot of them... But if they follow the flow of mana... What if I disrupt it somehow?''


    Following this line of thought, Lan began thinking of solutions to the problem.


    ''Theoretically, if they follow the dense mana, what if the passage downward wasn''t the place where it was densest?.. What if there were points of concentrated mana all around? They would not know which one to follow!''


    Closing in on the solution, Lan continued to think of what he could make to do so. The answer was quite obvious actually.


    ''Mana Crystals!''


    Indeed, Mana Crystals were basically mana extremely concentrated in a material. However, within them lay another issue.


    ''What will prevent Beasts and invaders from just removing and stealing them? How do I conceal or protect them in a way that they fulfill their purpose?''


    Lan then recalled how humans spoke of the Mana Crystal ''Lamps'' in the ceiling, how they were bright and unreachable.


    ''Lamps... Moths... A lamp? A Lamp!''


    Yet another inspiration struck Lan.


    Mana Crystals were not just containers of mana, they further absorbed and dispersed mana of the same type, kind of like a magnet. As a consequence, they attracted Beasts and Monsters with their mana.


    As was shown with Remy (The Earth-evolved mouse), they tried to take possession of them and then stayed near them with the purpose of absorbing said mana.


    So, if the crystals were impossible to remove the Mana Crystal, then the Beast or Monster would settle near it, making it an excellent Beast lure! Also, they would be ''visible'' to anyone attuned to mana. So, if Lan placed them along the path he would make, then he would kill two birds with one stone, creating a ''Moth Lamp''.


    Still, the question of the exact structure remained unsolved. Just putting them in the ground or some pillar would make them easily recoverable. So, the holder of the Mana Crystal must have regenerative properties, which usually means it is alive.


    Lan glanced around the whole second Chamber, which, to be honest looked more like a Floor due to its size. He scanned the living beings inside of it. The fauna wasn''t suitable to be a ''lamp post'', as it was mobile. So it had to be Flora, or in other words a plant.


    And what plant is big, tough, and possibly tall? A tree.


    So, Lan looked through the available trees. There were various broadleaf and coniferous trees, making a mixed forest. Lan wasn''t picky when he looked for trees to plant.


    There were tall pines, mighty oaks, and even maples.


    Still, among them stood out a single birch. Somehow it was the only one of its kind down here, standing out with its white bark among all other trees.


    The choice for a ''lamp post was quite obvious in his mind. The ''Lamp post'' should ''illuminate'' the path by standing out amidst both the mana flow and visually. Its appearance stood out already, all that remained was to get a Mana Crystal inside of it.


    ''But... Am I just supposed to shove it inside somehow? That won''t work... Bah, I haven''t even made the path itself, why am I concerned with this already? Don''t put the food before the bowl.''


    So Lan began to plan out the winding path, fully exploiting the space provided by the Chamber.


    First of all, why should there be a single path? There could be multiple. They would twist through the forest, intersecting in some places, evoking a feeling of uncertainty. And while they may be mapped out by humans later on, they would fulfill their purpose for now.


    Lan settled on two paths, one leading to the left, and another leading to the right. The left one would lead the traveler through the left side of the Chamber obviously. Lan planned to cover that part with high pine trees, the traveler not being able to see past the nearby walls of wood. It would also leave plenty of space for ambushes.


    Lan immediately began to work on it before planning out the second one so that the idea did not fade from his head (though it was physically incapable of doing so).


    He controlled a current of mana that grabbed the seeds of perpetually blooming trees. The perpetual bloom was yet another effect of Life Mana. The seeds were carried to the leftmost fringes of the Chamber, and there they sprouted. They quickly gained in height, their roots spreading through and cracking the ground.


    The newly grown trees soon bloomed as well, and Lan then planted the seeds from them, shortening the distance conveniently. However, Lan carefully avoided the mentally planned-out path and clusters of already-grown vegetation.


    Not long after, the whole left side of the Chamber was covered in a thick pine forest with a path clear of any trees, with an occasional clearing along the path as well.


    Those clearings were part of the path as well, Lan would plant the ''Lamp Posts'' there, also providing space for battle.


    Before making any, he wanted to finish the right Path as well though.


    The right side would be covered with dense broadleaf trees. Although it would not restrict vision in the same way as the left side, the trees being less numerous, instead they would restrict light.


    The trees on the right would be planted in such a dense way that the right side would be in a perpetual state of near-complete darkness. A haven for animals with night vision.


    Only the ''Lamp Post'' clearings would be somewhat free of them, allowing some light to pass through, adding another incentive for the traveler to follow the path.


    Lan then executed the plan, this time planting various oaks and maples. They were more spaced out due to their thicker trunks and broader branches.


    Once again they quickly sprouted up instead of decades of growth. But they didn''t completely ''cover the sky'' with their branches. So Lan filled up the gaps where he miscalculated, and soon the right side of the Chamber was covered in near-darkness.


    As Lan was mentally wiping his sweat (though it didn''t take all that much effort), Lan noticed that vegetation in the central hundred meters now seemed lacking in comparison to the forests around the Paths.


    It also allowed travelers easy access if they just tried to follow the middle.


    ''That won''t do, I wouldn''t want my work to be for naught now, would I?''


    To prevent easy navigation, Lan planted additional bushes and trees, filling in the gaps that were now apparent.


    The result was a dense mixed forest that was covered in shadows and you couldn''t see far either. A mix of both sides.


    However, yet again he left space for the Paths as well. They would intersect in the clearing around the Central Pillar, which seemingly provided a respite, but due to the big Mana Crystal in the pillar itself, it also lured in Beasts.


    The paths then split yet again, each going into the opposite type of forest if the traveler didn''t switch to another. They were shorter compared to the first half though, and they intersected and converged into a single path not far from the tunnel leading down.


    However, before the boss room itself, Lan planned out one last trick.


    In the middle of that converged path, there would also be a ''lamp post''. A series of them by the sides of the path, causing the invader to be constantly attacked.


    However for now Lan had the places for ''lamp posts'', but not ''lamp posts'' themselves.


    ''Let''s get building now, shall we?''

 Chapter 25: Crystals, Water

    "Cobwebs cling, like ghostly lace,


    Veiling the dungeon''s eerie space.


    A flickering light, a dim respite,


    In this abyss of endless night.


    But we will venture ever on,


    Guided by a flickering lantern''s yawn.


    For within this dungeon''s deep domain,


    Hidden gems await their claim."


    - A poem composed about a certain part of the dungeon. 42 AA.


    ----------------------------------------------------


    ''Let''s get building, shall we?''


    The last stretch of the construction remained, that being the ''Lamp Posts'' in the form of mana crystals embedded inside the trees. Another question was which type of crystal to use in them as well.


    However, the answer to that was quite obvious. Lan was currently attuned to Life, and Earth mana, and was otherwise able to manipulate Neutral and Mental mana. Among all of them, the ones that could help a tree regenerate were Neutral and Life Crystals. And between the two, Life Mana was the more efficient one.


    First Lan started to experiment with the embedding technique in the first place.


    Currently, there was only a single birch tree grown, and it also wasn''t anywhere close to the Paths, so Lan chose it as an experimental subject.


    The first attempt consisted of trying to condense the crystal on the surface of the birch tree.


    At this point condensing a Mana Crystal wasn''t something that required effort, it was as simple as lifting a finger for Lan. As long as he was attuned to the needed element, the creation was easy.


    So, the Life mana quickly gathered. A part of it got absorbed by the tree itself, and the rest of it successfully formed a Life Crystal... Midair.


    The crystal fell to the ground, and as if grabbing onto food, the roots of the tree burst from underground, enveloped the crystal, and pulled it under the tree for consumption.


    Lan stared at the scene and came to a conclusion.


    ''...Huh. The trees actively seek out nearby mana-dense sources. They probably won''t attack animals though. Not this tree at least. Who knows what other trees exist out there.''


    In the end, it would seem that simply trying to embed it into a fully-grown tree won''t work, as it would consume the crystal rather than siphon mana from it. Probably to avoid it being stolen, an instinctual action.


    But, this line of thought brought Lan an idea.


    ''...Fully grown... To secure it... Then what if?!''


    Two separate puzzle pieces combined.


    ''What if I give it a way to secure the crystal, completely removing the possibility of stealing, thus removing the need for immediate consumption?''


    ''And what better way than to make the trees grow around the crystal, securing it safely within, at the same time during the growth process the birch tree won''t need additional mana due to the amount I am already supplying to it!''


    ''Lan, you''re a genius, bless my Core!''


    After a brief episode of narcissism, Lan immediately put the idea to use.


    He moved a birch tree seed to one of the spaces arranged along the left Path. This seed was additionally enhanced as the grown tree was rapidly devouring the Life Mana at the time.


    Quickly Lan planted it into the ground, however, he didn''t immediately infuse ginormous amounts of mana, as he needed time for the Life Crystal to grow, and for the tree to envelop it within.


    As such, he slowed down, splitting his focus into two, feeding a steady trickle of mana toward the sprouting birch, and forming a Life Crystal above it at the same time. When the crystal was formed after a minute, he released the ''limit'' of mana infused into the sprout.


    Next came the moment of truth.


    The Crystal was floating amidst the air, being lifted by currents of mana, and soon after, under Lan''s closest attention, the wood enveloped it, hiding it within. The tree then continued growing. Without devouring the Crystal.


    When the birch reached an adequate size (around 5 meters in height), Lan stopped the active supply of mana and observed.


    1 minute passed, then 2, and soon it turned into 5 and 10 minutes.


    And yet, the crystal remained intact. It didn''t crumble because of being sucked dry by the tree, no, it remained, mana gathering into it, and dispersing into the tree.


    It was as if the birch tree gained a heart. And sure enough, mana was gathering and dispersing around the tree, creating a mana-rich zone.


    ''Yes! Plan Success!''


    Lan mentally pumped his fist at his success.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ''Beasts will gather here soon enough... How do I exactly call this though? Can''t keep calling it a ''lamp post''... Beasts gather here to gain power, so what about... Place of Power? I think I read that somewhere, but sounds good enough.''


    Meanwhile, empowered by mana, the grass already started growing rapidly near the tree.


    Lan then carried on with making Places of Power along the Path, 5 in total along the left side of the Path. The birches were planted and grown with their own ''tree hearts''. As such, the left Path potentially gained 5 guaranteed combat encounters for any passerby.


    Another issue arose though, with the left Path being newly suffused with Life Mana, the Path got a bit... Overgrown. The plants grew along the Path so densely to the point that the passage was invisible now.


    And while Lan didn''t want to help the intruders in any way, if they didn''t tread the obvious (and dangerous) path, what was the purpose of it all? While a party possessing a mana-sensitive person could still follow the Places of Power, a party relying solely on their vision would trudge randomly.


    And while they could be lost, which was of benefit to Lan, the chamber wasn''t that big, and there was a chance they would avoid the Places of Power entirely.


    ''Damnit, this gives me a headache... My next Floor will be a maze with no other complicated bullshit!''


    So, he started thinking of a solution. Lan could just turn the excessive plant life into mana, but that wouldn''t be a permanent solution with Life Mana leaking in. And if the problem lay in Mana, then the solution lay in Mana as well.


    Life Mana couldn''t fix the problem, neither could Neutral. Conveniently, Earth Mana remained.


    ''Doesn''t assist plant growth, check. Can be infused into the ground, check! Possible solution found!''


    As an experiment, he disintegrated a patch of grass and infused earth mana into the ground. The Earth Mana, with its largely immobile nature, remained, but Life Mana still came through the gaps.


    So, Lan kept infusing. Eventually, when it reached a certain density, to the point of leaving no space for other mana, the ground condensing into a rock.


    What came out as a result was a pebble, the grass around it was significantly lower.


    ''An unexpected gain! It seems that Earth Mana suppresses growth when there is too much of it. So I can create these ''growth-suppressing rocks'' along the Path. It will look stylish and serve its purpose at the same time!''


    As such, Lan began creating stones along the Path, not too densely, but to the point where they could be used to navigate as well, the Path now being even more obvious with its lowered vegetation.


    ''Now this looks like something closer to the truth!''


    The Left Path was now largely completed, leading travelers along a path lined with stones and surrounded by pines, with Birches being beacons of mana, their white bark standing out visually as well.


    Next on the agenda was the Right Path. Lan had the technique for the Places of Power already figured out, so this time the Birches, 5 in total as well, got grown much quicker this time.


    Following the plan, he lined the Right Path with stones as well. However, they would probably be of much lesser help in a visually impairing environment such as the Right Path, since it was almost completely covered in darkness and shadows.


    After some time, the Right Path was done as well, but both Paths were still missing something.


    ''What is it... Ah, of course, the Beasts haven''t settled in yet.''


    The main purpose of these Paths was to attract Beasts to them, but that hadn''t yet happened. This could not be sped up with mana, like growth. This matter needed time.


    But that reminded Lan of the fact that the center wasn''t ''fortified'' with Places of Power yet. This time Lan didn''t have the need for them to stand out, so he had more freedom in making them.


    At first, he had trees other than Birches grow around Life Crystals. Then, he tried burying it under the roots of a budding plant. Finally, Lan made a couple of small mounds with Earth Crystals below them, as if inviting some Beast to make a burrow.


    And that made Lan realize a couple more things. The main one is the fact he kind of lacked in variety of usable mana. And the second one came from observing the behavior of Beasts.


    The Beasts and Monsters, not having a body fully made of mana yet, still needed water. And water was fortunately available in a stream that crossed the entire chamber. But the First Floor didn''t have such a privilege. Lan noticed this by a familiar presence in the Second Chamber.


    It was the Huntress. The big cat was trudging through as if she owned the place, which she kind of did, being strongest and all. She was bigger than what Lan remembered, her dark fur blending in with the surrounding darkness, her claws now covered in a metallic sheen.


    Surprisingly though, despite living in a mana-dense First Floor, she was only a Monster right now, not possessing a mana body. This was the reason she came up here, she was thirsty.


    Lan didn''t notice it earlier, but the Huntress actually came up quite often for a drink. One such time almost resulted in another confrontation with the Deer Herd. Both sides backed off though.


    ''While the deeper floors might not actively need water anymore, the First Floor certainly does... Who knows how many died of thirst there... So, I need a way to supply water. Either I continue to re-route rivers and streams from the surface... Or I find a way to make my own.


    Lan didn''t even need to rack his brains for that long though, as he soon witnessed a curious scene.


    Among the Herd of Deer, one Steelhorn stood out. It has successfully turned into a Magic Beast, gaining visible Mana Patterns. And said patterns looked more swirly and gentle compared to Lorn, Remy, and other Magic Beasts.


    What especially made it stand out was the fact that its fur turned a whole different color. It was light blue, the color of water and clear sky. And in addition to that, water droplets condensed from moisture floated around its horns, surrounding them.


    This gave Lan the answer on a silver platter.


    ''Water Affinity! Water Mana! Why didn''t I think of this!''


    After a brief exclamation got to it.


    ''Alright, same old. Feel it, imagine it, attune to it. Plain and simple.


    Water mana.


    Gentle, Flowing.


    Tasteless, Nurturing.


    Lan was focusing on the feel of the concept, but he couldn''t quite get it immediately. As if a piece of the puzzle was missing, or as if a piece of it was wrong.


    So, he tried to grasp the elusive feeling.


    Lan was peering into the flowing stream, ignoring all else.


    And eventually, he understood.


    It is Playful.


    Water is unrestrained.


    The all-too-familiar feeling of a new pair of eyes opening, as if taking off yet another veil, covered Lan. Spots of blue resided in the ground, and flowed along the stream, being one with it.


    Lan was ecstatic.


    ''Water magic unlocked!''


    However, while Lan was in the midst of the joy of discovery, a brutal battle for Places of Power has already begun.


    On the left Path, a wild boar and a wolverine were battling it out. Or rather, the battle was coming to a conclusion.


    The wolverine was fast, far faster than the slower boar, but its attack power and stamina weren''t enough. It couldn''t deal severe damage to the Beasts with two pairs of tusks and instead exhausted itself.


    The Boar won by impaling the slowed-down foe with a charge.


    Meanwhile, on the right Path, another battle concluded. There was no epic conclusion or a thrilling battle to it.


    All that remained was a silhouette of a four-legged animal wrapped up in cobwebs, hanging from the branch of the Birch.

 Chapter 26: Return, Report

    Gates of Cypress Town


    While Lan was reveling in his newfound mastery over a new element, he had nearly forgotten about the recent intrusion, more preoccupied with the newfound mastery over water.


    Meanwhile, the invading party in question was still rather shaken from the whole encounter, they by no means came back unscathed.


    All this led to the current scene playing out.


    The four managed to make it back to the town, but currently, they were walking toward the tower in the center of the town, all the while receiving glances and hushed whispers about them.


    "Woha, what the hell happened to them?"


    "Dunno, last thing I heard was about them being sent out somewhere east."


    "Damn, what happened to Stacy?"


    Such a thing was understandable, as the party was well known in the town as one of the most capable scouting teams, which were also competent in combat.


    Usually, they came back hauling back corpses of monsters or bringing back the knowledge of mystical places from their expeditions.


    Hell, one time they even subjugated a Monster Nest all by themselves, which usually required at least two Hunter teams, consisting of 5 people each.


    Now, however, they weren''t bringing back any trophies. On the contrary, Johann was carrying unconscious Ian over his shoulder, his backpack seemingly abandoned. Johann''s armor was covered in deep scratches, even torn through in some places, leaving people to wonder what he battled.


    Meanwhile, Anna was supporting Stacy, the remaining arm of the Warrior over her shoulder. Her uniform was torn apart at the shoulder, bandages covering the skin underneath.


    And lastly, Stacy had the most visible damage. Apart from her armor being in an even worse state than Johann''s, what caused people to gasp was her arm missing under the elbow, leaving only a bandaged and blood-soaked stump.


    The team trudged through toward the central part of the town along the main road, reaching a plaza around the central tower. The tower itself was called the ''Magic Tower'', mainly because mana-sensitive people, or ''Mages'' as they were called nowadays, were working and living in there, sensing flows of mana and researching various things.


    The Magic Tower could also be said to be an early warning system in case of a Monster Nest appearance or the consequent Monster Tide.


    The plaza, simply called the Central Plaza, had housing for the best exploration and hunter teams, which was a profession that was responsible for the direct safety of the town, and thus commanded great respect among the people.


    Thus only the strongest warriors could live here, and the exploration party was one of them.


    Johann stopped in front of one of the houses and reached for a key, however it was left behind along with his backpack in order to bring Ian back.


    "Curses... There was a spare one here I think... Here it is."


    After a brief search, he reached under a loose plank in the stairs leading up to it, pulling out a spare key.


    He then opened the door and walked into the house revealing a cozy kitchen and a living room. Behind him, Stacy and Anna followed. Johann then quickly put down Ian on the couch nearby, and turned to the two women.


    "Anna, since you are mostly healed, look after Ian and Stacy. Rest here, but don''t forget to visit the Mage healers later. Ian might have patched you up, but you could be better. Stacy, follow me for healing immediately."


    Anna only nodded at his words, too exhausted to bring out her chirpy personality.


    Meanwhile, Stacy let go of Anna and leaned on a wall with a sigh.


    "...Seriously bossman, can''t a lady get some beauty sleep?"


    "No, if you don''t want to lose more than an arm. Who knows what else bit you in there."


    "Fine..."


    The two then walked out into the plaza and toward the tower. The doors into it were open, various people going in and about their business.


    What greeted them was a hall with stairs going up opposite the entrance, reception on the left and right sides. The left side is for accepting missions, the right side is for submitting the results.


    However only Johann went to the right side, and Stacy went toward the next floor, which featured a treatment center with Mage Healers, available for exploratory teams or anyone else but for a fee.


    Johann went up to the free receptionist, a man in black glasses greeting him.


    "Oh, hello Johann. Have you completed the eastern exploration mission? You''re not looking too good."


    "...Mission partially completed. We weren''t able to subjugate the Nest."


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "Well, it''s good that all of you made it back alive... What is the threat level?"


    "Level 4."


    The receptionist nearly jumped, clearly startled.


    "Level 4?! Are you sure? Have you got any details?"


    "I''m sure. Without at least three experienced hunter teams it will be impossible to kill the boss, let alone subjugate it."


    "What do you mean? Killing the boss is subjugating it?"


    "The boss wasn''t the end of the Nest, there was a passage leading downward."


    The receptionist put his fingers to his temples, and after thinking for a minute, answered Johann.


    "Sigh... I alone will not be able to deal with this. I need to report this to my superiors. Please wait here for a couple of minutes."


    He then stood up and walked out from behind his stand and went up somewhere upstairs.


    Meanwhile, Johann sat on one of the available benches. And as minutes passed one by one, he gradually descended in thought.


    The Monster Nest was clearly different from the ones they usually raided. By Ian''s words mana density was much higher than normal, when in a ''normal'' Monster Nest, it was usually a small mana-rich point, directly occupied by the monster boss.


    Although they didn''t fight that much on their way to the boss, the boss itself was too strong, let alone the two of them. It was a rule that the boss was always alone, never were there multiple bosses.


    And their strength... Had it been any other exploration team, they would''ve been obliterated, as Johann''s team was one of the best.


    But he was snapped out of his thoughts by a voice coming from above him.


    "Johann, the leader of the Exploration Team four? The Tower Master wants to see you."


    When Johann looked up, he found that the receptionist had returned, followed by an older man in a researcher''s coat. The old man was the one talking.


    Johann simply nodded and followed. He was then led up the tower, which consisted of 10 floors, all having their own purpose. The Tower Master''s office though was on top of all of them, taking the entire 11th floor for itself.


    The Tower Master rarely spoke with anyone, being a rather reclusive and pragmatic woman. However, she was the most knowledgeable and powerful Mage around, having proven herself many times. She could also be called an unofficial leader of Cypress Town, as she often took decisions affecting the state of it, be it safety or construction.


    When Johann stepped through the carved doors, the older Mage bowed his head towards the woman noting down something in one of her books.


    "Tower Master, I''ve brought him."


    "Thank you. You may leave."


    Following a few cold words, Johann was now facing the Tower Master alone.


    "Greetings, respected Tower Master."


    "Sit. It would seem that we have a peculiar situation on our hands."


    She gestured toward an armchair facing her desk. Johann promptly did as he was asked.


    "So then, I hear that your team found a particularly... Anomalous Monster Nest? I would like to hear more details. A case such as yours was never witnessed. I''ve heard the report, continue where you left off."


    "Yes, Tower Master. The Monster Nest itself is an opening leading underground, on top of which grows a... A giant tree, for lack of a better description. Our Mage reported that it was emitting large quantities of mana."


    "I see. But you told me that although the tree emits mana, it was not guarded by the Boss?"


    "No, it was devoid of guarding monsters. Instead, the nest lay in the space below it. The cave below it possessed even denser mana, to the point where even I could sense it."


    It would seem that his report attracted Tower Master''s attention greatly, as she had opened one of her notebooks, and was actively taking notes, drawing out guesses and theories.


    "Curious... Does that mean that it was influenced by the ambient mana? But then why does it emit mana by itself?.. Don''t mind me, go on."


    Although startled by the abrupt change of attitude, Johann continued.


    "...Yes, and though it was similar to usual mana-influenced environments, with various kinds of vegetation being pronounced, there were also various kinds of surface plants. Even trees were present."


    Followed by furious scribbling of a pen, the Tower Master was muttering under her nose.


    "Strange... Never happened before... Continue."


    "Also, in the ceiling, there was a big crack, from which light was coming, or rather something emitting light was beyond it. Our Mage reported that there was a tremendous amount of mana in there. We didn''t investigate it due to a lack of tools and ability."


    "Did you see what exactly was there?"


    "No, but the Mage told us that it was spherical. Perfectly so."


    "That''s worrying... In nature, spherical things are few and far between. Possibly artificial? But how..."


    "Although the monsters were nothing special, the end of the cave had a... Passage into the room where the boss was. It looked clearly artificial."


    At the follow-up statement, the Tower Master furrowed her brows, various worries and theories intervening.


    "Truly troublesome... Could it be a work of Beast Worshippers? An outpost perhaps."


    She then looked back up at Johann, stopping her writings and mutterings for the moment.


    "So then, if you call it a boss room, then I suppose that you found the boss?"


    "Yes, although it would be more correct to say that the boss found us. We were ambushed. The beast somehow... Hid among the shadows. It took us by surprise."


    "Could you give a description of it and its abilities?"


    "Of course. It seemed to be a wolf, around 2 meters in height. A notable feature would be the fact that its fur was so dark that it was indistinguishable from shadow. Its strength was higher than other wolf-type bosses."


    "Is that all? I doubt your party would have been bested by that much. I also remember you reporting a ''second boss''."


    "Yes, I''m getting there. A worrying aspect of it was its intelligence. It seemed to learn from our clashes, and it aimed for the Ranger or the Mage instead of me or our Warrior. We did manage to almost kill it, but then that happened..."


    The Tower Master nodded along, finishing the sentence.


    "The second one appeared."


    "We were ambushed yet again. It had some kind of invisibility ability. We did not see it up until it attacked. It just... Appeared. It must have been some kind of Beast Ability."


    "Yes, we did occasionally find monster bosses who fling rocks and water at us, but that is a rare case. Usually, they are just stronger than normal. But the intelligence part is worrying. Continue."


    "It was the one that took Stacy''s arm. We did manage to kill the first boss before retreating, but our Mage had to use ''that''."


    "''That''? Do you mean the ''Mana Overcharge''? You do know that it leaves the Mage unable to use magic ever again, right?"


    "We were aware, but we had no other choice. Before we retreated, however, we did see a passage further downward. The mana coming from below... Was even denser. I suspect that... There may be more bosses down there."


    The Tower Master closed her eyes and began tapping her fingers on the table rhythmically. It was a thing she was known to do when in deep contemplation.


    "Alright. Is that the entire report?"


    "Yes, that was as far as we managed to explore."


    "Understood. You are dismissed. On your way back, tell that Old Thing to come in."


    After Johann exited with a brief bow, the elderly mage re-entered the office.


    "You called? Looks like it''s quite serious. Also, when are you going to stop being so stuck up?"


    "Enough with the jokes, Larring. Issue an emergency dispatch to at least four Hunter teams."


    "That bad?"


    "Yes. They are to subjugate a level 4, possibly even level 5 Nest..."


    "Code name ''Dungeon''."

 Chapter 27: Water Carving

    I noticed an inconsistency in the creation of Mana Crystals. It is supposed to be a material transmuted with Neutral Mana, and only then infused with Elemental Mana. Sorry! -Author


    ----------------------------------------------------


    Lan''s Domain


    For the past day or so, it was really hard to tell without looking outside, Lan was experimenting with newly unlocked water mana.


    Obviously, it was primarily contained in the water. Who would have thought? But water is not the only vessel for water mana. Some other obvious examples would be moisture in the air, the sap of plants, and even the blood of Beasts as well.


    ''Well, they do say that the body is made mostly of water...''


    So theoretically by mastering Water Mana Manipulation one would also be able to dry a place or a living being, turning it into a dried husk. The same could be applied in reverse, making things overflow with moisture, bursting bodies from the inside.


    But that was only the destructive side of things, as water was just another type of mana, its nature depended on how the manipulator used it. Just as it could be used to devastate, It could also be used to nourish.


    Water mana could be said to be invaluable in, for example, farming. Imagine if you could grow crops even if the ground hadn''t seen rain in years.


    But, in Lan''s case, it had valuable uses unique to him.


    For example, he could now solve his issue with water on lower floors. It could also be used in the shaping of various ecosystems. No longer did he need to play plumber, trying to use various pipes and channels, he could summon more water.


    And he followed the idea. He didn''t really want to have his Domain to be connected to the surface too much, as he wanted it to be an independent ecosystem. Also, it made the Domain prone to outside interference because if something happened to the water on the surface, the water below would get contaminated as well.


    ''But, if I close it off now, will I lose a chance to get aquatic creatures from that river?''


    Lan did consider the possibility of various fishes possibly wandering through the connecting channel.


    In fact, it did happen a couple of times, they could be seen swimming in the stream. But most of them returned to the river from the opposite end, and others were promptly eaten and hunted by inhabiting Beasts... Some Beasts were even counter-hunted.


    Nevertheless, none of the fish, predatory or not, stayed. There was simply no place here for them. And if he needed them further below, he would need to carve the channel to the needed floor.


    One way or another, the current channel leading through the Second Chamber, was useless.


    So, Lan closed it off, filling it out, and sealing it.


    While the remaining water was still running, Lan already began thinking about how to use his water mana to replace the inflow of water.


    ''...To be honest I should have thought about this BEFORE I sealed it off. Oh well.''


    The simplest way would be to simply gather water mana, in turn gathering water. But that would need continuous conscious effort. In other words a no-go, since he wanted it to passively work by itself.


    The obvious way that presented itself soon after amidst Lan''s thoughts was Infusion and Mana Crystals.


    As always, Lan immediately acted, testing the Infusion of mana into the rocky wall where the channel entrance used to be.


    He was prepared to be disappointed, but he still wanted to see what would happen. Soon, water mana gathered into it, and that rock became covered in water droplets, and dirt around it became moist. The gathering water then began to stream down from the wall and into the carved channel.


    Just as Lan was celebrating, the streaming water slowed down into a trickle and soon stopped completely. The cause was apparent, as although the dirt and rocks remained moist, the excess water already flowed down.


    ''Well that was an obvious outcome, and I was ready for disappointment, but still, it got my hopes up for a second. I need something to gather water mana, which is quite obviously a Mana Crystal... Should use my bra- Core sometimes.''


    So Lan began the all too familiar process of creating a Mana Crystal. He didn''t want the Mana Crystals exposed, so he created a hidden niche in the wall, making a small empty space. He then created the neutral Mana Crystal by transmuting pre-made pure material. He then infused it with Water Mana.


    Not long after, a fist-sized Crystal was created, shining in weak blue light. Water droplets gathered on its surface, soon enveloping it in water. The water then began to spread through the sealed niche, and making its way out of it and then down the wall the niche was carved in, and down into the channel carved in the ground.


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    Lan succeeded, but not completely.


    ''Isn''t this a tad too little?''


    Although Lan wasn''t aiming to create a raging river, what trickled down the wall was a trickle of water, the amount of it reaching the stream being unnoticeable.


    Apparently, that single crystal was not enough. It simply gathered too little water.


    The solution was to either increase the amount of Water Crystals... Or to make that single crystal bigger.


    ''As I learned earlier, size matters! A bigger size it is.''


    Not at all biased, Lan continued infusing mana into the already formed crystal, the amount of mana being so extreme to the point that swirls of water formed around the growing Crystal. That kept going until the Crystal nearly filled the entire niche, glowing with blue, the blue light shining out of the niche.


    ''...I think... I overdid it a bit... Oh is tha- Shit!''


    ...With the size of the crystal increased the water generation. Instead of the slowly flowing trickle of water, the niche that was now too small was quickly filled, and water began shooting out of it under pressure, some of the wall giving way and crumbling. Instead of a trickle, there was now close to a waterfall.


    ''I definitely overdid it.''


    The water was now overflowing from the channel, and flooding the dark forest. Lan didn''t just sit there, soon rectifying the problem by dissipating the crystal by absorbing its mana.


    After stopping the flood in its tracks, and looking at the soaked part of the forest, Lan slowly started creating a crystal from zero, and again enlarging it.


    ''Okay, infuse slowly, little by little, and know where to stop. You can do this, Lan.''


    After 5 minutes of slow Crystal growing, Lan finally found the size he was comfortable with. Now water gently streamed down the wall and into the channel, not too much and not too little.


    ''Okay, that came out a little awkward. Still, mission accomplished!''


    Mentally wiping his mental brow, Lan turned his attention back to the entire Second Chamber, and then to the exit point of the channel. Lan did possess a source of water, but if it had nowhere to flow to, then the Chamber would be flooded soon enough.


    Lan removed the exit channel along with the entrance channel, so he needed to carve a new one. He then scanned the surface and settled on the river from which his original channel got its water, but he decided to build the new one further downstream.


    And since the water was pushed out from there, there was a low chance of anything nasty coming through that ''pipe''. He then reinforced the whole ''pipe'' with earth mana, turning earth into stone, and then more, to prevent any would-be erosion.


    ''Water system of the Second Chamber, done! Now let''s see what''s down below...''


    And after a brief glance, things were pretty bad.


    ''Oh boy... You really need some water, do you?''


    Last time Lan checked, the First Floor was covered with lush ferns, some of them were even towering like trees, but now the things were not as green. Some ferns were partially wilted, hanging low and not looking good.


    Although they didn''t die due to residual moisture and mana underground, they didn''t do well either.


    ''Don''t worry, little greens, you''ll get your water soon.''


    Compared to the Second Chamber, the First Floor was more than double the size, so a stream wouldn''t cut it. Lan would need something bigger to water all of this. He would need a river.


    As the mechanism to create it was already discovered and simple, Lan only needed to plan out the layout of it to cover the floor.


    He decided on it flowing from near the end of it, where his Core was, and it would flow toward the passage leading up.


    ''Wait, doesn''t this mean that people could just follow the river?.. I just had this problem, I already know the solution!''


    A devious idea popped into his head, the river would replace the Path in the previous Chamber, and just like the Path, it would wind through the whole floor. If the traveler tried to move without following it, he would need to cross it multiple times, as it would flow in a serpentine pattern, similar to multiple letters "S" stacked on top of each other.


    Lan then carved the riverbed. It was approximately 4 meters in depth, and 10 meters across. More space on the First Floor truly removed some of his limits.


    But, just as he began making a place for Water Crystals and the Crystals themselves, a problem became apparent.


    ''The water doesn''t exactly flow... up? I can''t link it to the river as it is. And if I dig a channel from here and into the river, it''s going to flow down instead... Ugh, physics is a pain...''


    But, Lan saw salvation in the form of the ferns which lacked water. The very ground near them was dry, and whatever moisture got there was quickly absorbed. Apparently, the plant life was rather thirsty. Immediately, an idea formed.


    ''What if I don''t need to let it flow somewhere out after all? What if it''s just going to be cycled here, flowing and getting absorbed by the plants? It would still be a rainforest, wet and all, and no need to make some complicated pipe system!''


    Still, the water would need to go somewhere, otherwise it would flood the endpoint of the river. As such, a lake near the entrance to the First Floor needed to be formed.


    It would not be that big, just enough to contain the flowing water.


    Lan decided on a lake 5 meters in depth at its deepest, and around 50 meters in diameter. So, he got on with carving. With his control, it didn''t take him long, barely 10 minutes. Compared to when he was digging out the First Floor, it was nothing.


    And just like that, Lan had a water system up and ready to go. All that remained to do was the source of water. The Water Crystal.


    At the river''s start, on the side opposite the entrance of the Floor, Lan carved out a cave, enough for a Water Crystal of a size sufficient for a river, and probably even for another creature guarding it. It was around 40 meters in size, carved out of a wall, its entrance opening unto the riverbed.


    ''A guard huh? Why not make it a boss room later? Seems like an interesting idea.''


    Still, he wondered where to place the crystal after digging out such a wide room. Making it on the floor would be kind of... Lame. If this was to be a boss room, then it would look grand.


    After nearly an hour of thinking, Lan finally settled on a plan. As the cave was U-shaped, he would hollow out the floor of the frontal and a bit of a central part, connecting it with the riverbed.


    And then, he would place a Water Crystal on the ceiling.


    Engraving the plan in his mind, Lan quickly dug out every needed nook and cranny. And then, up in the ceiling, water mana began to gather around the stalactite-shaped neutral crystal, turning it into something looking like an icicle glowing in blue.


    And then, all around it, water began to gather. Around the 5-meter-long crystal, water gathered and then dripped from it. The dripping turned into a trickle, and the trickle turned into rushing water.


    And that water turned into a vertical waterfall, crashing down into the beginning of the river, splashing and then rushing along the dugout path.

 Chapter 28: Path Guardians

    The water rushed along the riverbed, running all the way across the First Floor, filling out the path laid for it. It then streamed into the lake, which at the moment was nothing more than a pit in the shape of one.


    ''...This is going to take a while, isn''t it?''


    It was truly too large a lake to be filled up within minutes. The time alone it took for the water to get from the River''s beginning to the Lake was nearly 10 minutes. So it would take hours upon hours or maybe even days for the water to fill out the intended places.


    However, even with the water only running along, the changes already began to happen to the surroundings.


    The previously partially dried ferns and some of the plants seemed to sense the new water mana, their stems straightening and leaning towards the river.


    The ones near the river even began rapidly growing their roots, extending them underground towards it, absorbing any water mana they came across. The underground jungle truly began coming to life.


    Still, before everything that needed to be filled with water got filled out, Lan would leave it be. There was always plenty of work to do.


    For example, the Monsters gathered along the ''Lamp Posts'' of the Paths of the Second Chamber. As quite some time had passed, the initial ''owners'' had already been established, but they could always be changed... Through battles.


    Lan first checked out the left Path, the one filled with coniferous trees, primarily pines that extended far upwards, forming walls of trunks, light shining through the gaps among them.


    It would seem that the Birch trees had fully adapted to the Life Crystals within them, as none of the Crystals were devoured, instead fully becoming the ''heart of the tree''. Such a ''heart'' seemingly gave a tree many advantages compared to the usual trees.


    As Life Crystal acted as a magnet and generator for Life Mana, it was a great source of nourishment for the tree, allowing extraordinary growth.


    And such circumstances created a truly wonderful scene.


    The narrow path widened, revealing a clearing with a towering Birch tree in the middle of it. It easily drew one''s eyes, as its branches seemingly enveloped that very clearing. The leaves of gold looked as bright as if they were shining as if they were made of real gold.


    The black and white trunk twisted in an interesting shape, creating a mystical image. The very air seemed easier to breathe, nourishing oneself. Under the tree the growth was abundant, with various flowers and plants blooming, forming a scene straight out of a painting.


    However, such beauty always has a guardian. In this case, hidden amidst the vegetation, sleeping among the roots of the tree, an intimidating boar lay, a leaf occasionally falling on its snout.


    It was a big Beast, or rather a Monster, as its tusks had a second pair, its height similar to a fully grown human. And its bristled fur was smooth and shiny, nary a single flaw, if one didn''t count a nearly healed over scar on its side.


    Intimidating as it may be, it was but the first of the Path Guardians of the left side.


    As one continued along, one would find four similar scenes, each with a different guardian, before arriving at the central clearing where the Central Pillar was staying. And in that clearing, the Herd of Deer along with Lorn, its leader, was residing.


    The Right Path had a completely different atmosphere compared to the Left though. As the tree''s leaves and branches covered the sky, not letting through most of the light, it was constantly shrouded in perpetual darkness, evoking a gloomy atmosphere.


    And the Places of Power of such a forest got the masters they deserved. On one of the first Places of Power, as one got nearer, the branches got covered more and more in cobwebs. Occasionally a skittering shadow would pass by among them.


    And when one arrived at the Birch, contrary to the beautiful scenery of the opposite Path, one would see a scene of horror.


    The branches and leaves of the pale tree, instead of shining in gold, were completely entwined in webs. From branches hung various prey, preserved in the hunter''s webs. Amidst the roots of the tree instead of flowers lay bones, being silently devoured by the ground. The very vegetation seemed to retreat from the tree, covering from its master.


    Amidst the darkness and webs of its branches, eight eyes and eight legs glistened, reflecting what little light reached them. Black carapace blended in with the shadows, and mandibles were soaked with poison, waiting for the next prey.


    Surprisingly enough, three of the five Path Guardians were spiders. The other two Places of Power belonged to different species, although they too were ambush predators.


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    Still, it also arrived at the Central Clearing, just like the other one.


    But the fun began at the final four Places of Power on the final patch of the Path. All of them were in close proximity, even being visible from one another, prompting all Path Guardians residing there to be constantly on alert, being wary of any attack.


    Still, the four Path Guardians were more or less harmonious, as one needed to stay close to the Birch to gain benefits from it, so there was no infighting amidst the four. They were also slightly stronger due to being closer to the tunnel leading downwards, and the mana brought from down there.


    But the four Path Guardians were prone to change if any strong contender were to show up, or if they were killed. The ecosystem of this Chamber was quite competitive.


    With all the Path Guardians, the Chamber was quite protected, none would be able to just march through without a fight. But the Floor Guardian, or the Chamber Guardian, in this case, wasn''t yet chosen, and the boss room was not yet built.


    ''That won''t do, even the First Floor already has one... Off to work again. I wonder when will I get a holiday?''


    So, Lan got back to building and planning.


    As he already built a simple ''forest with a clearing in the center'' type of boss room, Lan kind of wanted to not just copy-paste it. He wanted to ''stay in theme'' of the floor. Even if he was building protection for himself, he couldn''t help but be stylish along the way.


    But style being style, it also needed to be functional. That meant the boss chamber being advantageous for the boss, and being its housing at the same time.


    Lan already had a theme created, that being ''Trees''. He planted them a lot lately. So, he wanted the boss room to have a tree as a main point, with a Life Crystal embedded into it. Not just any Life Crystal, but a real big one. To the point where it could not be hidden in the trunk, but maybe entwined in the branches.


    Lan didn''t exactly know how to do it, but he figured that he would find out along the way.


    Before doing any of the fancy tree stuff though, he carved out the room itself. It was larger than the first boss room, being 60 meters in width and length, being around twenty meters in height. It was exactly three times bigger than the previous one.


    Lan then began thinking of where to put the tree. If he simply put it in the middle of the boss room, then it would look awesome, true, but it would take up a lot of space, losing a part of functionality.


    ''If I can''t put it in the center, my newfound OCD will freak out if I put it somewhere random... If I can''t plant it in the ground... Then why not plant it in a wall?''


    An interesting idea appeared amidst Lan''s core. Trees can grow while rooted to a wall, given the right conditions. And when an interesting idea appeared, it meant that Lan was going to try it immediately.


    So, plucked one of the birch seed clusters from the Birches outside the boss room, and carried it on a current of mana. He then brought it into a wall, opening up a gap to plant it in.


    After planting the seed and covering it in the ground, Lan released the mana barrier which he put around it to prevent it from sprouting midair. Not a second after, the seed sprouted.


    White bark broke through the wall, roots extending downwards and alongside the wall. The trunk then twisted to the sides, up and outwards. The branches grew further than any Birch tree in the chamber due to how much denser mana was here.


    They covered the entire top of the Chamber, hiding the roof of it behind a cover of white branches and golden leaves. Meanwhile, the trunk spread along the entire wall, covering it whole with impenetrable wood. Only a small gap was left in the middle of the room, that is the one leading deeper into Lan''s Domain.


    It too was covered in roots, which extended into it for some distance, integrating it flawlessly.


    Lan was a bit too mesmerized observing the process of the tree''s growth, and by the time he realized it, it was too late to integrate a Life Crystal into the trunk.


    ''...Huh Wha-, Damn it! How could I forget that... Not my fault it was so beautiful... Ah right!''


    But Lan remembered that there was yet another option for the integration of the Crystal.


    ''The branches!''


    The pale branches of the tree were indeed covering the ceiling and space below it, but there was still a place for a Crystal among them.


    ''Hopefully, the tree doesn''t devour it... Here we go.''


    Lan first formed a spherical crystal around two meters in diameter by infusing a chunk of pure material with neutral mana. He then filled that crystal with Life Mana to the point that it was shining like a green sun... Okay maybe not that much, but it was illuminating the whole room.


    Lan then lifted it to the branches, which stretched towards it like the hands of thirsty people towards a bottle of water. But the tree possessed enough mana, so it shouldn''t devour the crystal. Probably.


    The Core was also constantly thinking something along the lines of ''Please don''t eat it, please don''t cover it'' as the branches were enveloping the shining Life Crystal. In Lan''s imagination, a perfect coverage would be like a cage, tightly but with plenty of space for the light to shine through. Kind of like a brazier.


    Strangely enough, some of the branches shuddered and moved away, forming gaps. Under Lan''s incredulous gaze, as they thinned and thickened in some places, what formed was... A brazier. The same as his imagination.


    ''What the..? Did the tree... Hear my thoughts or something?''


    Nevertheless, those branches soon became covered in golden leaves, forming a '' Green Lamp'' covered in a pale ''cage'' of branches and leaves. Quite a beautiful thing.


    Though Lan couldn''t figure out the reason for the sudden transformation, other than his own thoughts somehow influencing the tree, he had no other ideas.


    As such, the tree was done. It was covering most of the boss room, its roots even encircling the room. But it was still... Lacking something.


    As Lan was thinking about it, his thoughts drifted back to the recent machinations with water, his mind clicked.


    ''Of course, water!.. Though a Mana Beast doesn''t need water anymore. But hey, a lake up to one''s ankles would fit in just right here!''


    So, Lan made a slight depression in the ground in the middle of the room and buried a small Water Crystal under the ground in the center of it. The Crystal was slightly bigger than the size of the fist.


    Soon after, water started pooling into a puddle from underground, and expanding into a pool.


    Now the boss room was finished, forming a picturesque scene. A giant tree, a shallow lake underneath it, with golden leaves occasionally falling, some of them floating on the water. Green grass bloomed under the green light shining from a wooden cage amidst the pale branches. And under the trunk of the tree, an opening leading even deeper gaped.


    Now all that was left was to call the Guardian, or Guardians themselves.


    Lan then connected to a group of his horned friends, and sent a message to a certain creature with Lightning Horns about its new home.

 Chapter 29: Fools and Fire

    Meanwhile, West from Lan''s Domain


    Once more humans marched towards the East, towards the new and unknown threat. Sixteen people walked this time, a total of three Hunting parties, along with a person who was familiar with the path leading them.


    That person was Anna. Although Johann insisted that she stay behind to heal her wounds, her pride as a Ranger wouldn''t allow her to sit still doing nothing, especially when her navigation skills could be of use.


    So, when the three parties gathered for subjugation, she volunteered to be a guide towards the destination, already knowing the way and location of the target.


    And, to be honest, she was still curious about what was down there, despite nearly dying the last time she visited. Such was the curious nature of a Ranger.


    But even her curiosity alone couldn''t fully suppress her irritation towards the selected leader of the group.


    "Oi, ya porcelain doll, how much longer to it? Or are you lost already?"


    Anna''s brow twitched while the man''s like-minded companions laughed along. Still, she did her best to compose herself and looked back towards the ones she was leading.


    The leading man himself was a bald, bearded, and scarred man, just what would pop into your head when you imagine a barbarian. Unsurprisingly enough, he was also wielding a Greataxe. He was the leader of all other fifteen hunters, but he also was a leader of his own group, which was composed of similarly looking macho men.


    This wasn''t the first time he was taunting her or cracking a bad joke at her expense, this persisted all the way from the moment that she was leading the group as a navigator. Maybe he just didn''t like anyone being ahead of him, or maybe he was an asshole. A mystery of the century.


    "...let me say this once again. I know the way. No, I am not lost. And answering your other question, the target is literally in the forest in front of us."


    She said those words as the group crossed a hill, revealing the treeline of the forest.


    "...Is it just me, or is it bigger than before?"


    Unfortunately for her, she was heard by the baldy.


    "Ya hear that lads? The lass is scared of some trees!"


    He then walked past her, rudely brushing her with his shoulder.


    "But don''t worry, we ain''t. We know what to do with wood, don''t we?"


    Followed by his goons, they walked forward. Still, as Anna was frowning, a woman caught up to her from behind. She was a leader of one of the two remaining parties.


    "...Sorry Anna, you know how Onheim is. We are thankful to you for being our guide, even though you really should have stayed behind to heal."


    "No worries Marilyn, you know I don''t hold it against you. And yeah... Onheim''s an ass."


    Anna then replied with a snort. The only reason she hadn''t abandoned her role as a guide was that Marilyn was her good friend, and was the leader of one of the parties sent out.


    And the fact that the man leading the third party was a decent human being balanced things out too.


    The man who was the other leader possessed no notable features except for a scar crossing his nose. He was dressed in black leather with daggers sheathed on his sides. His name was Leopold, or Leo for short. A man of few words, befitting of his Ranger role, though it was closer to a rogue with how sneaky he was.


    He simply nodded to Anna as a sign of appreciation.


    Having regained some of her good feelings toward humanity, Anna continued to the forest, only to be met with a scene that confused and infuriated her.


    "What the hell are you doing?!"


    Onheim the bald along with his goons were cheering and laughing as always at the consequences of their actions. This time it was fire. A big fire. Fire, that was quickly spreading, spreading from the single burning tree to others connecting to it.


    The forest was burning.


    "What do ya think we''re doing, lass? We''re clearing out the way from the trees you''re so afraid of!"


    Amidst the uproarious laughter, countless living beings were losing their homes and lives. And those who survived were fleeing into the depths of the forest.


    ----------------------------------------------------


    Lan''s Domain


    Lan was feeling pretty happy.


    He recently finished multiple projects with good results, carving out rivers, and creating places of danger and beauty. After finishing up the boss room of the Second Chamber, he invited over Lorn and his crew to settle in.


    They were pretty content with staying under the Central Pillar, but still, they moved downward.


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    Right now Lorn and the rest of the Herd were either grazing on the lush grass, absorbing ambient and dense mana, or sipping on freshly gathered water in the pool under the pale branches.


    It would also seem that the Huntress, who still hasn''t evolved into a Mana Beast for some reason, would evolve soon, as the gathered mana was nearing the needed threshold.


    All was going well. No invaders to worry about, no major disasters, and nothing really to disturb Lan from his day-to-day work.


    However, all good things come to an end. This manifested in mental signatures of vast quantities entering his Domain from the West. Although they weren''t remarkable, none of the Beasts particularly strong, the sheer quantity alarmed Lan.


    This was no ordinary movement, as tens and maybe even hundreds of lives were moving, fleeing from the West. Some among them, amidst panic, didn''t even pay attention to the enticing mana emanating from the entrance to the underground, while some changed their direction towards it instead.


    As such, Lan now had to deal with a sudden influx of dwellers. While having more Beasts underground was always welcome, maybe even new species adding to the diversity, this wasn''t the case for now.


    Not only did they practically overflow, rushing past everything and into the depth, be it a small rabbit, a nimble bird... Or even an imposing bear.


    The sudden influx completely confused all the current inhabitants, Tag and Nacht were just staying away from all this, not even attempting to intercept the flood, as it would be futile. All stubborn Beasts who tried were trampled anyway.


    Close to none of the panicked ones stayed in the First Chamber, the majority descending into the Second. The bear that descended continued tearing through, ignoring all else. Still, as the influx died down, things got back into order.


    But the problem remained.


    ''Something must have caused those Beasts to run away in the first place... But what is it? Can I deal with it?''


    The answer to that question didn''t remain unknown for long, as hot tongues of red and orange crossed over the branches of the trees hanging across the river, crossing it. Soon, they now covered the trees on his side of the river. And the plants. And grasses. They all burned.


    A wildfire was raging across the forest, consuming all in its path, leaving behind only coal and ashes.


    Lan panicked, not being prepared for such a thing at all, but he then calmed down, as most of his Domain remained underground, safe from it... Except for a certain tree whose roots enveloped the entire upper part of his Domain.


    ''Damnit, no! I can''t allow it to be burnt down, it is crucial for my goals!''


    Without this tree the mana concentration would be significantly reduced, reducing his possibilities of construction. As such, Lan got nervous once again.


    ''Calm down, Lan... Calm down. Emotions alone won''t help. I need to do something and fast!''


    Lan didn''t remain idle for long, searching and testing possible solutions. The first thing he tried was infusing Life Mana into the burning vegetation and things close to it.


    It did partly work, fire slowing down in consuming them, as the plants and trees were regenerating rapidly. But on the other hand, that meant that the fuel didn''t get consumed quickly, meaning more fire.


    Then, the second obvious thing was Water Mana. As water extinguished fires, it was strange that Lan didn''t think of it first. He then tried multiple things with it.


    At first, he tried infusion. Water did indeed gather on the surfaces of plants and trees, making them harder to burn. But the fire was simply too overwhelming, and whatever moisture gathered was quickly evaporated.


    The second thing he tried was to gather a massive amount of water mana, forming water droplets, and creating a low-attitude rain. It also suppressed the fire, and would probably extinguish it eventually, but it drained him quite a bit to gather so much at the same time, and he wouldn''t be able to do anything else if he focused solely on it.


    At this rate, his precious Tree on the Hill would burn down before the fire was extinguished.


    Finally, Lan tried the Neutral Mana, the type of Mana he was most proficient in wielding. But this seemingly worsened the situation at hand. The fire didn''t extinguish or fall under Lan''s control, but instead was fueled by the mana, like adding oxygen, and burned even brighter.


    ''Shit! Damn magic fires of a magic world! Neutral mana is prone to change, so it probably got infected by Fire Mana!''


    And as suddenly as the forest fire appeared, an idea, a solution crackled into existence.


    ''Fire... Mana!''


    As Earth was now a world of magic, mana was omnipresent as a foundational force. It could be said to be the essence of all things. As such all kinds of mana existed and resided in their respective elements. And who could forget a staple of magic such as fireballs? As such, fire mana existed as well.


    And if one could control fire mana... Then one would be able to control the flame. Whether it would be to set things ablaze... Or extinguish the flames themselves.


    As such, Lan''s current predicament was at the same time an opportunity. If he could attune to fire mana, then he would at the same time solve his problem by stopping the spread of the flames and gain an additional attunement in the process.


    The fire continued to spread, by now it was encroaching on the edges of the clearing near Lan''s Hill, leaving no time to dawdle. Lan immediately tried to attune to the fire.


    Fire Mana.


    Hot, Burning


    Fe-


    ''Dammit... I can''t focus!''


    Being stressed by the situation, Lan couldn''t focus. At the moment he had no time to attain a tranquil state of mind, to isolate all other mana, and to feel only the fire mana. Right now he was running out of time, but he continued to try.


    ''...C''mon, it''s ''Hungry'', right? ''Ferocious''? ''Devouring''? Anything?! Why won''t it work!''


    Meanwhile, the fire approached quickly, turning the world bright red, covering the sky with smoke, embers flying in the air. And one of such embers landed on a leaf of the Tree on the Hill. Although a single ember wouldn''t normally ignite a leaf that wasn''t dry, this one bore an amount of fire mana sufficient to ignite. And ignite it did.


    That leaf caught ablaze, being engulfed in flames. Soon the flames spread to other leaves around it, then to the branch, and to the trunk of the tree.


    The entire tree was ablaze, forming a great pyre.


    But it didn''t succumb immediately, the great amounts of Life Mana keeping it alive, regenerating from the burns. But the fire kept on burning, and the tree kept on regenerating. A constant struggle.


    Lan was now near despairing, as he didn''t make even a single step of progress of attuning to fire. And without the attunement, without putting out the flames, that tree would be gone.


    Just as he was running out of options, he felt a tug on his mental connection, similar to when the Huntress conversed with him.


    He didn''t hear any coherent word, just feelings and intent. It was a weak voice crying for help, speaking of its pain. Lan followed the connection and found the source of it.


    It was the tree. It was begging for him to help, to save it from the burning flame.


    ''I-I how... But I can''t help... No, how can I help? I-''


    Amidst the stuttering and confusion, he felt it transmitting more intents and feelings, he gradually got lost amidst them, feeling the same things the tree felt.


    Red filled his vision. It was BRIGHT.


    And now fire burned his skin. It was HOT.


    The fire consumed him alive. It was HUNGRY.


    The flames were unending. They were ETERNAL.


    They would leave nothing behind. For they were DESTRUCTION.


    A new kind of fire lit in his vision, a new feeling filling his senses.


    And the fire no longer burned him.

 Chapter 30: Ashes and Blood

    "...After the event known as ''The Great Fire'', which resulted in the decimation in most of the eastern forest territories, the entrance to the mysterious underground domain was laid bare. And true to its name, the Great Tree growing on top of said entrance somehow survived the fire, continuing to flourish. As such, it became the First Miracle of the Dungeon, aptly named ''The Tree of Life''"


    -Fragment from ''The Dungeon Chronicles'', written in 48 AA.


    ----------------------------------------------------


    Sixteen humans were staring at the burning expanse, long shadows being cast behind them by the light of the flames.


    Anna was at the forefront of them all and was staring speechlessly at the wall of flames, where a green paradise stood not so long ago.


    ''Was this... Really necessary?''


    She wondered amidst her thoughts.


    A majority of her being, her soul, vehemently disagreed. It was a home for animals, their shelter. The forest was previously teeming with life. A lot of lives were being lost this way, leaving nothing but ashes behind. Onheim and his goons were nothing but foolish arsonists.


    One second she was talking with her friend and colleague, the next she was seeing five goons with cans of oil and flint in their hands. As if they were prepared for this. There were unsolved cases of arson in Firefly town, but she now had five suspects.


    A small part of her, however, did agree with the pure efficiency of such a method. By burning all of it down, there was a clear path for them to walk unhindered towards their destination. They would not be ambushed on the way either, as all possible ambushers would have either run away or burned down by now.


    As she was feeling conflicted with her own opinion, Anna felt a tap on her shoulder. Flinching, she turned around and saw Marilyn.


    "Give it a rest. You can''t do anything about it now. I know you like nature, but it''s too late now. Save your strength for tomorrow."


    Anna nodded reluctantly and turned back to where a camp was gradually set up, at quite a distance from the forest fire.


    "Haa... Let''s hope it doesn''t spread to the plains. Running away from the flames would certainly make for a fun night activity."


    ----------------------------------------------------


    Sunrise


    Anna walked out of her tent, already geared up. She spent a good part of the night outside, watching the forest fire on the horizon, but eventually succumbed to her tiredness and went to sleep.


    Only smoke remained on the horizon, fires having burnt out. Today she would lead the other fifteen people to that Monster Nest, which would probably not take that long to find in this new... Landscape.


    It took the camp less than an hour to pack up, and now they were following Anna yet again. After a relatively brief walk, they arrived at the edge of the ''forest'' if it could be called that way now.


    Before them lay a desolate landscape. The black ground covered with soot and ashes replaced the lush grasses and vegetation. Instead of the tall trees, there were now occasional fragile burnt and blackened trunks, most of them cracked and collapsed. Songs of the birds and cries of animals were no longer present, replaced by silence.


    Amidst the grim atmosphere, Anna continued to trudge forward, her boots leaving footprints amidst the ashes where she stepped. She talked along the way.


    "...Thanks to the few ''smart people'' ''clearing the way'' yesterday, it is easier to pass this part than before, now there is no cover, and I''ve gotta tell you, it''s much uglier than it was before."


    That line caused a few laughs to ring out, but silence quickly resumed, and the new vibe of the place wasn''t exactly encouraging for happy talks. So Anna simply continued leading the group.


    Eventually, they crossed a river which was now muddled, full of debris and soot. Unfortunately, it didn''t stop the fire, as the desolation continued beyond it. Surprisingly though, more tree trunks were still standing on the other side.


    As Anna proceeded, she was more and more surprised as signs of life continued to reappear. Further along, new leafbuds appeared on the trees, new grass was already sprouting from beneath the ashes. All this made her wonder how that place now looked.


    And when she arrived at the familiar treeline, she gasped. She saw a beautiful scene. A familiar one, yet not completely.


    Anna once again arrived at the clearing with the Big Tree in the middle. And it still stood tall. Its trunk was blackened and covered in ashes, yet mighty as always. What surprised her was the other thing. Its branches looked as if they were on fire. But after looking closely, she understood that they weren''t burning, but such was the light reflected off the leaves.


    Yes, the leaves were now of colors crimson orange, and yellow, the same as the fire which once burned them, instead of being green like Nature.


    The grass was already regrown around it, standing tall amidst the ashes. Some of it which was particularly close to the Tree was of the same colours as its leaves.


    The atmosphere the tree gave off was different too. Instead of the gentle breeze as it was on her previous visit, now being present here made Anna feel hot as If she stood before that wall of flames yet again.


    The other humans caught up soon, this time Marilyn''s party being in the front, Leopold following close behind. Onheim and his buddies were at the rear.


    Marilyn also appreciated the beauty for a moment, followed by others. The rest didn''t seem particularly fazed, that included Leopold.


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    "It is quite the pretty place. A shame really. Guess it was better before... All that happened."


    Marilyn spoke, standing shoulder to shoulder with Anna. She then asked, pointing her hand at the visible entrance to the underground. While the stone and ground of it were charred, there was healthy vegetation visible from within.


    "I guess that''s our destination over there?"


    "Yes, it is. Hopefully not the final one for us."


    Marilyn merely humphed at Anna''s joke.


    "Don''t jinx us. Seriously, bad things happen when you say such things."


    Anna then walked forward, leading all others toward the obvious opening in the ground. She stopped right in front of it, turning back to her group, and waiting for everyone to gather. Once they did, she spoke in a loud voice.


    "We have arrived at our destination! Beyond this point lies danger which we have arrived to subjugate!"


    Her words were met with some brief cheers.


    "When we descend, we may not meet with immediate danger, and things may appear as a trivial challenge for you, but do not let down your guard as I did, as you may lose your lives. I have been taught this lesson well."


    Hushed whispers could be heard among the group of fifteen, as the story of her party returning from their expedition beaten and battered was well known by now.


    "Enough with the yappin'', pretty girl."


    An unpleasant voice rang out. Onheim and his group were walking towards the front, and then brushing past her once again.


    "Instead of scaring us with your ghost stories, how about we go and solve the problem instead?"


    Onheim then turned around to his own men and walked past the entrance.


    "Boys! Whoever finds me the monster boss gets paid extra! Let''s get done with it and get some drinks when we are back!"


    Amidst the laughs and snickering, they left the other two parties of five behind. They were looking rather uncertain, wanting to obtain some contributions too, but they listened to their leaders, that being Leopold and Marilyn, who hadn''t yet given the order.


    Anna was glad that there were still rational people here, so she continued.


    "There isn''t much left to say. Don''t underestimate the local Monsters, and especially the Monster Bosses. You heard me right, there are two of them. Gather together when we reach them."


    The two leaders then nodded and decided on the formation. Marilyn''s group would be in front, and Leopold''s would be in the back, as they were stealth-focused. Anna would stay in between the two parties as an additional Ranger and a guide.


    Without any further discussion, the formation of eleven people went in, following the Onheim''s party, which wasn''t all that difficult, to be honest.


    A path of carnage marked where they passed, bodies mauled or cleaved in half and lying on the ground, staining it red. Exactly their type of handiwork, knowing their weapons.


    A thick smell of blood stood in the air, that unsettling metallic scent automatically putting everyone on edge.


    Anna noted that the trail wasn''t straight, as Onheim''s party possessed no Mage and, as such no one to follow the current of mana. As such they went around randomly, fighting whatever they came across.


    This made their speed of advancement not very fast, making them easy to find. And sure enough, the Eleven found the Five in the process of battling a pair of boars, which weren''t threatening the Five in the slightest.


    When a boar charged, Onheim sidestepped it in the last moment, and with an excited grin on his face, brought down his Greataxe on its neck, severing it cleanly.


    Meanwhile, the second boar was a bit more successful, ramming into one of his men and sending him flying, but it then received a mace to the skull, followed by a battlehammer. Its skull was shattered, leaving no chance of survival.


    "Henry, ya aight? Your ass still owes me money!"


    The five didn''t show much concern even though one of their members was wounded. The man in question stood up while groaning, a dent was visible on his chestplate, but he seemed otherwise unharmed.


    "I told ya I''ll pay you back soon, you bastard... Hurts like shit, fucker must''ve broke my rib."


    It was at that moment that the other Eleven caught up to the Five, Marilyn leading them.


    "Onheim!''


    "What, miss me already? In that case, we coul-"


    "Why in the seven hells did you charge ahead so recklessly! Did you see where that led your group? If you are going to proceed like this, then you might as well return immediately, to not waste any lives."


    "I-"


    "You either go along with the rest or you fucking return, choose."


    Onheim wanted to retort in his usual fashion, but Marilyn''s glare pushed his words down. She was known as a Battlemaiden for a reason. And one of the things she hated most was recklessness soon followed by injury and death. Knowing that he decided to agree so as not to get kicked out for real.


    "Fine... Whatever. We will play along with your rules. On your feet boys!"


    Followed by frustrated groans and murmurs of dissatisfaction, the three parties (along with a guide) were now back together, progressing smoothly along the cavern. It helped that Anna already knew the way, giving them a straight path to follow.


    But Anna herself noticed that compared to her last visit, the amount of monsters they encountered nearly doubled. And while this could be mostly attributed to them seeking shelter from the fire, she had a nagging feeling that there was more to it.


    Nonetheless, to fifteen well-trained people, an ambush or two of normal monsters wouldn''t do much harm. When such a thing happened, it was dealt with swiftly, efficiently, and brutally.


    One such time was when they were attacked from the underground by enemies all too familiar to Anna - earthworms. And in a larger quantity than before as well.


    They attacked simultaneously from the rear, front, and from right below their feet too.


    The rear party led by Leo was the quickest to react. They jumped away from their current locations, and when six worms erupted where they previously stood, three were skewered by arrows and the other three were quickly dispatched with shortswords and daggers.


    When monsters emerged from under Marilyn''s party, said the party was on the move when they emerged. Some monsters were slashed in midair, and others were blocked by their shields or swatted by their arms. The party''s mage was a tad too slow though, one worm biting into his calf, him falling on one knee.


    Another worm then emerged and lunged towards his face. But, when it was mere centimeters from his face, it was stopped midair. After that mage opened his eyes, he saw Marilyn''s armored gauntlet holding it tightly, before she retracted her arm, and crushed the attacker. She then stomped on the worm which clung to the mage''s foot, ending it.


    Marilyn then helped the mage back on his feet.


    "Careful, you never know where they may come from. The ground is no exception."


    The mage merely nodded before starting to heal his bitten calf.


    Meanwhile, Onheim''s party was the most unlucky one, the amount of worm monsters attacking them being the biggest, a whole ten.


    They were too slow to react as well, and their weapons were ill-suited for such small and nimble enemies.


    The leader himself fared relatively well, his vambrace protecting his wrist from being bitten into, and the worm biting into his side was hit a couple of times with his fist, and then falling off.


    The others were less lucky. One of his friends had worms bite into his arm and his knee, bringing him down to the ground in pain, and causing him to lose his grip on his weapons.


    Another one was currently fighting off yet another two monsters, not being bitten, but not being able to hit them with his hammer either.


    The unluckiest one of them all was the one who got his ribcage cracked in their encounter with the boar. Additionally, he was attacked by three worms instead of two. One of them bit his leg, causing him to fall on his knee. Another bit into his arm, causing great pain.


    Add that to his already present pain from his cracked rib, and he couldn''t stand any longer, falling on his back. The third then emerged from the ground, tearing into his exposed throat.


    When the two parties finished up and started to help Onheim''s party, it was already too late when they got to him. When the worm was sliced away from his throat, it was already torn open, and the man''s eyes already lost their light.


    The man was dead. The first casualty of the subjugation appeared.

 Chapter 31: Day and Night

    "Shit."


    Marilyn cursed. They were expecting casualties, but not this early. The fact that they already had a man down before the boss didn''t paint a nice picture.


    Still, the dead would remain dead, and nothing would change that. The rest of the party had to move forward.


    But there was a standard protocol for when someone died on an expedition, as taking the body back or burying it usually wasn''t an option.


    "Take his gear... He will no longer need it. Keep some memento to give to his family if he has one."


    While looting the dead may have been seen as disgusting or unacceptable before the Awakening, nowadays anything that upped your survival chance was good. And leaving no waste behind was one such thing.


    As such, the usable armor and the weapon of the dead man were taken, mostly by his former teammates.


    After that the mages healed the serious wounds, others were bandaged and healed by mundane means. A person evolved with Mana healed faster than the regular one.


    Soon after the party was on the move again. In truth, this cavern wasn''t that big, only 100 meters in length, but for some reason, it felt bigger when they were traversing it. Still, Anna knew the way, and mages felt mana, so in a minute now fifteen people stood before the boss room.


    Anna still had memories of fleeing with her life from this place, but now she went in again like a fool seeking death. But she carried the knowledge of the boss, and she would pass it on in hopes of reducing the lives lost.


    "Heads up everyone! Beyond this short tunnel dwell the bosses! You heard me right, bosses, two of them, at least the last time I''ve been here... They were wolf-type monsters, and were strong at ambushes."


    The fourteen people murmured amongst themselves, some with uncertainty, and some with excitement, as it was unprecedented for a Monster Nest to have more than one Monster Boss.


    As such they were both fearful of the challenge and the unknown, but excited at the rewards it might bring, as the bodies of Monster Bosses were highly valuable.


    In fact, there were urban stories of legendary Explorers killing a boss and obtaining its power after eating their heart and drinking their blood, or something along those lines.


    Meanwhile, Anna continued.


    "Make sure to stay in formation, and don''t, under any circumstances, spread out! Cover each other''s backs and we''ll get through this just fine!"


    Seeing that there were nods and words of agreement, Anna returned back to her previous position, as a Ranger''s place wasn''t in the front. Marilyn''s party yet again marched first, followed by the rest.


    Soon they entered a room illuminated by the light of a crystal from above, entering a clearing surrounded by trees and bushes. Anna gulped. This place was familiar to her. Almost too familiar.


    "On your guard, we might be ambushed at any moment!"


    The party of fifteen then started changing formation, from a linear one to a circular one.


    However, as they were preparing for the ambush, the ambush was already prepared for them.


    It all started with a woman''s scream. They recognized her voice, she was one of Marilyn''s, a Mage of her party. One moment she was about to retreat backwards, and the other she was gone.


    It didn''t take the group long to find her though, she was caught in the jaws of a white wolf that shimmered into existence right next to her. She was now hanging from them, bitten at the waist, staining the pure fur crimson.


    "Help m-"


    As she was reaching out her hand towards her friends, her words were interrupted by the wolf clenching his jaws, snapping her in half.


    "Katie, NO!"


    The scream towards her was only heard by the white beast and two halves of a person under his feet. His eyes were staring toward the humans with eerie intelligence, observing and assessing them.


    All of a sudden they snapped onto Anna hidden amidst the crowd. She shuddered, as she felt cold under the sheer hatred of that gaze. The beast recognized her.


    She was, however, snapped out of her daze by the whistle of arrows, and blasts of mana directed towards the wolf by the enraged companions of the dead girl.


    The wolf was already on the move, the projectiles missing him entirely, mutilating the ground and the corpse.


    "Get into formation! Don''t waste your ammo!"


    Marilyn took command of the crowd, trying to prevent any further damage.


    Meanwhile, the light bent around the wolf when he moved, blurring the edges of his figure, and making him harder to hit. The white beast was circling the humans at a distance, occasionally running closer, looking for an opening.


    And that opening came in the form of another one of Onheim''s party, who preemptively swung down his hammer in anticipation of the wolf. But he was not prepared for what the cunning predator had in store.


    The wolf watched the previous battle of its partner with the humans, and he knew the value of deception.


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    So, when the hammer was high in the air, he slowed down his momentum, not charging in. Instead, light gathered in his golden pupils, then erupted in a bang of light, blinding all who were looking.


    That included the hammer-wielder, who lost his grip on the weapon, instead crying out in pain and covering his eyes. The wolf didn''t need a bigger opportunity. The man was wide open.


    The white wolf lunged, grabbed the man by the throat with his jaws, and...


    *snap*


    There was now a headless corpse on the ground.


    But getting that close didn''t come without a price, as he was now close enough to be targeted by ranged attackers, arrows flying in.


    The white wolf lowered his stance and dashed backward, some arrows missing, but two found their mark in his side, and a wave of mana blasted him backward.


    The humans actively rearranged themselves, the close combat Warriors facing him, with Rangers and Mages in the back. The wolf however looked at them with a sneer in his eyes. They didn''t know an important thing.


    He was not going to fight alone.


    Behind their lines of defense, a black shape emerged from the shadows, two crimson eyes, like burning coals, locked onto their target, one of the archers in the back.


    The charge was silent, the lunge soundless, she was only detected when the target noticed a movement in his peripheral vision. But by then it was too late for him.


    The black beast, the wolf of shadows, bit down on his shoulder, just like she did with her previous prey. But this time, she made sure to finish the job. She clenched her jaws and pulled.


    The man didn''t even have time to scream before his entire left shoulder along with his arm and part of his chest was ripped away.


    The teammate standing near him felt something warm on his cheek and turned around, only to see the archer spray blood and collapse on the ground, a confused look remaining on his dead face.


    "FROM BEHIND!"


    The shout startled the rest of the fighters who were already dealing with the white wolf. While they were indeed warned about the possibility of another boss being present, when they were attacked by only one they were relieved. And that was their mistake that cost them yet another life.


    But, commendable enough, the group rearranged themselves quickly, a portion of the Warriors shifting back to the rear to protect the vulnerable Mages, while Rangers were currently fighting the beast.


    Meanwhile, the shadow wolf also scanned her prey, and her eyes also recognized a former foe ¡ª an escaped prey. She was feeling vengeful for the last battle, as she was one of the humans who killed her.


    Perhaps irrationally, the shadow wolf charged towards Anna, ignoring all others who could''ve been easier to attack. She lunged.


    Anna, however, was luckier than the archer who was killed. She noticed the black wolf charging towards her, flowing around or pushing away all other humans, just a moment before she was in Anna''s face.


    And that moment allowed her to avoid death. At a price.


    The wolf used one of the humans as a foothold, then attacked Anna with a downward strike of the claw. Not a typical attack of a wolf, but it would have gotten the job done, had Anna not leaned backward at the last moment.


    As a result, the attack that would cleave off Anna''s head in half or off her shoulders instead crossed the left side of her face.


    "AAgh-!"


    With an agonized scream, Anna landed on her knees, blood streaming down her face, three visible and deep gashes crossing it from top to bottom, her left eye blinded.


    The black wolf stared at her with partial satisfaction. Although the wolf didn''t kill her, Anna was the one who blinded her the last time they met. An eye for an eye.


    Fortunately for Anna, when the wolf was charging towards her to finish her off, it was intercepted by a shield bash from the side and then slashed with a dagger while flying away.


    "Anna, you alright? Don''t you dare die on me here!"


    It was Marilyn, armed with a sword and shield coming to the rescue. At the same time, a masked man with a dagger was engaging the black wolf in battle, that being Leopold.


    Anna tried to respond, but any movement of the facial muscles on the left side of her face caused intense pain to flare up.


    Seeing no response, Marilyn dragged Anna to the center of the formation where mages stood, and left her there, before charging back into the fray against the white wolf.


    Meanwhile, the black wolf and Leopold, the two agile fighters, were fighting each other. It was a new experience for both of them.


    For Leopold, it was the first time he had fought a beast that had no fixed pattern of attack and fought with intelligence. And the black wolf hadn''t yet fought a human so agile, one who would so deftly evade her attacks, often counterattacking.


    Even the slightest mistake could result in a severe injury or death, especially so for Leopold, who unknowingly began to grin under his clothed mask.


    Had they fought one-on-one, mano a mano, it would be uncertain to what the outcome would be, but unfortunately Leo wasn''t alone. The wolf was reminded of this by an arrow infused with mana through her neck with unnatural sharpness.


    She stumbled, glaring at the attackers, who were members of Leo''s party, a Ranger, and a Mage, who was infusing mana into the arrows in the quiver.


    Leo didn''t miss the opportunity, stabbing his dagger into her neck as well, repeating the action multiple times.


    The black wolf staggered, not being able to keep her balance anymore, only glaring at Leopold.


    "It was a good fight. But today I win."


    He finished her off with a blow through the eye, without any pain.


    On the other side, the white wolf was still in battle, although multiple arrows and gashes that leaked blood marked his sides, a particularly nasty one on his snout.


    But such injuries didn''t come without a cost, as many humans bore claw marks, and another warrior belonging to Onheim''s party lay dead, ripped apart.


    But he was exhausted by the prolonged battle, even with a mana body, battling so many by himself was taxing. He then saw his partner die yet again and decided that it was time.


    Marilyn noticed that the wolf suddenly shifted his stance, no longer circling humans at a distance, charging in instead, his eyes locked onto his target, that being her.


    She braced for impact, readying her sword for a counterattack. But when she saw light gather in the wolf''s eyes she placed her shield in front, having already seen the result of such a move multiple times.


    As expected, a flash of bright light soon emerged, followed by a wolf tackling her. She fell on the ground, the beast on top of her, its jaw trying to close around her neck, but being hampered by the shield.


    While the shield was on top of her, creaking and threatening to break under the jaw force, her right arm patted the ground around her, searching for a dropped item. When she found the familiar handle, she grabbed it and stabbed the sword upwards.


    The sword pierced the neck of the weakened white wolf. Soon the force clenching down on her shield lessened, and the monster slumped on top of her, drawing its last breath.


    Soon that very corpse that pressed down on her with its weight started to disappear, turning into a white mist, as if the entire battle was an illusion. After that, a crystal glowing with white dropped on top of her shield with a *clink*.


    Marilyn then got up, grabbing the unknown crystal, staring at it in wonder. She was quickly snapped out of her reverie by the cries of the wounded, and the stench of blood in the air.


    She watched as four corpses were stripped of their equipment and then covered with a cloth.


    She watched as Anna was lying on the ground with Mages healing her, the entire left side of her face being scarred and covered in blood.


    Footsteps sounded near her. After turning her head, she saw Leopold with one hand holding a blood-soaked dagger, and the other throwing a black crystal up and down. He stood next to her.


    "We won."


    Marilyn then looked towards the tunnel that they hadn''t yet explored, one which presumably led even deeper into the Nest.


    "Did we truly?"

 Chapter 32: Crystals and Souls

    Although the humans won, they did so at a price. Four dead and even more injured, all to take down just two monsters.


    Although they were boss monsters, they were outnumbered eight to one, and yet they still killed so many. Marilyn contemplated on this while the dead were mourned.


    "These two bosses, and monsters in this... Nest are stronger than any I have previously encountered. If they had the strength of the usual boss monster, we would have crushed them overwhelmingly..."


    Leopold who was standing near her spoke out as well, a rare event.


    "They were intelligent. Maybe even sapient."


    "What do you mean?"


    "The one I fought clearly learned along the battle. It didn''t repeat the same mistakes. Didn''t fall for the same tricks."


    Marilyn furrowed her brows in turn. Sapient monsters? As if they didn''t have enough on their plate already. Not only was such a thing unheard of, but it sounded ridiculous as well.


    There were some rumors about people having giant pet cats who understood them, but that was just that, rumors. To see such a thing before one''s own eyes though, a beast capable of learning and trickery...


    She shuddered at the memory.


    "Fortunately we killed them before they became a threat."


    She then looked at the crystal sitting in her palm that was quietly emitting light like a certain pre-Awakening device that is rarely found nowadays.


    Marilyn felt a certain feeling emanating from the crystal, a certain warmth, a feeling of resonance. She thought her senses were playing tricks on her, as her skin certainly felt the cold surface of the crystal, devoid of any heat.


    No, instead it was as if the warmth reached out to her being as if it was spreading under her skin and through her body, like when you come out after a warm bath, that feeling which made you comfortable all over.


    Suddenly the white crystal emitted light, snapping her out of the weird sensation, and she threw it away in case it exploded or something else.


    The crystal then harmlessly bounced on the ground, rolling over a couple of times and dimming once again.


    Marilyn cautiously observed the mysterious chunk of rock, earning her a couple of weird glances from her partymates. A little embarrassed, she came close to it, and seeing that nothing happened, picked it up again.


    At first, nothing happened, but when she focused, she could feel that pleasant warmth again. Soon the crystal began to shine again, but this time Marilyn kept it in her grip, observing it through squinted eyes.


    All of a sudden the glow dimmed, and the cracks began spreading throughout. A few seconds later it crumbled, turning to dust and scattering on her palm.


    Marilyn looked at it incredulously, at the same time feeling that warmth that gave off a feeling of comfort spread and settle in her body. It reminded her of something, but she couldn''t quite put her finger on it.


    Still, she enjoyed the feeling, putting the mystery to the back of her mind.


    "What was that, Marilyn?"


    She was slightly startled by the abrupt voice, but she then remembered Leo who stood right next to her, looking at her hand where the crystal was.


    "I... Don''t know. I just felt something, and then *poof*, and the crystal was gone. It felt good though..."


    The rogue snorted.


    "Don''t go getting high on these... Crystals."


    He looked at the one in his own grip. It seemed to radiate darkness, the complete opposite of the white one.


    Although not many things caught Leo''s eye, this was something that caught it. This crystal was something interesting to him, and it was a trophy from a worthy opponent.


    "A feeling, huh."


    Concentration was one of the many things Rangers excelled at. Soon enough, he felt a resonant feeling with the black crystal. It was like a mirror.


    He was silent, and it gave out a feeling of silence.


    He stalked the shadows, and it radiated shadows


    They were so... Compatible.


    The black crystal''s ''glow'' then intensified, before being absorbed into Leo''s skin. It felt cold, like the night''s breeze. Leo enjoyed the feeling.


    This continued for around five seconds before the crystal dimmed, only a transparent shell being left in his hand. It was, however, intact.


    Shrugging, he tossed the crystal to his partymate, who caught it with a raised brow. After a gesture from Leo, his leader, he put it into the bag. It would be given to the Tower Master to research. She liked such things.


    Gradually the remaining ten people gathered together, though two of them, including Anna, were unconscious due to injuries. They had buried the dead in the ground, Marilyn supervising the process.


    She then assumed the role of the group leader, giving out the course of action.


    "We have lost four of our friends in this battle, but this expedition is not yet over. We must descend deeper and find out the mysteries and threats of this place. But we are in no state to fight, and many are injured."


    She then looked over the small crowd, people were looking exhausted.


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    "Break camp here! We will rest and then explore!"


    Although there were no cheers at the end of her speech, people gave her a look of appreciation.


    Soon a campfire was made, a watch arranged, and the hunted animals were being roasted.


    ----------------------------------------------------


    Lan''s POV


    Lan was currently observing the humans who had just won the battle against Tag and Nacht, killing them both in succession.


    They did win the fight, but they lost four of their comrades in battle, three being killed by Tag and one Ranger falling to Nacht.


    They also lost another member to the earthworm Beasts who ambushed them.


    And a human dying in his domain was different to Lan in two ways. First of all, although he viewed these humans negatively, as they barged into his home and killed its residents, they were his former race, although he didn''t feel much sympathy, surprising himself.


    But the other side, the side of mental mana was arguably more important. Obviously enough, the humans possessed more mental mana than any animal, even more than his bosses who possessed human-like intelligence.


    Lan didn''t yet know the reason for this, but still, the emission of mental mana when humans were fighting was enormous, benefitting his growth greatly. Before the humans, he was 5.5 meters in Core Size. But all that battle still stimulated his growth despite the increasing need for mental mana.


    And when a human died to an earthworm, a ''soul'' like no other surged toward Lan''s Core. It was not just bigger than animal ''souls'' but also more... Condensed, complex. It orbited his Core like other unabsorbed souls, slowly being assimilated.


    Lan was feeling rather impatient, however, so he wanted to see how much such a soul would benefit him, so he started to absorb it directly, consciously pulling it into his Core.


    But, something that he didn''t expect happened. The moment the ''soul'' disappeared into his Core, hundreds of scenes flashed through Lan''s mind.


    "Hey man, I''m really tight on funds, can I borrow some..."


    "...yeah, burn baby, burn!"


    "...This damned worm, I can''t breathe..."


    Scenes, words, sounds, and knowledge integrated with Lan, being vivid as if he had seen them. It took him a moment to figure out what happened.


    ''...Memories. Memories of the one whose soul I absorbed.''


    He gained knowledge and memories of the slain Warrior, being able to remember fragments of various knowledge. Although most of the memories were of various scenes filled with random actions, they did grant Lan some knowledge of the German language, in which he wasn''t previously proficient.


    Now, however, he could easily recall and recognize the meaning of the words that were spoken in the absorbed memories. Though it wasn''t of much use for now, Lan believed it would become a very useful thing when more humans came.


    Another thing that Lan gained knowledge of was the name and location of a place, which was apparently a day''s journey to the West.


    Cypress town. An eerily familiar name, a name of his former home. A town where Lan used to live before he died.


    Although Lan dismissed a certain thought because names could repeat themselves, a certain ''what if'' remained in the back of his mind...


    Still, he continued with other gains and understanding that he obtained when absorbing the human soul.


    Lan didn''t expect in the least that absorbing mental mana could grant him more than growth, transferring the memories and knowledge of the victim to Lan. He also wondered why that never happened before, as he absorbed many souls of various Beasts.


    But he had a couple of answers in mind by the time he finished the question. It would seem that his mental ability improved along with his size.


    ''Perhaps the Beasts were simply... Not intelligent enough. I already noted that a human soul was more complex than a Beast''s one...''


    ''Although I didn''t absorb Tag and Nacht''s souls, I did see them, and although they were big, they weren''t that complex... Let me check them out again.''


    Currently, Tag and Nacht, the wolf couple, were dead, and their souls were near his Core. When he saw them he was rather surprised.


    ''Is it just me or...''


    It could be his imagination playing tricks on him, but Lan could swear that their souls were different than before, more... Complex, just like a human''s, but to a lesser extent.


    Lan checked his memories when he last saw Nacht''s soul, and yes, the souls did get more complex than before, confirming his feelings.


    As for seeking a reason for such a transformation, Lan had a conjecture by looking at Nacht''s soul which was slightly bigger than Tag''s.


    ''Is it... Experience?''


    Nacht had fought (and died) twice as much as Tag, and her soul was bigger as well.


    ''A coincidence? I think not!''


    All this formed a hypothesis on the structure of the soul, which Lan interpreted slowly.


    ''So in conclusion, the size and complexity of the soul depends on intelligence and experiences. Or maybe memories as well, as an intelligent being can remember and learn, thus gaining experience... So, in theory, an old man''s soul would be much more complex than a child''s, no need to compare to a Beast.''


    This also once again gave new ideas to Lan, which could be crucial for his further development.


    ''For me to gain even more mental mana I need intelligent beings capable of learning to live down here. They would gain knowledge and experience, thus improving their mental mana output, giving many benefits even when they are alive...''


    Lan''s imagination ran wild for a bit, imagining various intelligent races emerging in his underground domain, forming communities, building settlements, and developing their culture, all in the vast world of his own making...


    ''...Damn, I need to stop dreaming before I develop a god complex.''


    Lan then snapped out of his reverie, turning his attention to present matters, and things he could do. Previously he was distracted by the humans who were fighting in his domain, which, to be honest, was pretty interesting to watch as well.


    Suddenly an interesting thing caught his attention in the form of a woman holding Tag''s Heart Core which she obtained by killing him.


    Lan watched, and his interest turned into surprise which then turned into shock.


    He watched as a sort of resonance formed between mana flowing in the veins of the woman and integrating within.


    But the absorption wasn''t perfect, only a part of mana remained and circulated in her circuits, around half of it, the remaining mana dispersing into the environment.


    The mana that remained, however, circulated inside of her body, strengthening it, and being infused into the muscle and bone. It manatize the flesh, but instead strengthened it.


    The Mana Crystal then crumbled, as the chaotic transfer of energy was too taxing for its durability.


    ''Did that woman just... Absorb the mana?''


    Lan was confused, as the Beasts usually absorbed the mana gradually, and not with such efficiency even when devouring a crystal. This woman though, absorbed half of the mana contained within that Heart Core nearly flawlessly.


    But to be fair, Lan made some calculations within his Core and found out that the amount of strength gained compared to an average Beast was much lesser, mana instead being diffused into the mana circuits, instead of gathered for evolution.


    ''Well, nature is fair I suppose... Still, does that mean that humans can strengthen themselves via absorbing purified mana from Heart Cores?''


    Lan wasn''t just left to ponder though, as another human, this time a man covered in leathers and cloth, absorbed Nacht''s Heart Core.


    This absorption was different from the woman''s, as all the mana responded in the resonance, all of it being absorbed into his Circuits. Shadow mana filled them, tainting the neutral mana into a darker color.


    The Heart Core then lost its luster but didn''t break due to a flawless transmission of mana.


    The mana then suffused his body, strengthening his tendons and joints more than his muscles. Lan didn''t miss this difference.


    ''Could it be that the human''s direction of evolution, their ''Class'', influences their further growth? That woman must have been a Warrior then. But why did she absorb only half, but this man absorbed all of the mana?''


    Lan then continued observing the humans who were resting. Feeling mischievous, he tried something.


    He tried respawning Tag and Nacht while the humans were still here.


    But Lan failed, mental mana being disrupted by all the mental mana emitted by the humans. Although Lan kind of expected this, he was a little disappointed.


    ''Welp, guess no spawning bosses when they are in the boss room.''


    So he just continued observing the humans who were resting, at the same time reminiscing about the times when he was still human.


    --------------------------


    After four hours passed, the human woman gave the signal for the group to gather.

 Chapter 33: Strength and Spiders

    After a few hours of rest, most of the wounds were healed by the Mages, and the Mages themselves quickly replenished their mana due to how concentrated it was down there.


    Anna woke up as well, only to find just half of her vision available. Feeling her face, her left eye was bandaged, and upon taking the bandages off, she could feel scars passing through her eye.


    Her blind eye. In the end, the wound has taken it, rendering her incapable of seeing from it again.


    Before she could panic, however, she heard a call from Marilyn.


    "Gather up people, we''ve rested long enough. As for those who think of giving up, aren''t you ashamed of yourselves? Five of our friends gave their lives for us to come this far, so will we let their sacrifice go to waste?"


    A few awkward moments passed, as there were a few people with such thoughts. They shifted on their feet uncomfortably, knowing they were seen through.


    "So get on your feet and get moving! This dungeon of a Monster Nest isn''t going to explore itself!"


    A few minutes later the campsite was packed up, and everyone was geared up, with the explorers going to their respective parties.


    But every party sustained some casualties, with Onheim''s being the most miserable, having only two people remaining. Reluctantly, they joined up with Marilyn''s party who coincidentally lost two people.


    At the same time, Anna joined Leo''s party who lost their Ranger, with her new half-blindness it was safer for her to be in the rear. And she has already fulfilled the role of a guide, with the group entering uncharted territory down below.


    Finally, they marched forward, Marilyn leading as always.


    The darkness of the tunnel swallowed them as they stepped within, the group''s steps became shorter, wary of being ambushed while their vision was restricted.


    Surprisingly enough, the ambush they were expecting didn''t come, only some insects or an occasional rodent passing under their legs, merely putting the explorers on edge.


    Soon enough the party saw light once again, the same soft blue radiance coming into the tunnel which they saw the exit of.


    "Finally... Those tunnels really make me feel claustrophobic..."


    Marilyn was the first to enter the tunnel, and as such she was the first to exit it, and she was the first to see the unexpected sight which opened before her.


    "...I don''t even know what to expect at this point."


    What she saw was yet another forest clearing, not dissimilar to the one where they just rested: A field of grass with trees surrounding it, but with a few key differences. The first was the pillar of rock she could see in the distance.


    Although it looked natural, it was too... Neatly placed. It seemed to be in the direct middle of the visible ceiling, and the ceiling itself was too smooth. This once again confirmed her suspicions that this Monster Nest was somewhat artificial in nature.


    The most eye-catching detail of the view before her was the source of light in the cave. It seemed to be a crystal, similar to the ones that they obtained by slaying the monster bosses, but bigger.


    It was embedded in the pillar and illuminated the whole... Forest before her.


    And a forest it was, as under the ceiling and the pillar in the distance, trees covered her view. Their amount was incomparable to the first... Floor. They blocked her from seeing whatever was behind them.


    Before she could observe further though, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Marilyn turned around, and seeing her partymates, she understood that she unknowingly was blocking the way for them by standing in place.


    So she walked forward, away from the tunnel and toward the center of the clearing, which was covered in the shade of trees. The rest of the group followed close behind.


    They too stared in wonder at the scene before them, some being more confused than others.


    "I thought Monster Nests are supposed to be either a cave underground or a dense forest under the sky... Not a forest underground!"


    "Did you also think that a Monster Nest is supposed to have two bosses whose bodies also disappear into thin air?"


    "No well... You''re right, but how the hell does this make any sense!"


    At the same time, Marilyn finally had the time to observe the rest of the clearing. And she saw that the trees almost blocked it off completely, in a way that proceeding through them as a party would be near impossible, as an explorer would have to maneuver amidst the trees to pass through, that''s how dense they were grown.


    But, two seemingly obvious paths could also be seen, one leading to the left, and one leading to the right.


    They looked convenient, devoid of any tall vegetation, and even lined with stones, as if saying ''Hey you dum-dum, you walk through here!'', to all who see them.


    They would indeed be convenient. Too convenient in fact.


    "That looks, smells, and sounds like a trap."


    Marilyn muttered under her breath. Anna, who was walking towards her, overheard this and added.


    "Well if it probably is a trap, what can we do? Cut through the trees? Not to mention that we are no lumberjacks, do you think we can just cut a path through the entire forest, however big it is?"


    "Can''t we just burn it down like Onheim did..?"


    Before Marilyn realized how dumb her suggestion was, Anna already corrected her.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    "Then we would suffocate here. Don''t forget that we are underground. Fires and underground? That''s a big no-no, girl."


    "Yeah, you''re right... So all we can do is choose a path.. Left or Right?"


    "Can''t we split up?"


    "And split our combat power? We don''t know what awaits us in this forest, and I sure as hell don''t want to get slaughtered because of an enemy too strong for six people."


    Marilyn then turned and walked towards Leopold, who was the best Ranger, and by extension, Scout in the group.


    "Leo, could you briefly scout both of the paths? We need to know whether they are different somehow. Don''t go too far, just enough to understand what we''re getting into."


    The masked man looked toward Marilyn and briefly stood motionlessly as if thinking. Following that, he nodded and sped off towards the path on the right, soon disappearing amidst the trees.


    Marilyn and Anna stood, with the Ranger being stupefied.


    "Is he always so eager? And is it just my imagination, or is he faster than before?"


    "Well, to answer your question, despite how quiet he is, he likes exploring dangerous and unknown places. Especially the dangerous ones."


    "As for whether he is faster..."


    Marilyn then thought back to how she felt after absorbing the glowing crystal, and the fact that Leo absorbed one too.


    "I don''t know. This Nest is weird enough already. I wouldn''t be surprised if it somehow made him faster."


    Still, the group was ready for battle after descending the tunnel, being fully rested. But they were met with another peaceful clearing, and now they didn''t really know what to do except to be on guard.


    And as minutes passed, one of the Rangers noticed something.


    "There''s movement from the right path! A lot of it!"


    Marilyn, as the leader, didn''t miss this, unsheathing her sword, and readying her shield.


    "Get into formation and get ready for battle!"


    Soon enough the rustling and other noises like skittering and screeching could be heard by the other people, not just the Rangers.


    All of a sudden, a black figure darted out among the trees, causing one of the Rangers to fire his crossbow.


    To his surprise, his arrow was deflected and he was met with a shout.


    "Friendly fire!"


    Upon looking closer, it could be seen that the one who just exited the forest was none other than Leo... Only to almost be shot soon after.


    However it would seem that the danger hadn''t yet ended, as even though the stealthy rogue was now back among them, the noises hadn''t stopped, instead getting only louder.


    The true enemy didn''t take long to reveal itself, in the form of a 2-meter monstrosity emerging from amidst the branches.


    It''s eight legs were covered in small black hairs, its fangs seeped with poison, and its six eyes were staring at the humans with great animosity, the other two eyes being injured with what seemed to be a slashing wound.


    It was a spider, a giant one, on that would drive any arachnophobe into panic. But the problem was that it was the first one.


    The largest spider was followed by a dozen smaller ones, which were fortunately only half a meter in size. And then, they charged.


    The sight of so many bug spiders heading towards yourself was morbid, but the group held on, with Rangers already shooting their projectiles, and Mages blasting the arachnids away with shockwaves of mana.


    The group formed a spear formation, with Marilyn taking the brunt of damage and holding off the biggest spider at the front.


    When she collided with the eight-legged beast, she almost lost her footing, but, surprising even herself, she held on. Although she wasn''t sure where she had gained that newfound strength, Marilyn didn''t waste the chance.


    She put her force into her arm and pushed the greater spider away, then stabbing her sword into its face. But she didn''t completely succeed, being deflected by one of the legs and grazing the side of it instead of piercing.


    ''Tch, too shallow.''


    Marilyn then once again engaged the beast, trying to minimize its ability to charge, as she couldn''t stop such force forever.


    However, as she battled, she noticed something that alarmed her greatly. The wounds, the cuts on the greater spider''s carapace were healing.


    They were closing themselves at a visible speed, not instantly, but a shallow cut would be gone after a minute.


    This made realize that whatever powers this beast held, she wouldn''t be able to win in a battle of attrition with it. This though however, made her hesitate for a second, giving the arachnid an opening.


    It slammed her with its legs, making her take three steps back, and then rammed into her, causing Marilyn to lose her grip on her shield, leaving her wide open.


    It followed up by a lunge, leaving her no chance of blocking.


    Marilyn, felt as if the time had slowed down when seeing the hopeless situation, trying to think of any solution to the crisis.


    Her teammates were occupied with their own opponents, she couldn''t expect help from them. Her armor wasn''t tough enough to withstand the fangs of the spider, and she would probably get poisoned to death or at least paralyzed if she was bitten.


    The only option left was her sword, but it would not make it in time to block the incoming fangs. If only she swing it faster...


    As the thought came, Marilyn instinctively channeled all of her strength along with something else into her right arm which was holding the sword.


    And the sword did indeed swing faster, faster than she had ever swung it before. But the beast was mere moments from getting to her, it still wouldn''t be enough.


    But, to her surprise, her sword began glowing.


    The light began to gather on her sword, becoming brighter and brighter, before erupting with a flash of light, which blinded Marilyn.


    Then the time seemingly resumed its normal flow, the woman being snapped out of the state she was in. But she was met with a small problem.


    She was blinded, couldn''t see, and her eyes now hurt as if she was staring into the sun with her naked eyes for a good minute.


    Fortunately for her, it would seem that the spider was blinded as well, because although she felt it slam into her, it then rolled away and was currently screeching in agony.


    It would seem that it was hurt by the flash of light even more than she was.


    Marilyn than relied on her sense of touch to find her shield. Having found it, she put it in front of her and retreated backward, she was in no condition to actively fight right now.


    And yet again Marilyn had lucked out, as the rest of the group were finishing their fight as well, with most of the lesser spiders being turned into corpses filled with arrows, stabbed to death, cleaved apart, or blasted apart.


    And Marilyn''s flash of light almost blinded the entire team, but thankfully it was better at a distance, unlike how it was at point blank for the woman herself.


    Additionally it blinded some of the remaining spiders, making them easier to finish off.


    One such spider''s head was pierced by Leo''s dagger, who then dashed towards the greater spider Marilyn was battling. It was currently confused, its two front legs covering its eyes, but it didn''t seem to retreat, its wounds quickly regenerating.


    "That won''t do."


    Leo was the one to continue the battle with it. He used his daggers to slice the greater spiders legs at their joints, making the spider turn and try to attack him, while relying on its weakened senses.


    But that was a mistake which made it expose its face. And as the Rangers were now mostly free, such a blunder didn''t go unpunished.


    Three arrows whistled through the air, one slamming into its eye, two piercing its face.


    And when the greater spider recoiled in pain, Leo didn''t miss the chance.


    He stopped circling the beast, instead jumping up and landing on the spider''s abdomen, and running up to its head in two steps.


    "Die."


    He then slammed the daggers in both of his hands into its head through its eyes.


    As the beast writhed in great pain, Leo held on, not falling off, with one dagger, the other stabbing in and out, through eyes healthy and wounded, and the rest of its face.


    It didn''t take long for the arachnid to quiet down and eventually collapse, all strength leaving its body.


    As Leo jumped down from the corpse, wiping away the goo from his daggers, the corpse turned into mist, leaving behind a small glowing green crystal.


    He then looked over the entire group. Fortunately this time there were no casualties, but some had their limbs bitten, being visibly pale, and were being treated by Mages whose mana was running low.


    He then picked up the green crystal. It gave off a pleasant feeling, but it didn''t ''respond'' to him.


    Shrugging at yet another mystery, he walked to the group, only to be met with a tired yet questioning face of Marilyn.


    "Leopold, what the hell did you find in there, and why the hell did you bring a whole swarm of spiders along with you?"

 Chapter 34: Healer and Boar

    "Leopold, what the hell did you find in there, and why the hell did you bring a whole swarm of spiders along with you?"


    The question was asked by Marilyn, who has finally regained her sight. She didn''t understand how a scouting mission turned into a chase, followed by a battle.


    Leo gave his answer, which was rather concise.


    "They wanted to eat me."


    "And?"


    "I did my best not to get eaten."


    "Sigh..."


    Marilyn sighed in frustration because the thing she was curious about was how he got caught in the first place, but if Leopold didn''t answer the first time, he wouldn''t answer later either.


    "Is it so hard to say that they were better than you at stealth? Nevermind..."


    Marilyn then looked at the shadow-covered entrance to the path to the right.


    "Okay then, what did you find on the way there? Before you got caught that is."


    Leopold flinched but answered.


    "Darkness. Webs. And spiders. Lots of spiders."


    "Well, I guess we aren''t taking that way then."


    The woman then turned to look at the opposite side of the clearing and towards the path leading the other way.


    With one of the two available paths sounding rather unpleasant and deadly to traverse, it was the only other option left for them to use. However, the group didn''t yet know what lay there, but there was a solution to that.


    "Okay Leo, please check out that path as well. And without bringing any new ''friends'' back with you."


    The ranger turned to leave, but just before he was about to step into the forest, he turned around and gave the female leader a green crystal that he was previously holding.


    "Take it, and give it to someone who can use it."


    After that, he dashed away and disappeared amidst the trees and shadows.


    Marilyn looked at the newfound crystal in her grasp, and then walked towards the rest of the group, shaking her head all the while.


    "So erratic... It''s tiring to deal with him sometimes."


    The group was currently healing back from the battle with the spiders, but the mages were rather in over their heads with healing the venom, considering that they too were fighting and using their mana in the process.


    Although the concentrated mana helped them recover faster, just two mages healing four people was a bit much.


    Among them, a girl just out of her teenage years had sweat running down her forehead, the constant concentration being rather taxing on her. She was more of a healer than a fighter, the first always being easier for her than the other.


    Her concentration was broken however by the sound of steps near her. Just as she was about to chase off the interruption, she saw Marilyn with an extended hand which held out a crystal shining in green light toward her.


    "Here, Beatrice. This might be useful to you."


    Beatrice looked at Marilyn in confusion, but still stood up from her knees and took the shiny thing from her leader''s hand.


    Meanwhile, Marilyn herself observed the girl. Soon enough the green light shined out, before enveloping her in a coat of light, being absorbed soon after. Only a transparent crystal remained.


    "...Huh? What was that?"


    Her voice filled with rather childish confusion rang out. She then furrowed her brows and closed her eyes, concentrating, as if looking within herself, trying to feel something.


    "My mana! I''m full of mana! And it''s... Different!"


    Marilyn, having confirmed one of her guesses, then asked the girl.


    "Different how?"


    "I don''t know for sure but... My mana''s more lively? Feels fresher? It''s rather hard to explain."


    "Well, then why don''t you try it out?" Marilyn then nodded her head towards the injured.


    The young mage followed her nod and set back down in her previous spot. She then stretched out her hands towards the bite wound which she was previously healing, rather apprehensively. After that, she channeled her mana once again.


    A green glow then enveloped her palms, before seeping into the injured''s skin. The bite that previously refused to heal nearly completely now began closing at remarkable speed.


    In mere seconds the wound itself was gone, and the blackened veins began to recover their natural color. The injured man''s face was no longer pale as well. All signs pointed toward a successful recovery.


    "I... Did this?"


    Beatrice looked at her hands in wonder, as this time the healing a fraction of previous mana and effort out of her.


    Marilyn watched her as well, but with different thoughts in mind.


    ''So it is mana after all... And the fact that it is probably related to the regeneration the spider had shown... Plus that light trick that I did with my sword is similar to the white wolf''s...''


    Her eyebrows were slowly rising in surprise as she was gathering the puzzle pieces together. The implications of the ability to gain such extraordinary powers in a single place...


    ''If gaining the power of a monster after eating its heart is a legend... Then this place is a place of legends. It is no longer just a simple nest...''


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    "Marilyn."


    She jumped in surprise, nearly unsheathing her sword before seeing who was talking right into her ear.


    "...Leopold you sneaky bastard... At least you are alone this time. I take it you have scouted out the path ahead of us?"


    "Yes."


    "Well tell me then."


    "Plenty of light. The path won''t fit more than two people shoulder to shoulder. There is a big boar ahead."


    Being somewhat used to his way of speech, she understood his report.


    "So basically we won''t be able to walk in a normal formation, but we will at least be able to see enemies unlike on the other path. And there is a dangerous beast ahead. Did I get it right?"


    Marilyn received a nod in response, and that was all she needed.


    Looking over the group, they were almost completely recovered. With Beatrice''s newfound healing powers, the injured were already fine and on their feet. As such, Marilyn saw no reason to delay any further.


    "Alright folks, enough laying around like cats on a sunny day. Get your weapons and move out!"


    Although one or two explorers wanted to rest a little more, the majority was ready to go, some more than others. Anna in particular regained a bit of her spirit after the victory and was holding onto her bow tightly.


    "This time we are going through a narrow path! Warriors to the front and back. Rangers, cover our rear. Mages, to the center. We walk in twos!"


    Not even a minute passed before everyone arranged in pairs, forming five of them, Beatrice being without one, but she was put in the very center of the column as the best healer.


    Marilyn was at the front as always, Onheim being to her right, but now being far more gloomy than when they just entered the underground. Losing most of one''s companions does not do wonders for the mood.


    As the arrangement was now complete, the column began to march forward, stepping on the path laden with rocks and trampling the short grass under their feet.


    The safe and empty clearing was left behind, with the group now being slowly surrounded by trees that were stretching towards the ceiling, with soft blue light shining through the gaps between them, creating a wondrous and eerie sight.


    One time a wild beast jumped in front of the column, causing everyone to grip their weapons tighter, but it left as fast as it came. Although no battle happened, the group now remained on guard.


    And shortly after, the path once again widened, giving way into yet another clearing, but this one was only a quarter of the previous one, and being already occupied.


    A white tree with golden leaves stood towards their left, with roots burrowing into the ground... And being home to a rather big inhabitant.


    The explorers stifled their breath momentarily upon beholding the figure of the beast.


    It was a boar, bigger than the ones they previously encountered. If those could leave you with broken ribs after their charges, then this one would leave you with broken... Everything. Making you dead.


    Fortunately for them, it was sleeping amidst the roots, not having yet noticed them. However sneaking past it would not be an option, with the path having an opening mere meters away from it.


    "...As if the fuckers want us to fight it with no other way around it."


    Marilyn cursed quietly. But seeing no other options, she began giving out orders with both whispers to those close to her, and gestures to those further away.


    Following her orders, warriors remained near her, while the Rangers and the two Mages spread out among the trees, surrounding the clearing.


    It would be ideal for them to climb on the trees, but other than the white tree under which the boar slept, all other trees were pines, with branches being far above their reach, so Marilyn would have to make do.


    Now that those fighting at range had taken their positions, all that remained was the Warrior''s part, which included her. This battle would mostly be dependent on them.


    But they would not be the ones to start it. While the five warriors along with Marilyn moved forward in the clearing and prepared to battle, the Rangers had drawn their bows and aimed their crossbows.


    A whistle of loosened arrows then rang out, causing the boar to wake up and open its eyes... Only to catch one of the said arrows in its eyes, with the other three being stuck into its thick hide.


    "Bullseye. That was for my left eye, you bastards." The arrow was Anna''s, and losing an eye hadn''t impeded her aim much at this distance. And her aim proved true this time as well.


    The boar let out a squeal of anger and pain, being fully awake and enraged. It then saw the five Warriors in front of it and did what any angry boar would do. It charged.


    "EVADE!"


    The five spread out away from the beast''s path, Onheim even diving away and onto the ground.


    Meanwhile, the boar wasn''t able to turn around on the spot, momentum carrying it forward. But it managed to slow down and turn around right before the trees, scaring the hidden ranger that it was about to impact to the bone.


    But by the time it was turned around, an axe was already swinging from its blind side, leaving no time to react. A gash was cut through the side of its face, making the boar instinctively swing its head to the side.


    Coincidentally it was Onheim who was attacking, and not expecting a counter, he was flung away by its snout, fortunately not being impaled on its tusks.


    At the same time, three arrows were once again shot from amidst the trees, piercing the beast''s side, face, and snout, albeit not too deeply. It appeared that the bones of the boar were rather strong.


    The boar then once again prepared to charge but was knocked off balance by a blast of mana that came from the side, being staggered.


    The four Warriors who were near it, being cautious of being flung away or impaled, saw the chance and did not waste it.


    Four attacks were launched and four attacks landed all over the body of the beast.


    Enraged, the boar started thrashing about, trying to rid itself of enemies who clung to it as mosquitoes.


    Three of the Warriors retreated in time, but one wasn''t as lucky, being hit by a rear leg of the boar, and then flying away with quite a few broken bones.


    Onheim then got back to the three, making it four once again.


    The beast once again prepared to charge, and arrows once again flew out, but this time the beast was prepared. It turned, taking the brunt of the arrows into the hide. Then it rooted itself to the ground, and although the incoming blast of mana shook it, it didn''t lose balance.


    Following all that, it charged for real.


    "It''s charging! Dodge!"


    Marilyn was the one who shouted, and as such she unknowingly provoked the boar.


    The beast changed its target from the center of the group of warriors to her, who was at the side. She who already jumped aside was rather defenseless, but that reminded her of a recent similar situation.


    She gathered the power within herself into the sword and quickly closed her eyes, not wishing to be blinded again.


    And she did the right thing, as the light gathered even faster this time, pulled by conscious effort, before once again flashing out brightly.


    The boar lost its vision and direction, and tumbled past Marilyn, sparing her from being impaled, but not before tearing open her side using its tusks in passing.


    Marilyn shouted out briefly in pain before falling to the ground. Upon feeling the wound she found out that it was rather wide and deep, and she would bleed out without aid.


    She was in no state to fight anymore.


    The nearby Ranger ran up to her and pulled her to the trees, where she could be healed up, and away from the boar who could easily trample her.


    A dozen seconds ago, when Marilyn just blinded the boar, it tumbled on the ground upon losing its vision. At the same time, arrows were loosened from four directions this time, the beast being wounded all over.


    The boar was weakening rapidly over time due to the blood loss from all the sustained wounds, but it could still kill anyone unprepared.


    Three Warriors, being wary due to two people who sustained serious wounds, didn''t dare to be reckless. But even they couldn''t miss such an opening.


    A sword was slashed across its face once again, and a spear was stabbed into its side.


    Onheim in particular, saw the beast losing strength and acted. With his two-handed axe in his hands, he jumped up and smashed it down on the skull of the beast.


    "Did I get it?"


    The boar jerked, its eyes regaining clarity and focusing on Onheim who now lost grip on his axe and was staring at the beast rather fearfully.


    Just as everyone thought that he would die, the boar lost its strength and crashed down to the ground, dead for sure this time, turning into mist, arrows and the axe falling to the ground with *thuds* and a *clank*.


    Onheim dropped to his butt with tension now gone, the other two warriors breathing out and leaning on their weapons.


    Cheers celebrating victory then rang out of the throats of the explorers.


    Even Beatrice who was currently healing Marilyn couldn''t help but smile.


    The wounded woman herself then asked herself with a pained voice.


    "Did we win?"


    "Yes, we did, leader. No one died this time."


    Marilyn laughed out although each laugh gave her pain.


    "Why are you laughing?"


    "...Is it weird that although I nearly died so many times here, each victory feels so sweet?"

 Chapter 35: Dungeons and Explorers

    "We don''t know what the purpose of the place is, how The Architect exactly built it, and how it was built in the first place. What we know for certain is the fact that the shit down here is dangerous and unique at the same time. You will never find similar sights and opportunities on the surface compared to here. And as long as I have more wonders to see and more power to gain, I don''t care whether I am merely entertainment for The Architect or a mouse crawling through his maze."


    -An answer to the question ''What do you think about this place'' asked to one of the delvers.


    37 AA


    ----------------------------------------------------


    Lan continued observing the humans and their expedition, as they descended deeper into... himself, however awkward that sounded.


    When they entered the second Chamber, which they, for some reason, kept calling the second floor, one of their scouts went to explore the Right Path. Not the best decision in Lan''s opinion.


    At first, he advanced rather quietly, successfully maintaining his stealth, but when he got near the first Place of Power, which had its own guardian, he ''tripped the alarm'' by activating one of the near-invisible threads that the Great Spider spread.


    And the spider which was hidden among the branches, covered in shadows, revealed itself in the form of an ambush, which the scout somehow sensed and avoided. It probably had something to do with the Heart Core he absorbed.


    Not only was the spider''s ambush unsuccessful, but the supposed prey also retaliated with a slash of a dagger while retreating.


    Whether on purpose or not, said dagger happened to critically injure two of the spider''s eyes, which thoroughly enraged the arachnid.


    With a cry, it called on its kin, with various smaller spiders gathering from all over.


    At the same time, the scout fled back to the group. But try as he might, he wanted in the spider''s territory, and the beasts were faster than him.


    Although the human was deft and agile, not tripping even once, and his breathing was even despite the threat to his life, the beasts closed the distance quickly by scuttling on the webs amidst the trees.


    Those very same webs also hindered the scout, forcing him to avoid them, limiting his escape routes, and forcing him to slow down.


    But even the mightiest make mistakes, not to mention an almost regular human.


    Amidst all the running, the scout occasionally retaliated against the arachnids which were getting too close for comfort in the form of throwing weapons that were previously strapped all over his body.


    Those needles and daggers often struck down the beasts that lunged at him mid-jump or pierced the eyes of the spiders, slowing down or even killing them.


    When he turned around to do so once again, he didn''t notice a web that was strewn between two trees which he ran towards.


    That mistake caused the web to be torn away and instead cling to his head and face, disorienting the human, and causing him to trip, consequently falling to the ground.


    The lone human grunted and looked back towards the chasing beasts, and upon finding none in his line of sight, he rolled away under one of the trees, hiding amidst the roots.


    As the skittering of many limbs grew closer, the scout steadied his breath, becoming quieter and quieter until his breathing was quieter than the surrounding breeze.


    It seemed as if shadows began to envelop him, embrace him as if he were part of them.


    What nearly broke him out of his concentration was a crack of the branch above him.


    Upon slowly raising his head up he saw something which caused even his tempered heart to skip a beat.


    A massive form of a Greater Spider moved above him, climbing down from the branches and down the tree trunk. Blue blood dripped from its wounded eyes and onto the ground.


    As a drop of blood dripped onto the human''s face, he dared not flinch, for the spider was now mere meters away from him. He dared not make a move or sound.


    The Greater spider slowly moved down the trunk, its legs missing the human scout by less than a meter. He, however, was not discovered.


    Lan watched all of this with fascination, and his gaze which was akin to a magic microscope painted a completely different picture.


    Where a normal human would see a scene of fear and admiration of the scout''s display of stealth, Lan saw what truly happened.


    When the human tripped and consequently hid from the chase, he started to resonate with the surrounding shadow mana by lowering his own presence, unconsciously attracting it.


    The gathered shadow mana covered him like a blanket, enveloping the human entirely, hiding his temperature, scent, and overall presence. It was as if he was just another part of the ever-present shadow under the trees of the Right Path.


    Had the Greater Spider possessed a better sense for mana, it might have noticed the abnormal concentration of mana, but it didn''t, so it missed the prey which hid in plain sight.


    ''...Damn, that''s what I call Stealth 100!''


    But it would seem that the human would not be able to keep up this state forever, as internal mana which was contained in the Mana Circuit was dispersing into the cloak of shadow mana, keeping it stable.


    If the man didn''t get moving soon, then he would be at best too exhausted to run, or at worst unconscious and ripe to be eaten.


    Fortunately for him, the Greater Spider seemed to follow his previous general direction after it lost sight of the scout, so the human then started moving yet again, breaking the shadow cloak immediately by getting up.


    He then managed to gain some distance before being found yet again, but this time he was close enough to the exit of the forest, so he just kept on running until he reached the clearing, where he was almost shot to death by his allies.


    The spider swarm followed him in pursuit, which led them to the group of humans, causing the two sides to clash.


    Although the spiders were rather imposing with their sizes, their carapace didn''t give them much protection against human weapons. Although swords sometimes didn''t slash through, weapons such as hammers easily crushed the arachnids.


    The woman who was the leader engaged in battle with the Greater Spider but proved inadequate against its superior mobility and protection.


    As Lan now observed her, he had noticed the moment when she was left defenseless by a spider''s attack.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Moments before her supposed demise, Lan noticed a burst of mental mana blast out of her and converge on her sword. The Core, with his superior cognition, had seen the whole process which followed afterward.


    The mental mana stimulated the light mana that was stored within her Circuit, directing it toward her sword, where it erupted in a flash of light. A similar trick to what Tag did, really.


    ''To be fair, compared to Tag, this is amateur work... No, I am not biased at all.''


    That trick of her''s blinded the attacking beast, herself, and the teammates near her. Fortunately, the Ranger that was previously chased helped her not get eaten by starting to harass the Greater Spider.


    Shortly after it was finished up, and the rest of the spiders were killed too. How totally unexpected.


    What did surprise Lan a little was the fact that none of the humans died this time. To be honest he expected at least one or two casualties due to the venom that the spiders had greatly developed.


    A Life Core was then left behind on the ground where the Greater Spider was slain.


    ''Life? I thought it would be shadow attuned... The spider must have gotten its affinity thanks to the Place of Power. It seemed to possess enhanced regeneration and no supernatural stealth capabilities. So I should have seen that coming.''


    After that the humans conversed, and the scout turned out to be named ''Leopold'', Lan decided to remember his name, as he seemed to be a skilled individual. Leopold then got sent out to scout the other Path.


    During that time the leader ''Marilyn'', gave the Life Core to one of the remaining Mages.


    Said crystal was perfectly drained, proving that the girl''s Circuit was Life-attuned. As such, she absorbed all the mana contained within, and her own mana gained Life properties.


    That showed in improved healing prowess, making her a perfect example of a healer.


    ''To be honest she might as well become an alchemist or something. I think her mana also gained the ability to enhance plant growth. Wait, do they even have alchemists..?''


    During his deliberations, Lan also kept an eye on the scout Leopold, not even noticing how he himself seemed to split his attention in two.


    Said scout was much more cautious while scouting out this Path, being slower, and checking out where he moved before making a step. Leopold was looking up and down, to the sides as well, in order to not be ambushed anymore.


    His efforts paid off, as after a period of time shifting amidst the trees near the path, he noticed the clearing where he discovered a great boar sleeping under the tree. Leopold promptly retreated to report his findings after observing it for a while.


    Upon returning and reporting with no trouble, the exploratory group gathered and moved down the Left Path. Some among them seemed wary, having already lost many of their comrades since descending here, but some stared in fascination.


    Lan gathered from their talks that it was not often that they visited places with such dense vegetation, as it often meant great danger. Which was the same in this case as well, just a bit more structured.


    The group then came across the sleeping boar, arranged themselves according to their plans, and began the battle.


    The hide of the beast proved tough, its might great, and its charge heavy.


    The results of being hit by such a beast were clearly seen in one of the warriors who battled it. Although he wasn''t set to another world by Boar-Kun, one impact was enough to incapacitate him, rendering him unable to continue the battle.


    But he didn''t die due to being dragged away by those not fighting in melee.


    In the end, this fight ended with no human casualties as well, but some people were severely injured.


    Lan''s attention was captured, and it was extremely fascinating to watch humans fight through the obstacles of his own design.


    It was similar to watching a TV show where contestants went through a challenging obstacle course, showing off their skills and prowess.


    Lan looked at the humans who were cheering and celebrating, one of the warriors lifting up the gray crystal in his hand, showing it off to everyone. He wasn''t very lucky as this was no Mana Beast, but False or Pseudo Mana Beast, having formed a Core, but having no affinity and, as such having no extraordinary powers.


    The man who wielded the Greataxe tried to absorb it like he had seen others do, and the crystal in his hands attracted jealous eyes from other people, as they had seen how those who absorbed them became stronger and gained new powers.


    Still, they didn''t stare for long, as the crystal flashed briefly and crumbled into dust. The Warrior had a confused expression on his face, the increase in power not being significant.


    Meanwhile, Lan saw what happened, only a small portion of mana within got absorbed by the man, the rest only dispersing chaotically through the environment.


    ''It seems that a crystal without the affinity isn''t accepted by the Mana Circuit that well. Or maybe the man doesn''t have the corresponding affinity. Whatever the case, it was pretty much a waste, as the increase in power was negligible in comparison to the previous ones.''


    Still, the other humans didn''t know that it was the case, being jealous and respectful towards him at the same time. Empowered or not, the man already had expectations laid down on him due to absorbing the loot.


    After around fifteen minutes, thanks to the group''s newfound healer, the wounded returned to their optimal states. Removing the wounds didn''t recover the fatigue or apprehension, as some of the Warriors looked towards the continuance of the Path with tired or fearful gazes.


    That didn''t apply to the leader ''Marilyn'' however, as she provided yet another short but motivational speech to the group, talking about the victory over a mighty foe, and talked about how in this place struggle could earn power.


    At the mention of rewards and loot, humans naturally cheered up. Greed, as much as it could tear the group apart from within, at the same time could motivate it and hold it together. Rather ironic.


    ''Still, however many powerups they gain, and however motivated they may be, they don''t know what lies ahead. Hehe.''


    Lan was snickering when he was thinking about their hard-won victory when all they defeated was a mini-boss... One of five. On this path. And that is without counting the four waiting together before the Floor Boss itself.


    In the end, Lan also decided to follow the humans in naming and switching the Entrance Chamber to the First Floor, the Second Chamber to the Second Floor, and the former First Floor became the Third Floor.


    Perhaps his size perception was slightly skewed after becoming what he was now, but a room 100x100 meters could be counted as a floor in a human building.


    At the same time, the humans had arrived at the next clearing without much trouble, easily repelling solitary beasts that attacked them. Along with their newfound confidence, they didn''t even scout out the clearing itself, probably thinking that they would overcome it anyway.


    When they arrived, they saw no visible beast near the tree. Thinking something along the lines of ''It probably ain''t here'', they slowly marched into the clearing.


    As nothing attacked them after around five minutes of waiting, the group relaxed slowly, now taking time to look around.


    This clearing was near-identical to the last but with a lack of visible beast. And the only interesting point was the white tree anyway, which they didn''t examine in the previous clearing, due to leaving that place too fast.


    Soon one of the mages said out loud. "That tree... No, within that tree there is something gathering and emanating mana. My guess is it might be similar to those crystals we looted. But we would need to carve through the trunk to get it."


    His words gathered the attention of the group, and their greed as well.


    Eager to get the treasure, one of the warriors tried to use his axe to chop at the tree, probably intending to cut it down. To his surprise, however, he saw that the cut was quickly getting covered in new bark as if it was never there.


    "The bloody tree is healing! What the hell!"


    After several other group members tried to dig into the trunk, their attempts proved futile. Their hopes were once again reignited by the mage though.


    "According to my senses, the treasure is in the upper part of the trunk, close to where it splits into the tree crown. It might be possible to get it from there."


    The humans then looked into the branches covered with dense golden leaves, wondering whether they might find anything. One of the Rangers made up his resolve, charging to the tree before beginning to climb it.


    The group leader Marilyn, who was observing the situation but otherwise didn''t interfere as that would make her seem hypocritical, as she had taken one crystal for herself, now couldn''t help but shout out.


    "Wait! We don''t know what''s up there!"


    Her shout was either ignored or unheard by the ranger, as he climbed up into the branches and disappeared, covered by the leaves.


    Soon only rustling and sounds of movement could be heard.


    But that tense moment was broken through by a scream... Coming from amidst the branches.


    "Max! What happened!"


    The distressed question of the acquaintance if that ranger was only answered by something falling out of the tree. Upon a closer look, they were mortified.


    It was a mangled and torn body of that scout, looking as if it was torn apart with claws and it had organs ripped out at the same time. The body was missing an arm.


    And the whereabouts of that arm were quickly revealed by the head of an animal with said arm in its jaw peeking out amidst the leaves. It was a giant Wolverine.


    It seemed to taunt its prey before it jumped down from the tree, and swiftly disappeared amidst the bushes in the clearing.


    ''Reminds me of when I was once a DM with the boys... I remember how fun it was to see them struggle and complete the encounters and challenges I laid out for them. It''s really interesting how it all looks from different perspectives.''


    Lan looked at the distressed group of humans.


    ''And just like them, the promise of treasure overrides caution.''


    Lan''s chuckled in... Mild amusement.


    ''Nothing is easy in my... Dungeon.''

 Chapter 36: Retreat and Escape

    The group was once again thrust into chaos. Having lowered their guard after not noticing a guarding monster near the tree, one of them got reckless, and as a result, he paid the price.


    The culprit behind his death was a wolverine. The beast was large even before the Awakening, but after being enhanced by mana, it grew even more, almost reaching to the neck of an adult man, all while standing on all four legs.


    But the worst part was the fact that the increased size didn''t cause its agility to decrease much, no, perhaps it was even higher than before.


    And such a beast was currently lurking close to the group freshly after dismembering their companion. It could be seen why the humans would panic.


    The constant battles ever since they descended into the dungeon, however, have made gathering into a defensible formation, or at least coordinating efficiently into a reflex. As such, the exploration group didn''t let themselves be stumped for long before gathering yet again.


    Lan was observing all the while. In comparison to their battle against Tag and Nacht improvement was rather significant. Additionally, they were currently fighting a single opponent instead of two.


    Soon after the humans gathered, it became apparent that neither party wanted to make the move first, causing a stalemate to occur, humans wary of the stalking wolverine.


    The beast got tired of waiting first and struck from amidst the shadows. It emerged from the bushes and attacked with its fearsome claws, lashing out at a warrior who stood at the periphery of the formation.


    As if he was expecting this, however, the warrior who wielded a sword and a shield brought his shield forward and blocked the strike, deep gashes getting carved into the previously nearly intact shield, and the man himself stumbled backward. But he himself did not fall.


    The beast then attacked another fighter, who happened to be the axe-wielding Onheim. It lunged at the bulky man, but instead of biting into his throat, it caught the handle of the axe in its mouth instead, the man had reacted in time. He then kicked it away and attempted to slam down his Greataxe on it, but it avoided the strike.


    Still, it was slowed down and out of cover, Rangers and Mages didn''t miss the chance.


    Arrows and shockwaves flew out, and while the wolverine managed to avoid the first ones, a shockwave of mana knocked it out of balance, and two arrows pierced deep into it.


    With an enraged and pain-filled snarl, the beast charged back into the fray, not even bothering to hide anymore, being provoked to the limit. This time another warrior, who was the last remaining member of Onheim''s gang, was the target.


    The man, not expecting to be charged, attempted to slash out at the beast which was now at arm''s length.


    He landed the hit, stabbing the weapon into the shoulder of the beast, but the giant weasel slammed into him, throwing him onto the ground.


    One second the man was fine, and the next he was on the ground, screaming as he was getting mauled by the enraged beast''s claws. Normal wolverine''s claws could easily slice through frozen meat, so their effectiveness could be imagined after being evolved with mana.


    The Rangers were the first to react, Leopold among them didn''t bother notching another arrow in the bow but instead threw his close-combat dagger at the beast.


    It flew out with an unnatural speed and hit the side of the wolverine, piercing deeply into it.


    The weasel was influenced by the momentum carried by the flying weapon and was thrown a short distance from the man. Or what remained of him.


    As it landed on the ground a second later, other rangers already had arrows ready, piercing the side, neck, and head, attacking it while it was staggered.


    The wolverine fell heavily onto the ground. It tried to lift its head but lost the strength to do so. Soon enough the body turned into a mist of mana, leaving behind a green crystal filled with Life Mana.


    By the time the wolverine''s corpse was gone, the group barely got back their bearings and noticed what was left of the unfortunate man.


    His body was left mauled and cut apart, the body being completely unrecognizable. Some group members emptied their stomachs on the spot - that''s how gruesome the sight was.


    Meanwhile, Marilyn was feeling guilty about the two deaths. Her carelessness after a victory cost them two lives. Had she not let the group relax, there might have been no casualties.


    But now they had two more to bury, both having suffered a cruel fate.


    Looking at the sight of two bodies being covered with quickly reddening cloth, she understood what her mistake was and what decision she needed to make. But it could wait after the friends of the two have finished their mourning.


    "Jackie was always so cheerful, and his jokes were so bad... But did he deserve this?"


    "Henrick was so competitive, always a good drinking buddy. And yet he dies a dog''s death."


    A solemn atmosphere gripped the group yet again, similar to the aftermath of the battle against the two wolves, morale being critically low.


    And upon staring at the crowd- no, a battered group of people, Marilyn was made even surer of her decision. She clapped her hands to snap people out of their fear and mourning and to gather attention.


    "I don''t have any motivational speeches to make, nor are we going further."


    All eyes gathered on her, some questioning and some hopeful.


    "We are getting out of here. This is as far as we go. Leo, get that crystal. We must get that to the Tower Master."


    Soon enough the group gathered yet again, but this time they set off on the Path where they came from instead of delving further into the unknown. Morale was broken and their friends were lost, they quickly trudged along the known path, all while cautiously looking around. Some members of the group seemed to be paranoid, eyes flicking between the trees and flinching at shadows.


    A clearing where they battled the boar came into view, seemingly nothing had changed. What the humans didn''t see was the trampled vegetation that was quickly regrowing, and glimmers of predatory eyes eyeing the empty Place of Power.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Fortunately for the unaware humans, they quickly got through the open space, once again getting surrounded by the trees and leaving behind the place which had an eerie atmosphere.


    Following that, the winding and twisting path offered no surprises or attacks, the familiar clearing instead coming into view. Alarmingly enough, however, the corpses of arachnids who they battled here were absent, and that was strange considering that most were left behind, only the biggest one yielding a crystal.


    Upon a closer look, clear drag marks covered in blue blood could be seen leading into the darkness under the trees. Additionally, blood splatters could be seen here and there, as if another battle had happened there.


    But the humans instead only had the tunnel leading upwards in their eyes, not bothering to stop for a second, wanting to get out of these caverns full of death and mystery. This time Marilyn was in the rear, protecting the group instead of leading it. A sharp contrast to how they descended here.


    The tunnel itself wasn''t long and hadn''t shown any danger so far, and it remained that way, fortunately. The group then once again came to the chamber where they fought the two wolven beasts, some remnants of their camp still remaining.


    However, they noticed an unnerving detail this time. The bodies they had left behind were missing. Their bodies were previously covered in special cloth to prevent their smell from leaking out and attracting scavengers, leaving them safe to pick up on the way back.


    But now both the bodies of the fallen and the cloth covering them were gone as if they were never there in the first place.


    This only caused the humans to further tense up, some beginning to tremble, panic intensifying.


    However, that fear turned into damn near hysteria when they saw the next thing.


    A pitch-black wolf emerged from the shadows, its eyes burning crimson. A pure-white wolf shimmered from amidst the light, its eyes shimmering gold peering into them.


    Two wolves stood at the opposite ends of the clearing, having the humans between the two. Two wolves came back from the dead, and they remembered their enemies.


    "Shit, I''m dreaming, right? Please tell me this is just a dream..!"


    "No... It can''t be!"


    "We''re all gonna die!"


    Marilyn had boasted the greatest mentality out of all of them, but even she had begun feeling fear and hopelessness creeping in. And if she was unnerved, it could only be imagined how others felt.


    The first two break was, kind of unsurprisingly, Onheim. He was already frightened by all the deaths around him, and his gang was completely annihilated. He was only briefly emboldened by victories, but in the face of almost certain death, his true face was revealed.


    "Onheim, what are you doing?.. Onheim!"


    With a *clank*, his axe was dropped and abandoned on the ground, and the man himself was on the run, leaving behind the group. Tears and snot streamed down his face as he tried to flee from his doom.


    The key word was ''attempted''.


    The black wolf seemed to meld with the shadows, disappearing into the darkness, before emerging in front of the fleeing man and swinging her claws.


    The man himself was running, but all of a sudden his world seemed to spin, leaving him greatly confused. When his sight stabilized, he saw a headless body stumbling forward before falling over. He was then plunged into eternal darkness.


    The group instead saw him running one moment, and being beheaded in the next. Seeing the manner in which he was killed only added to the panic, which caused the remaining to tremble even harder.


    At the same time, the white wolf already moved behind them, cutting off the path to retreat.


    Marilyn saw the situation and quickly thought of a plan.


    "Anna, Leo, break through the front, make a path. I will hold off the white wolf."


    The one-eyed ranger and sneaky rogue heard and nodded. Even Anna who also trembled in the face of death, refused to give up her life without a fight.


    And soon...


    "Now!"


    Marilyn abruptly turned backward and surged with light gathering on her sword to an adversary covered in white. At the same time, an arrow was loosened from Anna''s crossbow on the move, and Leopold holding a dagger in his hand rushed forward with extreme speed.


    The black wolf avoided the arrow, and once again began to battle with the rogue. Recognition flashed in her eyes, the former foe battling her once more.


    "Remember me eh? Let''s dance!"


    Leopold and Nacht once again began their dance of death. The wolf may have been defeated the previous time, but she has learned and is eager to continue. She is eager to win this time.


    Meanwhile, Marilyn fought against Tag on her own, sword and shield flowing in her hands. She bashed, sliced, and stabbed, occasionally trying to blind her opponent.


    But Tag wouldn''t just stand there and take it. He deftly avoided the strikes, leveraging his size and higher agility. However, his bites were met with a shield, and slashes with his claws were often deflected or dodged.


    Marilyn seemed to lose her perception of everything but the battle in front of her, her vision narrowed down to the wolf in front of her and the weapons in her hands. She instinctively understood that a mistake would be fatal.


    She knew that she would not win on her own, the beast would simply outlast her in terms of stamina, but she knew that she was only stalling for time, biding her time to get help from others when they finish the black wolf.


    The brief moment of thought led to a mistake though. Seeing the incoming wolf she realized that it was too late to escape, so she braced her shield for another biting attack.


    But the white wolf showed his intelligence by merely making the attack seem like a bit, instead bashing into her and sending her flying wide-eyed.


    Marilyn quickly got about her wits and flipped around, stabbing her sword into the ground, trying to stabilize herself. The sword, however, got stuck in the ground, causing her to lose her grip on it.


    She lost her balance yet again and rolled several times on the ground. In this position, she caught sight of Anna and Leo fighting the black wolf, arrows flying, and blades dancing. But in her absentminded state, she noticed a detail.


    "Where... Is everyone?"


    The problem was that she could see ONLY those two, the rest of the group being nowhere to be seen. It didn''t take her long to figure out what happened. They had fled, leaving the three behind to their deaths.


    "Those motherfuckers..."


    Marilyn got back up on her knee before standing up. Her armor was tattered by all the battles, her helmet having been lost after being thrown.


    She stood up with a chuckle which soon broke into a laugh, brown hair covered in dust cascading on her face.


    Marilyn''s steel-colored eyes then refocused on Tag who was approaching her slowly, as if he was in no hurry to finish her off, sure of his victory. The gaze of steel and the gaze of gold met before both foes rushed toward each other once more.


    Marilyn fought with her fist and shield, not even trying to find her sword. She slammed her fist into the side of the beast, before deflecting a claw strike. That left her open, however.


    "Gah-"


    She gasped in pain as she felt jaws clamp down on her shoulder, armor creaking and being bit through. She could almost feel how the metal was creaking under the pressure.


    In those moments she couldn''t help but think.


    ''I was a good leader... Wasn''t I? And yet... And yet!''


    Force once again gathered within her, light surging on her fists, her eyes regaining focus.


    "THOSE COWARDLY BASTARDS!!!"


    With a roar-like scream, she slammed her fist down on the jaw that was clamped onto her.


    "WHY SHOULD I..."


    She again gathered her strength...


    "DIE FOR THEM?!"


    And punched once again. And again.


    Eventually, Tag let go with blood flowing on his jaw from both the wounds inflicted on the woman and by the woman.


    Marilyn herself stood breathing heavily, blood streaming down her arms, eyes bloodshot.


    At the same time, Leopold was still in a dance of death with the black wolf, strikes and dodges being exchanged rapidly.


    As an arrow once again flew towards the wolf, the beast did the unexpected. Instead of dodging the arrow, she lunged towards it. The projectile hit her, but the black wolf was unperturbed, instead surging towards the one who shot it.


    Anna''s eyes widened before she was bodyslammed by the beast, being sent flying with her ribcage cracking.


    The wolf then returned its focus back to the rogue it was battling with previously, her gaze seemingly saying ''Now there are no distractions left''.


    Leopold stared into the eyes of the pitch-black wolf, he could almost see the grin that spread on the face of the beast. He responded with his own which was full of thrill.


    However just as they were about to once again lunge towards each other, they were distracted by an unfamiliar sound.


    Sounds of screeching and wind flowing sounded out of the tunnel leading outside, causing the people and beasts present to look toward the source of the sound.


    It didn''t take long for the perpetrator of the distraction to reveal itself, taking the form of many birds surging into the chamber.


    Their feathers were gleaming like a razor''s edge, blood flying away from them, the sound of their approach giving out a feeling of impending death.

 Chapter 37: Birds and Warmth

    The sounds of wings flapping, screeching, and eventually the glitter of metal caused all combatants who previously struggled for their lives to disengage and look towards the source of the commotion.


    When the source was revealed in the form of dozens, maybe even hundreds of birds, all flying through the tunnel and swarming into the chamber, every living being did what their instincts told them to do, be they man or beast.


    They threw themselves to the ground, clinging to it to be as low as possible, all in order to avoid certain doom.


    And their decision proved correct, their instincts did not lie, as when these birds kept on flying, they flew past the branches and trees up above, their wings sliced through branches and left gashes on the trunks they flew past, shredding vegetation into chunks.


    The birds surged further towards the tunnel downwards, soon leaving the boss room behind.


    What was left of the room, however, was a scene of devastation, almost the entire upper part of the room''s trees was gone, the middle parts of the trunk were covered in gashes, and branches were shredded. The lowest part of the room where the wolves and humans were didn''t suffer as much, but it didn''t go intact either.


    Only a few birds flew through there, but they did, leaving bushes that were cut apart, and inflicting deep injuries on the wolves'' upper bodies, as the beasts were simply too big to be missed entirely.


    Humans went mostly unharmed except for Leopold having a long cut across his back, a result of a rather unlucky occurrence of a bird flying by.


    As the clamor died down, the ones who fought a dozen seconds ago slowly got back up. Among the humans only Anna was more or less capable of fighting, still stubbornly hanging onto her dirt-covered crossbow. Leopold and Marilyn instead had blood streaming down their bodies and standing rather unsteadily.


    On the other side Tag and Nacht were both heavily cut by the swarm, with the top of their bodies being covered in cuts, the white wolf even missing an ear. But both of the beasts were alive and capable of killing.


    Both parties looked each other in the eyes, unmoving, but tense still, uncertain of what to do next.


    The golden-eyed wolf, feeling his own pain, seeing his partner being the same, and seeing the opponents who were still capable of battle, made his decision and howled out briefly.


    All eyes went to him, which included his black-furred partner. She stood still for a moment, before backing away cautiously, still observing the two humans, who shared the same cautious look.


    Upon walking far enough away, she slipped into shadows, disappearing out of the human''s sight.


    The golden-eyed wolf looked at the bleeding woman who stood in a hunched position, breathing heavily, yet still meeting his gaze. A near-unnoticeable glint of respect flashed in his eyes before the light began bending around him as he walked backward, slowly making him disappear. A form of shimmering light could then be seen limping away, drops of blood occasionally seemingly falling out of nowhere.


    The two beasts were soon gone and out of vision, but the humans remained on guard, not understanding the situation.


    As a minute passed with nothing happening, however, the trio relaxed a little. A sigh of relief could be heard as Anna lowered her crossbow.


    "... I should just stop being surprised with this place. First intelligent wolves, and now merciful too? What do you think is going to come next, Marilyn? Elves and dwarves?"


    She chuckled, but her sarcastic comment got no response.


    "Marilyn? Marilyn!"


    Despite the woman standing, she did not respond to her calls. Leopold who remained silent thus far, walked to her slowly, limping slightly from pain. When he arrived near her, however, he merely chuckled, before holding her and gently laying her down, much to Anna''s confusion.


    "What the heck are you doing?"


    "She fainted standing." He pointed to Marilyn''s face, which showed her closed eyes. "Let her rest a little."


    He then heavily sat down on the ground himself, removing the mask covering his lower face, revealing the face of a man in his twenties, possessing a cleanly shaved face.


    He then sighed heavily. "I think I may need a little too. Look after us, will you?"


    Anna was standing confused, as this was the first time she had seen his face, when the rogue fell on his back, fainting as well.


    "Damn it... You two morons." Anna then smirked while looking up at the crystal shining with light above her. "At least you are still alive."


    Holstering her crossbow, she came up to the two before muttering. "Now how am I supposed to look after you?.."


    ----------------------------------------------------


    While the three members of the group who were left behind rested after their hard-fought battles, Lan the Core was dealing with a problem that appeared out of nowhere. In the form of a swarm of bloodthirsty birds.


    ''What the heck?! Couldn''t you see that they had a dramatic moment going? And I didn''t invite you!''


    Despite his protests, however, the birds which amounted to nearly one hundred and fifty total, appeared out of nowhere on the edge of his perception during said battle, before just beginning to swarm downward into his domain, past the first floor and into the boss room. All while shredding everything they flew past.


    Whether it be beast or plant, their razor-sharp wings cleaved all apart, only the walls of the ''dungeon'' resisting their cutting force. Despite all that, they flew down and down, after the boss room they streamed into the second floor, before flying above the forest, trimming the tops of it better than a gardener would.


    The swarm then began circling the central pillar, seemingly attracted towards the crystal of mana within the central pillar. The problem was, that their circling chipped away at the pillar itself, and if they didn''t stop, it would soon collapse.


    ''These bloody birds... They must have come for mana, obviously. And why didn''t I reinforce that pillar too... Still! I can''t let my work be undone. If it''s mana you want, I''ll show you mana.''


    He concentrated mana near his Core, before blasting it outward, the wave of mana sweeping out from the third floor and into the second.


    The birds sensed this thanks to their mana sensitivity which was pretty high apparently, with the crystal distracting them from the flow previously. But now, like sharks smelling blood, they immediately surged downwards toward the tunnel leading there, much to the dismay of all living in the forest below.


    In particular, the four Path Guardians were shredded into pieces before bursting into mana and leaving behind their Heart Cores as the birds flew by.


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    In the boss room, the herd of deer was already away from their path of flight thanks to Lan''s command. As such, the murderbirds surged past the room, down the tunnel, and into the third floor.


    Once they arrived in the new environment, the mana which was even denser all over the place sent the swarm into a frenzy. The birds flew around chaotically, at the same time reveling in mana and having lost their direction. This was within Lan''s plan, as he deliberately improved the mana density temporarily in order for the birds not to seek his Core.


    All that was left was to connect to the newfound arrivals, making them a part of the ''dungeon dwellers''.


    Although Lan was not planning for their arrival at all, their deadliness was proved many times over during their descent, their swarm being comparable to a natural disaster.


    But when Lan began stretching the mental thread towards one of the birds, he was surprised by the difficulty of the connection.


    The birds didn''t seem very intelligent, not displaying any signs of complex thought, the only peculiarity being their sharp wings and swarming behavior.


    According to this, the establishment of a connection should have been easy, but Lan was met with resistance, surprising him.


    Unperturbed, Lan tried the same thing on a different bird but was met with the same result. Trying it over and over on the members of the swarm, he still failed, as if there was more than just that mind resisting him.


    ''Minds... Many... Could it be?''


    As an unexpected thought appeared in Lan''s head, he changed his approach. Instead of weaving individual threads of mental mana, he instead strung many at the same time, forming a massive invisible net, before launching it towards the birds, connecting to each and every one of them.


    This time no such resistance was met, the minds of the avians laid bare before him, and what he felt through that connection confirmed his conjecture.


    ''So that was it!''


    The minds of the birds, their souls, were linked with each other, their instincts and desires being shared and intertwined, forming a network. Or maybe one could call it...


    ''A hive mind?''


    With this, Lan understood the reason for his previous failures with the connection. The amount of mental mana he sent out always corresponded to the mind of an animal, just the right amount to connect, as any more would overwhelm the beast, leaving it as a shell without a soul.


    Lan had tested this on a few insects and rodents before, and as this was far from the desired result, he didn''t cross this limit.


    However, these birds shared mental mana through their connection, as such their defense surpassed the individual capability. But when Lan sent out a connection to every mind simultaneously, this defense was overwhelmed, forming the mental connection.


    And by themselves, the minds of the birds were rather simple, Lan not needing to bargain or negotiate with them like he did with The Huntress. The most peculiar instinct within was their search for mana.


    These birds possessed an exceptional sense of mana, allowing them to sense the concentrations of it from far away. Their usual behavior was to swarm mana-dense places, shredding them and absorbing the ambient mana released from them.


    Lan shuddered, as the implications of what they would have done upon reaching his Core were obvious.


    ''Haa... Good thing I connected to them already. Now they''ll just be a murderbird that doesn''t want to murder me.''


    With that thought, he gave the command to stay on the third floor, at the same time sending out a simple feeling of safety, satiety, and dense mana.


    And that''s all it took for the birds to calm down from their frenzy, once again gathering together, and flying over the jungle that was the third floor.


    Eventually, they settled down on some trees near the lake which Lan previously dug out. Surprisingly enough, the trees remained intact. The birds didn''t like resting on the ground apparently.


    Now that they were still, Lan was able to examine them more closely. These harbingers of death weren''t that big actually, compared to the usual sizes of wildlife that is, only thirty centimeters in length. They possessed mostly black feathers which grew silvery closer to the edges.


    But these very same birds were terrifying thanks to the sheer sharpness and durability of that silvery part, which could be compared to a diamond. One could imagine the value of these feathers if one could get them without being shredded into pieces.


    ''You cute and murderous birdies, I name the Razorwings, due to your obvious trait.''


    Although the name was a little on the nose, Lan was satisfied with the new addition to the third floor. Upon looking around said floor, he noticed an old acquaintance, The Huntress, in her boss''s room, seemingly asleep with mana gathering around her. Swirls of blue and black particles, signifying Water and Shadow, got absorbed into her body. Her evolution was close.


    ''It seems that already strong and smart beasts require more mana for some reason. Still, my gut is telling me that they will evolve into an even stronger version of themselves!''


    Being happy at the thought, Lan didn''t disturb the queen of the jungle from her rest, instead turning his attention to the overall situation.


    The circulation of water was as planned, with various ferns and plants absorbing the excess, growing ever greener, and the water continued to condense before flowing through the river and into the lake. Herbivores munched on various vegetation and carnivores hunted said grass-eaters. All was well, but something was missing.


    ''What is it... Of course. A jungle is supposed to be rather hot, or warm at least.''


    Lan then stared at the crystal which illuminated it all, but provided no heat, unlike the actual sun.


    ''What exactly can I do about it? I got fire mana recently, could that work?''


    Lan didn''t risk experimenting with that crystal directly, instead picking an empty patch of land on the third floor, before making a Mana Crystal there. But he encountered a problem when trying to gather fire mana.


    ''...There is no fire mana.''


    The last time he encountered fire mana was when a forest fire raged above, and with no fire down here, there was no fire mana. With no success being met this way, Lan was forced to alter his thinking.


    ''But fire is supposed to be one of the main elements, is it not? It must be present in nature somehow?''


    Examining the entire third floor for particles of fire mana, he found nothing. Lan then examined the second and first floors, still finding nothing as well.


    Only when he arrived on the surface did he find what he sought, but not in the form he expected.


    On the surface the Tree on the hill stood tall, its leaves which were previously red were gradually regaining their vibrant green colour.


    Lan was observing this, kind of confused as to why they were red in the first place. Upon looking at mana though, the answer was revealed.


    Fire mana was contained within, probably absorbed during the forest fire, with traces of it being mixed in. But fire mana was unnatural to the tree, and it was gradually being expelled and being replaced by Life Mana.


    But it didn''t just disappear into nothingness, no, the whole clearing, even though it was currently night, was very hot, as if it was under a midday sun.


    Lan found the answer upon looking at this phenomenon. It wasn''t Fire Mana but it was Heat Mana.


    ''Of course! Now it all makes sense! There is no such heat underground for this mana to be present, on the contrary, it is somewhat chilly down there. So, to have heat mana I must get heat itself!''


    Looking once more at the crystal on the third floor, Lan was forced to disperse it as it was now filled with life mana. Upon creating a new crystal, Lan began to think about how to get heat mana.


    ''So, do I need to make a fire? But how? I don''t have hands to use flint or twirl a stick.''


    Once again, the answer was obvious.


    ''I am a magic Core, I need to use magic.''


    Lan tried out various means soon after. He tried somehow rubbing particles of mana together, but with them being Earth and Life particles, it didn''t amount to anything.


    Lan then tried out neutral mana, but it stayed true to its name and did nothing.


    With no new ideas, Lan remembered when he first tried to grow his Core.


    ''Maybe mental mana is the answer? It is the most mysterious type of mana to me and I don''t know its full capabilities.''


    Upon remembering about it and the usual method of summoning it, Lan began to call upon it with ideas and thoughts concentrated in that place. And with the amount of mental mana being enormous thanks to all the linked creatures and the constant battles, when he thought about the concepts of heat mana, the air near that crystal began to quickly dry out and heat up.


    Lan soon felt a mild amount of exhaustion that he hadn''t felt in a while, but the empty space within the crystal was soon filled up, and it began to glow in an orange light as if a fire was burning within.


    Seeing his success, Lan continued to ''summon'' more heat mana, and when the surroundings of the crystals were on the verge of combustion, Lan gathered the generated particles and pulled them into the crystal, the light growing brighter, heat beginning to emanate from the crystal itself.


    It was growing stronger and stronger, to the point that grass around it began to catch on fire and dry out, but the light was not that bright in comparison.


    By the time the small vessel reached its capacity, the grass had caught on fire, making Lan hastily extinguish it by gathering water mana. Observing the result, a very hot but not that bright crystal, Lan was slightly disappointed.


    ''It may serve as a source of heat for sure, but not as a source of illumination. It''s lacking light.''


    As he pondered upon the issue, a thought clicked in his Core.


    ''Light? Maybe I need Light mana!''


    But after the idea arrived, it was cooled down by reality.


    ''I don''t have light mana...''


    Lan could be said to audibly groan as a ripple of mental mana tinged with annoyance rose from his Core.


    ''At this rate, I''m going to comprehend the Dao and go against the Heavens...''

 Chapter 38: Light of the Sun

    However much Lan was unwilling to try and attune to yet another type of mana without having mastered even the basic usage of Heat mana, there was no other option in case he wanted to create an artificial sun.


    But to attune to said element, he needed to find an initial source of it first, to feel and understand it.


    That option, however, was temporarily unavailable, as it was currently night on the surface, forcing Lan to find other ways or push the project back for now.


    Lan was unwilling to just give up on it and tried to remember the light and feeling of the sun from back when he was human, and could still see the sun itself instead of just the light it cast on the ground.


    ''Damn, it feels like it has not been that long since I... Died. But at the same time, I barely remember my human days.''


    Freezing at the thought, Lan was startled. He had perfect memory, which he verified many times over. So how the hell was he forgetting something that recent? Lan began racing along his memories, trying to find the source of the problem.


    It didn''t take long to find it, the border between the foggy and crystal-clear memories being rather noticeable. That was the moment of his death and awakening as a Core. All memories before that moment were obscure and quickly being overwritten by new and perfect ones.


    Lan felt quite distressed, as most of his human memories faded to the extent that he couldn''t remember how it felt to have a human body, how food tasted, or the warmth of the light on his skin. Nearly all feelings were gone, only facts like ''That food tasted good'', or ''That person was irritating'' remained, nothing more.


    Only the most vibrant moments shone amongst his fading human side. He remembered the most joyful moments of his life, how his parents spent his time with him, his mother''s obsession with nature, and his father''s love of sailing.


    But that was enough for Lan to sigh in relief. As long as he remembered what defined himself, what made him who he was, and who was dear to him, his form didn''t matter. He may be a human, a sentient rock, or maybe a tree, but he would remain himself.


    As he calmed down, his mental mana which was distressed alongside him settled down as well. But he felt something unexpected. The mental mana which served as a conduit between his Core and the rest of the world seemed to change and seep into other types of mana even further.


    Lan, as if his gaze was sharpened, could feel that he had grown even closer to mana, understanding it even further. He understood that he only partially understood most of the mana.


    For example, heat mana.


    Heat may drain the land of life, and devour everything in a fire,


    But from the ashes left behind, life will be reborn and nurtured in warmth.


    He understood that although he may have been attuned to heat mana, he was only attuned to certain aspects of it, not mastering the element in its entirety. It truly was like the Dao, you may comprehend something, but that something is a part of a greater whole.


    And the fact that his connection, his mental mana, was improved after his contemplation and resolution of the conflict within, meant that he was attuned to it as well. Mental mana was a byproduct and the essence of the soul, and by understanding himself, he understood mental mana.


    The most mysterious kind of mana unraveled its mysteries slowly, ideas appearing from newfound understanding. If these ideas proved true, then his domain, his dungeon would be improved by structures and mechanisms of previously impossible complexity.


    The knowledge of this filled Lan with joy at the prospects of his growth, both in building his domain and himself.


    And thanks to the upgraded connection to the elements, especially the heat mana, opened new solutions to his problems. For example, gathering heat mana would be much easier now, as he could now perceive that it was everpresent as well.


    Heat mana, just like the name suggested, was in everything that contained heat, however little it may be. But generating it by infusing mental mana with the concept had its own advantages, as pulling heat mana out of surrounding (usually living) things pulled the heat directly from them, and this could be quite deadly.


    As mass death of flora and fauna was not what Lan wanted, this remained a questionable option.


    In the end, Lan decided to lay off the light mana attunement until the sun rose up once again, and turned his attention to other things.


    The biggest of them all were the human souls which were still hovering around his Core after being drawn from slain humans, being absorbed at pitiful speeds.


    However, even though the souls were absorbed slowly, the effect could already be noticed, as upon examination of his mind, Lan witnessed his understanding of the German language was much higher than it was before, along with some minor knowledge of surrounding geography.


    Still, it would be much faster to absorb them manually now that he had the time, as his passive absorption was rather slow at this point in time. Lan did exactly that, forgetting briefly about his previous experience.


    He only tugged on three out of seven souls as he managed to pull only these before the part which he didn''t pay attention to began once again.


    Hundreds upon hundreds of scenes began flashing through his mind, chaos of sounds and images blending together into a cacophony of knowledge. It was three times worse than the previous experience, as if multiple people were talking to you at the same time all while music was blasting over them.


    "Hunt...Exploration...Responsibility...Cypress...Home...Defend...Group...Lands...Fire..."


    Different perspectives of the same events eventually began to play out, merging in between themselves, showing flashes of moments when the group was organized and sent out on an expedition. Lan then got to witness how the forest fire erupted, from the perspective of the culprit and the bystanders.


    "What was that... Katie, no!" "The wolf, too fast!" "No! I want to live! I will live-"


    The images then split off, each showing a different perspective of the battles fought. In the end, they showed the demise of the soul''s owner. One of them was bitten by Tag in half, one was ambushed by Nacht, and the last one was beheaded by her as well.


    It was disturbing seeing their deaths from their perspective, how the companions of a woman reached out to her, her vision falling to the ground, seeing her other severed half. An unpleasant experience to say the least.


    But by the time it ended, other than Lan feeling nauseous from the information overload, he found himself in a better position than before he started the absorption.


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    The first reason for this was the knowledge he gained from all that he saw. Although the scenes were many, and shown in a chaotic manner, he memorized them all and categorized them soon after.


    Lan could now be said to be a native German speaker, which he found out was a language often spoken by the members of this group. He also gained knowledge of the purpose of this group and where exactly they came from.


    Confirming his guesses and suspicions, they came here from a town that was his old home - Cypress Town. The town itself bore little resemblance to its old look, with many buildings that he recognized being ruined or replaced in their entirety. Also, there were new additions to it, apparently, the town had a wall and the town''s citadel got turned into a Magic Tower of all things.


    He gleaned many insights from the absorbed memories, confirming once and for all that he was indeed on Earth, but quite some time seemed to have passed since his death, with a tiny addition of a magical apocalypse, no biggie.


    Mentally sighing out, he continued perusing the information. This group was sent here to subjugate a ''Monster Nest'', which they assumed was something entirely different than what he was.


    Other than that, he couldn''t gain much more, as the memories extended for only a brief amount of time backward with the exception of general knowledge, which was imprinted deeply within mental mana.


    Thankfully he still had more souls to absorb, which he got to, but in a more controlled manner, absorbing them one by one rather than all at once.


    And so, four souls were absorbed in rapid fashion, Lan soon getting used to the absorption sequence, the chaotic scenes becoming easier to handle.


    Upon finishing the process, he gained additional knowledge and filled in the gaps at the same time.


    This group was comprised of three separate exploration teams due to the difficulty of the exploration. They were sent out on the command of the ''Tower Master'', a woman possessing high authority in the town, but being rather reclusive.


    Apparently, the mana emitted by his ''dungeon'', a name he liked more and more for his domain, was sensed and subsequently investigated by the first group of humans who returned rather miserably.


    Among all that knowledge, Lan noticed that humans surprisingly lacked in individual strength, relying on numbers rather than prowess. The only path to a human''s progression of strength was the consumption of mana-rich food, which was rare, and the increase was rather small.


    Additionally, they seemed to possess no memory of things like Heart Crystals outside of his dungeon, surprising Lan, and plunging him into thought.


    ''If the humans discovered that either I am a unique source of growth, or at least the one closest to them, then they will continuously send explorations into my dungeon, with gains outweighing the danger within.''


    A metaphorical smile slowly spread on his metaphorical face.


    ''Then doesn''t that mean that I am practically guaranteed to have ''returning customers''?''


    Lan''s growth depended on mental mana, and humans generated a lot of it, especially upon death.


    ''Growth and profit. This is grofit!''


    Still, with continued explorations and delves into the dungeon, the humans would gradually gain strength, and the ability to explore the floors even further down, putting Lan in a bit of a hurry to build more floors, as he didn''t want them to reach his Core in any way.


    ''Speaking of growth... Oh boy.''


    All the mental mana gained and absorbed by intense emotion and the death of humans was very beneficial for Lan''s growth. Not that long before absorbing the souls his growth was at 7 meters in diameter, but now it expanded rapidly to 13 meters, bolstering his growth immensely.


    The mana cycled and circulated by itself at this point, or maybe it was already done on a subconscious level by Lan. Regardless, with the capacity doubling over, mana surged like a tide, filling out the Core and then flowing outwards, expanding to 13 kilometers.


    Lan''s field of perception, his domain expanded rapidly, witnessing the ash-covered forest to the south and west, plains with rivers and lakes in the north, hills, and mountains in the east, and the prairie to the west, a road coming into view at the western fringes of his domain.


    Most astonishing of all, his sight extended into the sky, reaching the clouds above.


    Lan was a bit overwhelmed, being astonished by his own capabilities and natural beauty before rational thinking kicked in.


    ''This is... So inefficient!''


    A lot of Lan''s domain lay in the sky, where he didn''t have the slightest plans to do anything, wasting the space he could influence, as he would expand downwards rather than upwards. But the solution was obvious.


    ''I have to move downwards myself. I need to move my Core somehow.''


    However apparent it was, Lan decided to do things one by one, as he hadn''t yet finished his artificial sun project.


    Also, upon looking at what was his Core Room Lan sighed, blaming himself for forgetting a certain thing. Enormous quantities of mana flowed around the Core, making it emanate light in all directions, with what seemed like glowing mist flowing around it. Rock and stone retreated away from the rather big Core, being infused and eroded by mana.


    A spherical space 70 meters in diameter formed with the Core as the center. Lan was then forced to remake the entrance tunnel to the Core Room, as the previous one was eroded in the process of expansion.


    Metaphorically wiping his sweat, he gazed upon his grand domain, of which the dungeon was a tiny part. On the surface the sun rose, orange rays being brought from beyond the horizon which was unseen to Lan.


    Lan stood mentally atop the Tree on his hill, trying to be there with his entire being. And as the light dawned on the world, Lan observed the morning clouds and the understanding dawned upon him along with the light.


    The Light brought brightness to the world, being Illuminating.


    The world woke up when Light came, Dazzling all living things.


    And yet, if one stared at the Light for too long, one would never see the Radiant Light again.


    As one witnesses the Light and basks in it, one wonders about the journey it took.


    Yet another veil previously preventing Lan from seeing the truth was blown off. Dancing spots of light were now part of his vision, part of the mana he saw.


    The light always moved in various ways, coming from distances untold and from a light source that was close, and never stopped moving. Wherever some kind of light was present, it was present as well.


    Even in dark places, it was a question of quantity of light, as light mana was present there as well.


    Instead of celebrating his success or getting to work immediately, Lan briefly enjoyed the sensation of the newfound feeling. It was indescribable to one who hadn''t experienced it.


    After a brief break, Lan got back to his unending work. As he had gained Light Mana, he could now continue with his Artificial Sun Project.


    Lan turned his attention to the Mana Crystal containing Heat mana on the third floor. But surprisingly enough, it was gone, as some Beast has probably claimed it. Unsurprising.


    Still, Lan now had a space for experimentation. This time he created a larger mana crystal, about a quarter of the size he planned the artificial sun to be. He then began to gather light mana.


    Light visibly gathered around the crystal, the surroundings of it brightening with seemingly no reason. Soon a pure, white light began to emanate from the crystal, it being filled to around half capacity, following Lan''s plan.


    He then began to conjure heat mana with his mental mana, this time the process being noticeably slower, but he didn''t want to kill all life nearby. But with his massively increased mental mana, it was easier to do than the previous time.


    Gradually the crystal which was previously glowing in white now took on an orange tint, like that of a flame. But it shined brightly, illuminating the whole patch of land it was in and beyond, now also gaining a rising temperature.


    As the capacity of the crystal was slowly filled, the orange glow was becoming ever prevalent, and the heat emanated from it ever hotter. When the capacity was finally filled, the heat grew unbearable, all nearby grass turning dry and waning away.


    The light which was tinged with yellow and orange, just like the real sun, now illuminated the surrounding jungle brightly. Lan would spread out his arms in success if he had a body.


    ''YES! PRAISE THE SUN!''


    His project was a resounding success, and all that remained was to install the scaled-up version on the ceiling, giving both light and warmth to the underground jungle.


    Before that, Lan disintegrated the previous crystal so as not to cause a wildfire, but he would have no trouble making it again as he perfectly remembered the process.


    On the ceiling, Lan carved out and infused a chunk of rock, turning it into a mana crystal. He decided to be a bit more creative this time, making it in a rhombus shape, being connected to the ceiling with stone vines, as if suspended in them.


    He then began to fill the transparent crystal with colors of heat and light, this time simultaneously, not being afraid of messing up.


    As the crystal once again gained the color of the sun, it heated up rapidly, before becoming scorching hot. When the capacity of the crystal was reached, Lan was forced to reinforce the decorative vines so that they did not turn into slag.


    After doing so, a wonderful scene lay before his eyes: A bright light shining out on the grounds below, illuminating and warming them. The shadows cast by the stone vines around it formed a pattern with shadows on the ground, adding an air of mystery.


    Finally, after all the holdups and challenges, a Sun shone underground, illuminating the Dungeon.

 Chapter 39: Interlude: The Adventurous Mouse

    When the first Magic Beast of the dungeon appeared, the first sound it let out wasn''t a roar of dominance, but a squeal, one filled with joy and thankfulness. As the Heart Core of the rather small beast formed, its instincts changed and became something more: Thoughts.


    And when the reverberating voice of the Great One sounded in its mind, leaving a mark and declaring the name of the creature, which was a small mouse, it, no, he understood.


    ''I... Am... Remy!''


    Remy awoke from the slumber of oblivious instinct, ascending further than it probably ever would otherwise. And now, staring upon the walls of dirt of his little burrow with a far clearer mind than before, he recognized his previous inferiority.


    Although he didn''t know much, he knew that the Great One was mighty, and was the one to thank for the clarity of the mind.


    Even in the blurry memories of the past, Remy seemed to remember a moment of absolute fear and then... Nothingness. However, as he returned to the light, the voice of the Great One spoke out words that were too profound for him to comprehend. Still, now Remy knew that he was pulled out of the Ever-dark by the Creator-Master.


    And now he felt the connection to everything around him, feeling other lesser ones, who, just like him until recently, wandered on their basic instincts.


    As for him, not only was his mind ascended by the grace of the Great One, but Remy also felt a force contained within himself, ready to be used, an unfamiliar instinct tugging on it, begging for it to be used.


    Upon doing so, Remy felt something flow out from his chest and spread all around his body, then seeping into the ground. Then he felt a connection to the ground, and following his thought, a claw made of dirt erupted, piercing out, its power like that of a beast he once ran away from, for it too erupted from underground.


    ''This is... A gift-blessing by Great-Master!''


    Unfamiliar with thinking, Remy''s thoughts were rather slow, but each one was sharper and more coherent than the previous.


    The ascended mouse kept using his power, being in wonder of his newfound might. Eventually, he managed to even make the earth-claws shoot out of the ground in a certain direction, his inspiration this time was a plant which once fired its thorns at him, wounding him greatly at that time.


    Eventually, though, he felt an empty feeling in his chest, and upon trying to draw on that blessing more, Remy found out that he couldn''t, feeling excruciating pain instead, causing him to curl up with a squeal.


    After some time had passed, the pain went away, but Remy didn''t move, afraid that the Creator-Master had taken away the blessing because Remy was too weak for it.


    Eventually, though, he felt warmth return gradually, being a fraction of what it once was, but growing back steadily.


    Relieved at the fact that he wasn''t abandoned, he fell into deep sleep.


    Upon awakening once again, Remy felt hunger, which caused him to set out of his burrow in search of food. What greeted his sight was a small stream of water flowing not far away, but Remy was looking in astonishment at what greeted his sight.


    What he previously considered either simply some kind of an obstacle or a place to take shelter under, now turned out to be a towering giant of impossible size, others of its kind stretching upward nearby as well.


    Up above they turned from brown to green, their hairs spreading out and producing some kind of quiet sound as they moved around. Terrified, Remy froze immediately. However, after remaining so for a good minute, those giants didn''t move or attack him, just like before. It also caused Remy to think about whether they had ever moved, and he didn''t think so at least.


    So Remy continued his journey, taking a sip from the flowing water before setting out to explore where he lived with his new mind.


    At first, he tried to find where the blue glow was coming from, as it seemed to shine from one direction. He found a place he seemed to recognize, a grey... Giant? Stood, and from the middle of it, the light shone. Remy was forced to soon move away, however, as there were other beasts gathered there, which now gazed towards him with hostility.


    Remy retreated while feeling bitter. Although he was blessed and ascended, and they were of lesser minds, their forms were greater than his, stronger than him.


    This, however, caused a determination to ignite within Remy, determination to make the most of the blessing given to him, and to make the Great One proud!


    As such, in the following times, the little mouse studied all it came across with a curious eye. He went everywhere around, finding out what lay around him. When he eventually came across a place where the light shone no longer, he explored it with ever-greater curiosity.


    That lasted until he was almost eaten by a big eight-legged creature, only surviving thanks to piercing it with an earthen claw, curiosity giving way to caution. Remy also learned to hide in the darkness and move slowly, sometimes even attacking unnoticed. He learned to hunt properly, not just scavenging for seeds and other kinds of feed.


    This also caused him to gradually overcome his newfound fear of the place where the eight-legged creatures dwelled, often hunting them in turn due to the grudge he now had against them.


    As such he gradually climbed the food chain, far surpassing his former position. With earth erupting under his command, and him hiding in the shadows, he was a hunter, not prey.


    After finding more uses for his power, such as making the earth turn muddy under his opponent''s feet, he began to hunt even those bigger and stronger than him. He decided that his mind was also a strength, and a strong body didn''t guarantee victory.


    With such thoughts, he once tried attacking a boar that he often ran away from. As a result of going into that battle with no other preparation than his confidence, Remy lost after giving some injuries to the boar but being injured himself in turn.


    This encounter, in which the boar often brute-forced its way through the mud he created, spikes created from the earth often shattering on its hide, taught Remy that sometimes the body could overpower the mind.


    Still, he didn''t give up, and instead thought that he could simply improve his body and mind as well. As such, he hunted and consumed, growing stronger and stronger, the amount of power he could pull from within gradually increasing as well.


    With the newfound strength, he once again challenged the boar, but this time Remy was faster and stronger as well. The battle ended in his victory at the cost of a few wounds, proving that although he grew stronger, the boar was growing stronger as well. As such, Remy became determined to stay strong and he hoped to never disappoint his creator.


    But this also caused him to remember how he felt the Creator''s Breath gather in the tunnel that led above, somewhere he didn''t really like to be, as he felt further from the Great One than where he was currently.


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    Back then he was focused on hunting and furthering his own abilities rather than the exploration of what lay beyond his immediate surroundings. Now that he achieved his short-term goal, however, Remy now wanted to check what had attracted the Creator''s attention.


    Upon reaching the tunnel, Remy stepped in apprehensively, before cautiously beginning the ascent upwards. Soon enough he emerged in an open space, though much smaller than the one he lived in, with light shining from above instead of embedded in the middle of a giant piece of rock, which Remy found out wasn''t a living giant at all.


    What made him feel curious the most though, was a feeling of connection leading somewhere to the side, just like how he vaguely felt those with lesser minds, but this connection was... Greater.


    Following it, an opening in the rock came into view, from where Remy felt a strong sense of danger, greater than even the depths of the no-light place, where he didn''t dare venture.


    But the connection led there, and Remy simply couldn''t resist his own curiosity.


    However, he was forced to freeze, as two glints of light shone from within the dark, locking onto him. Remy felt his blood run cold, remembering the moment when he was pulled into the Ever-Dark.


    A great beast of white walked out of the opening, the bright eyes of it peering into Remy. Just as it seemed about to lunge at him, it stopped.


    Remy felt an unfamiliar presence at the edge of his mind, before a voice, or rather a series of intents and images mixed with a voice, sounded within his mind.


    ''Who. You. Intruder. Mark of. Strong.''


    Remy understood only part of it, being more bewildered how another beast spoke like the Great One. Although compared to the overwhelming presence of the Creator-Master, this beast spoke in a much more unfocused and unclear way.


    However, Remy wasn''t given much time to ponder, as the beast continued its approach due to a lack of an answer.


    ''Answer!''


    Flinching at the growing hostility and the threat of impending doom, Remy tried to pull through the connection between them, finally understanding that this beast- no, ascended was blessed by the Great One as well.


    ''I am the blessed of the Great One, same as you.''


    The white colossus halted, tilting its head, clearly not having expected a proper response. Then, it sent a question through the connection.


    ''Who? Great... One?''


    Remy then tried to explain how the Great One is the one who gave them their blessings, the one who watches, and the one who creates.


    At first, the ascended beast didn''t seem to understand, clearly confused, before it finally realized that the ''Strong'' it talked about was the ''Great One''. The further exchange then revealed that Tag, which was the name given to him by the creator, also sensed Remy''s strengthened link, and as such was rather wary, and didn''t approach until Remy came too close.


    Remy also got to know that Tag had a partner, who often preferred to stay in the dark, and she was named Nacht. Another curious detail was that the Great One called them both ''wolves'', which seemed to be some other kind of name. Remy wondered what other names he had as well.


    Remy was pleasantly surprised by the fact that he found other ascended creatures, and thanks to the link shared between them, strengthened by the fact that both Remy and Tag had names, he was excited that he found someone to ''talk'' to. Although Tag was a bit better in that thanks to the fact that he had a partner.


    Eventually, though, Remy returned to where he came from, not wanting to test the limits of the patience of the wolf. Still, the fact that there were other ascended creatures excited him greatly, causing him to set out on a search for them after a rest.


    Remy scoured the whole ''forest'', which he found out the name of when the Creator''s thoughts echoed here along with his presence. It seemed that due to the Creator giving Remy a name, Remy seemed to sense his presence, and along with it, his thoughts. But Remy couldn''t try and listen to them for too long, as his feeble mind grew overwhelmed by the Great One rather quickly.


    Still, amidst the ''trees'' and ''rocks'', everywhere along the ''stream'' of ''water'', he didn''t sense anything like a connection similar to Tag''s.


    So, apprehensively, he decided to go deeper. Remy still had a remnant fear of the place below, as one time, before his ascension, he remembered the time when he was caught by a giant predator and toyed with as it flung him around and flipped him just for the sake of it, letting him go for some reason afterward.


    This left behind a lingering fear which caused him to never venture down there again. But his search prevailed over his fear. Following the Creator''s Breath, he went where it was even more prevalent, all while either scaring away or avoiding predators.


    As he drew closer, he sensed a familiar kind of connection, signifying an ascended one nearby.


    Emerging from the undergrowth, he saw a herd of large creatures staying in a clear patch of land, the connection leading to the biggest of them. That creature had a strong sense of power around it, and Remy felt greater danger from it than he did from Tag.


    At the same time, the ascended beast turned its head toward him, clearly sensing him as well. This time Remy initiated the connection upon sensing the wary mood of it and witnessing power course through the... ''Horns'' on top of its head.


    ''Calm your anger, fellow Blessed. I mean no harm to you... Or your herd.''


    The arcs of power died down, and soon Remy once again felt the connection tug at his mind, this time a clear voice and intent rang out.


    ''Curious. This is the first time this one feels another speak other than the Protector.''


    ''Of course, for few are blessed by the Great One. I was given the name ''Remy'', may I ask yours?''


    ''Name? Ah. The Protector often calls this one ''Lorn''. The Protector said that the meaning of this name holds power and sharpness.''


    Another conversation soon followed. It was much easier, as the mind of Lorn seemed to be sharper than that of Tag. Remy understood the spoken meaning much easier, and as such got to know much more, some of which shocked him.


    ''You were here before the Great Burrow was dug? But why then are you still this far away from the Great One? Why not go deeper?''


    ''This one is not worthy. Not strong enough.''


    ''But how? You are by far the strongest I have seen!''


    ''This one was bested by a stronger one. The strong one went below, this one can feel them below. They are stronger than me still. This one will stay here and guard one''s herd.''


    This way Remy found out that an even stronger being lives below, his apprehension returning once again. If he went below, what if the ascended one there wasn''t as amicable? Wouldn''t he be killed instantly? Such thoughts caused him to delay his descent, as he wouldn''t go down without greater strength.


    The following times were once again filled with the pursuit of strength. Remy furthered his control over his blessing, the power, and flexibility over his gift becoming ever greater.


    He also sometimes visited both Tag and Lorn, who both preferred to stay where they were, not wandering like he was. One day, however, his visit to Tag was interrupted by an unexpected factor.


    The air in the Tag''s ''room'' was filled with the smell of blood and battle, a rather familiar smell to Remy.


    Worried for his fellow Blessed, Remy hurried along towards the dwelling of Tag''s, only to find him staring in at light filled with the Creator''s presence, causing Remy to stop at a distance. From this light Nacht emerged, Tag''s partner who he saw once or twice during his visits. Soon after her appearance, Great One''s presence disappeared. Remy then worked up the courage to ask Tag what happened.


    Although the wolf looked tired and also rather annoyed at the interruption what Remy then got to know was a reunion. As for the reason for it, it turned out that Nacht had been killed.


    Although thanks to the Creator''s grace she was brought back from the Ever-Dark, the fact remained that something strong enough to kill her came down here. Tag then told Remy of strange invaders walking on two limbs, wielding strange and hurtful claws, being fast and nimble.


    Although there were only four of them, and they were defeated by Tag and Nacht, they were able to kill Nacht and injure Tag, all while getting away alive.


    Remy was startled at such news, as the appearance of such a strong predator never meant something good. His motivation to become stronger was empowered further.


    Sometime later, when he was on a regular hunt/training, Remy sensed a disturbance in the forest, coming from the tunnel that came from above. And there, he witnessed them. Walking on two limbs, covered in shining carapace, like an insect. They also seemed to hold sharp claws and other weird things.


    There were a lot of them, and they let out various strange sounds between themselves as some form of communication. Remy figured that it may be similar to his link with other Blessed. Those invaders seemed to look everywhere and as they observed the forest, Remy observed them.


    He continued to watch how eventually the eight-legged ''spiders'' clashed with them, with the invaders winning by fighting in strange ways. Some seemed to be strong and fast, and some even seemed to shoot out their own thorns, bewildering Remy and making him even more wary.


    He continued to stalk them from the shadows, following their battles, studying them. What startled him greatly was the fact that none of their minds seemed to be lesser. But however strong they may be, they were no match for the might of those who lived under the Creators'' watch.


    As some of the creatures died along the way, the remaining ones decided to run away, unaware of the everpresent mouse that stalked them. They then returned and disappeared in the tunnel leading up, where Remy stopped the pursuit.


    Remy then felt the connection to Tag that was severed for a time return, the Creator pulling the wolf back from Ever-Dark, so he understood that if Tag couldn''t do anything, then he wouldn''t be able to either.


    Instead, Remy was greatly interested in studying the dead of the invaders closer, he wanted to understand their secrets, perhaps even grasping some for himself.

 Chapter 40: The Returning Journey

    "Now if you ask me what I am most wary of down there, then I have multiple answers for you. Although the Architect is a rather creative guy who I''d love to talk with, and he cooks up various shit that''s usually either beautiful or deadly, often both, at least you know what to expect. On the other hand, our fellow delvers are not so predictable. One day you might be fighting side by side like companions out of a legend, and the next you might be stabbed in the back by that very same companion for some piece of loot or a bunch of Monster Cores. You know what they say, humans are fickle beings."


    -Words said by one of the veteran delvers, 45 AA


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    Marilyn opened her eyes and sat up with a groan, pain enveloping her whole being.


    "Huh... I am not dead."


    What greeted her sight was the very same room where she fought and was prepared to die in, a crystal shining with blue light being as bright as ever above her.


    Marilyn checked out her condition and immediate surroundings. She herself was covered in bandages, and her armor was taken off, allowing Marilyn to see that her whole body was covered in various bandaged wounds: big and small.


    Just as she jerked at the unsafe feeling of being unarmored, she heard a familiar voice, along with noticing Anna who was sitting near her, with her back supported by a tree trunk.


    "Finally awake I see."


    Anna''s voice was rather quiet as if moving her chest pained her greatly.


    "Yeah... Are you alright? Did we win?"


    Anna chuckled in response, her face scrunching up in pain, before responding.


    "...Shit that hurts. Well, if you could call having almost every rib cracked alright, then yeah, I am fine."


    The ranger then revealed her ribcage, which had armor removed, only being protected by light cloth. Marilyn flinched as the skin was revealed to be covered in bruises in various shades of red and purple.


    "As for whether we won? I dunno."


    "What do you mean? Did those... Birds get the wolves."


    "That''s the fun part. They didn''t. The two fuckers survived and could''ve easily ripped us apart, as you were unconscious, Leo got cut as well, and me... You can see how I turned out."


    Anna then briefly stared somewhere beyond the treeline opposite of her, toward the shadows beyond.


    "Well, the white one apparently decided to go back and lick its wounds and left us alone. The black one followed after. And so, Leo passed out, you passed out, and I had to look after you two for quite a bit."


    Marilyn furrowed her brows. The two beasts were clearly intelligent and capable of making rational decisions. But what unsettled her most was that they fought seemingly the same beasts twice. The two wolves looked the same and acted the same as the ones they killed. Marilyn thought of this and asked.


    "Anna, your party fought these wolves before, right?"


    "Yeah, why are you asking?"


    "I know it sounds strange, but did the wolves recognize you in any way? How did their behavior differ?"


    Anna''s face turned serious, brows furrowing as well.


    "Now that you mention it... I''m pretty sure the black one did."


    "How so?"


    "Well, when we fought them together with you, that wolf gunned past most of the rangers straight for me. Took my eye too. I think it may have been unhappy with me taking its eye the previous time."


    The woman pointed towards a bandage covering her left eye, a sad smile emerging on her face.


    "So, I guess we will need to deal with vengeful and immortal wolves in the near future. Oh, and they can probably also learn from their mistakes. How wonderful."


    The conversation then came to a halt, a crackling of a campfire that was between them being the only sound except some distant roars.


    Abruptly, Marilyn looked around and noticed something amiss.


    "You said Leo didn''t die yeah? Where is he then? I don''t see him here."


    Anna pointed towards the tunnel leading out of the dungeon. "He went out."


    Marilyn raised her brows in surprise. "You mean he abandoned us? Leopold isn''t one to do such things."


    "Nah, once he woke up before you he stood up and told me that he would get his party to help us get out of here, as the two of us aren''t really in a state to do so."


    "But I thought that those cow- I mean our teammates ran away?"


    "Well, he said that they were told to get out and wait for him outside. Apparently, it wasn''t the first time he had to finish things on his own. But his guys are a reliable bunch."


    Marilyn could only snort at such praise, remembering her own ''teammates'' who ran away without looking back once an opportunity was present. She wished she had a better eye for people.


    Still, now there was nothing to do but wait for Leopold to return. In her boredom, Marilyn recalled the power she gained by absorbing the crystal of the white wolf, and how she used it in a different way during their ''rematch''.


    So far she had learned to let it out in a burst, to make a blinding flash of light. But she clearly remembered how when she fought barehanded in her anger at the betrayal, the woman had gained a boost in power with light enveloping her fists.


    Although back then it was some kind of a subconscious application of it, Marilyn understood the usefulness of such a thing and tried to use it on her own. To do so, she tried to feel that warmth, that mana within herself.


    It took her a while, but vaguely, she felt a faint sensation of that mana, as if another heart pulsed within her weakly. This sensation seemed to be most prevalent within her heart.


    Enchanted by the newly discovered feeling, she subconsciously directed it to her arm. Upon noticing how light rapidly gathered on it, it was too late. Light flashed out, and blinded her upon catching her unprepared.


    As Marilyn groaned, covering her eyes, she also felt a curse-filled shout from her side.


    "Ah, shit! Marilyn! Warn me when you try to do your parlor tricks again! I only have one eye left, I don''t want to go completely blind!"


    "Sorry!"


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    Marilyn then gradually regained her sight, and sure enough, Anna glared at her with anger. She then vowed to be more careful and warn Anna beforehand, in case the ranger tried to ''even out their eye count''.


    This time Marilyn tried to go about sensing and manipulating mana more slowly, trying not to get lost in the wondrous sensation, consciously and slowly moving it. To her annoyance, the mana seemed to be stubborn, and it was hard to move it without relying on instinct.


    Although she already knew that she was no mage, Marilyn refused to just give up on controlling her new power. And so, slowly and gradually, Marilyn followed the currents of mana flowing within her, gently trying to push it where she wanted it.


    Eventually, after an unknown amount of struggle, she slowly managed to push a small amount of that new kind of mana toward her fist without letting it erupt in a flash. As a reward for her efforts, all that she got was a weak glow on the surface of her skin, with no feeling of newfound strength present.


    In turn, Marilyn now had to wipe her sweat-soaked brows and deal with a pounding headache that she had gained, the effort far outweighing the reward. She laid down on her back once again, feeling lethargic despite waking up recently.


    Anna watched her in schadenfreude, at Marilyn''s attempts at mastering the magic or whatever that was because of all the times she almost blinded her with that light, and totally not because Anna herself didn''t get any cool new powers.


    So, the two women continued to wait and rest, one injured and one exhausted. Thankfully they didn''t have to wait for that long, as they soon heard the familiar sound of footsteps upon grass, and saw Leo walking towards them along with a few people.


    Other than the rogue himself, four other people followed him. Marilyn recognized all of them, three of the four were members of Leopold''s squad, but the last person surprised her.


    "Beatrice?"


    Indeed, the last of them was the rather timid healer girl who was formerly a part of Marilyn''s party. To be honest, with her timid personality, Marilyn expected the girl to be the most likely one to run away, certainly not returning into the danger zone.


    The girl in question seemed to notice her gaze and started to fidget awkwardly.


    "H-hi again M-Marilyn."


    "I didn''t expect you to return, Beatrice."


    An awkward silence then hung, which was then interrupted by a member of Leo''s party, a ranger among them, if one didn''t count Leo who was more of a rogue. Said, man ruffled Beatrice''s hair much to her bewilderment, and spoke.


    "Eh, don''t intimidate the kid! You should''ve seen how she was trembling in her boots after getting out!"


    Along with Beatrice''s face rapidly reddening, he continued.


    "Haha! But then she worked up the courage and said ''Let me join you! I can''t leave Mary behind!'' Were she a boy I would''ve thought she has fallen for you!"


    Beatrice, whose face was now completely red, buried her face in her robes, other members started to laugh as well, causing even Marilyn to chuckle. Leopold, however, had as stoic a face as ever, making it impossible to guess what was going on in his head. Instead, he waited for everyone to calm down before saying his part.


    "The path to the surface is clear. We will escort you. We depart in an hour."


    Perhaps he noticed that the women were exhausted, or maybe on a whim, one would never know.


    While the boisterous party of three and Marilyn found some common topics to speak and laugh about, Anna awkwardly sat under the tree, any laugh costing her a pang of pain. She then looked toward Beatrice who stood to the side, and called out.


    "Hey, you. Beatrice, right?"


    The healer jerked her head up and noticed Anna. She slowly nodded.


    "So I suppose you''re a mage, right? Mind fixing me up?"


    Beatrice then noticed the various marks of injury on Anna, and hurried over, all while mumbling about ''How could I not notice'' and ''I am a worthless healer''. She then sat down on her knees, and gently connected her palms with Anna''s stomach, starting to channel her mana.


    As a green light enveloped her hands, various cuts quickly closed up and bruised skin regained its natural color. More serious wounds like broken ribs required direct contact not to waste mana, which resulted in yet another awkward moment, but the two got through it somehow.


    Beatrice then also healed up Marilyn before exhausting her mana and sitting down to rest as well.


    However, the promised hour soon passed and Leopold once again showed up from only he knew where, along with a single sentence.


    "Let''s get moving."


    Rather reluctantly yet swiftly, everyone packed up and began to follow the rogue out of the boss room, much to Anna''s relief, who swore they were being observed and said that it would be best to move before the wolves changed their mind.


    With Leopold in front, the worn and torn party didn''t face much trouble getting through the First Floor. To be fair they could just fight their way through whatever they came across, but they have already fought too much down here. So, the rogue led them around anything hostile that they may have otherwise encountered.


    Upon exiting through the opening leading outside, they were once again greeted by the sight of a tree towering above them, and surprisingly, lush grass and green trees, which looked as if the fire never happened. However, if one walked further away, the greenery gave way to ashes once again, with only sprouts emerging from the burnt ground.


    "Is it just me or is this some dungeon fuckery again?"


    As Anna looked with a rather tired eye, pointing towards the lush grass near the tree, she once again got the answer from the talkative ranger, who was named Rob.


    "Well, I guess you could say that. A funny story: while we were waiting outside, we were quite literally watching grass grow. If you cut some near the tree it grows back damn near instantly."


    Anna glanced back at the tree and the opening that they were quickly leaving behind them as they walked.


    "This place is the most dangerous and at the same time the most bizarre one I''ve ever been in."


    "That''s for sure, lady, that''s for sure."


    The group of seven walked along the forest which was recovering from the fire which Onheim and his goons had caused, talking all the while.


    "Where did the other two go? You know, from Marilyn''s party."


    "They ran away, what else? The cowards said that they ain''t going to rescue dead people. Pathetic. When we get back to Ol'' Cypress, you three are probably going to be listed as dead."


    "That''s going to be a pain to explain. For them and for us."


    Eventually, the forest was left behind, the sun shining from above, the heat being unbearable although it was August. With no shade from the trees, it was a rather unpleasant experience.


    Anna, however, hit it off with Rob who had a lot of stories to share, being a member of one of the most unpredictable exploration teams.


    "So like, what made you believe that Leopold would come out alive, even though you saw how overwhelmed we were?"


    "Cause we have seen what he can do. Oh! There was that one time when we were scouting out a monster nest, yeah? So he was all like ''I''m going to scout ahead''."


    Anna chuckled at the botched impression.


    "And then he comes back to us, covered in blood, saying that we will return back to the town. When we ask why, he says that the monster boss was too weak to waste the effort of the squad, so he took it on by himself. Tsk tsk. Can you believe it?"


    The image indeed fit what she knew about Leopold, so Anna listened further.


    "Then we come in, and everything''s slaughtered, boss''s head cut clean off. I''m telling you, our Leo is badass. Oh, and there was also that time when we..."


    Eventually, the other members of the party also joined in the storytelling, telling of their explorations and hunts, only Leo himself silently leading the way, the barest of hints of a smile tugging on his lips, and even that was concealed by his facemask.


    As the sun was setting on the horizon, shadows lengthening and orange glow enveloping the earth, the walls in the middle of aged ruins greeted the party of seven in the distance. Eager to get back home, they sped up their pace.


    Upon reaching the gates they walked in just as it was closing for the night. Rob, being like he was, loudly thanked the guards for letting them in.


    Most of the city was now quiet, only the occasional glow of a candle being visible through the windows. As the electricity was mostly unavailable, generators and fuel for them being a luxury, the towns that could boast of nightlife thirty-six years ago, were now covered in darkness and silence.


    Thankfully their destination was the Magic Tower, and unfortunately for the workers of it, it was open 24/7.


    Rob took the lead and opened the doors to it, speaking out with a loud voice.


    "Wakey wakey Laura! Time to earn your pay!"


    As for the target of his greeting, the party soon saw a receptionist with her head face-down on a desk, her black hair sprawled all over it. And then, groaning like an undead woken from her slumber, she lifted her face with an equally dead expression.


    "Rob? That you? Damn it, give me a second."


    Laura then fumbled in her desk, before taking out a flint and lighting a pair of candles that were present on the desk. Following that, she looked at the arrivals and said groggily.


    "Hello and welcome to the magic tower how may I help you..."


    Focusing on some of them, however, she exclaimed.


    "Wait, Anna is that you?! I thought you were dead!"


    She abruptly stood up from her chair and seemed to be prepared to leap over the desk. But in her attempt to do so, her long hair passed by a candle and caught on fire.


    After a series of curses and frantic extinguishing, the receptionist calmed down and asked her friend who she thought was dead in a more reserved manner.


    "So, uh, Anna, I''m really glad to see you, but I genuinely thought you were dead. Stacy really looked like she was about to kill someone and Johann was all gloomy after it was reported. But, seeing how you''re..."


    Laura glanced at Anna''s covered eye.


    "...More or less fine, do you mind telling me what happened that only half of the expedition returned?"


    Instead of Anna, Marilyn answered, as she was supposed to be some kind of leader.


    "Well, it is kind of a long story, and you may want to call the higher-ups for it."


    At the mention of the higher-ups, Laura''s expression sank.


    "Do you really need me to wake them? Especially the Tower Master? Please, I want to live a little longer!"


    Seeing the serious looks on the faces opposite her, Laura sat down dejectedly.


    "Fine... Don''t expect them to be happy though."

 Chapter 41: The Meeting of Elites

    After the receptionist who worked the night shift went away and up into the Tower to wake up the needed people, the group didn''t wait long for them to be invited as well.


    As such, Laura came down the stairs and spoke out while rubbing her forehead and walking towards them.


    "Alright, although the higher-ups weren''t that happy with me waking them up dead in the middle of the night, the meeting has been arranged. You can go ahead, they are waiting for you in the conference room. It is on the fifth floor by the way."


    The receptionist then walked past the group and towards the exit of the building.


    Anna lifted her eyebrow in response.


    "You aren''t coming with us?"


    "No, this I''m pretty sure that I''m not privy to what you''re going to discuss there. Plus, I was told to invite your party members as well. Wouldn''t want the news about your survival to reach them any later, would we?"


    With that, Laura walked out of sight and disappeared into the darkness outside.


    Marilyn and Leo then took the lead of the group as they walked towards the stairs and up into the tower, being familiar with the way due to often being called there due to their exploits and discoveries.


    Although at night the light of the moon shone through the windows as they ascended, the candles, which were present in various alcoves on the walls, weren''t lit this late into the night, causing the group to ascend in the quiet and darkness, with only Rob trying to lighten up the mood.


    "Whew, that''s the first time I''m walking this high up myself! It''s either the top explorers that report directly to the Tower Master or the eggheads who practically live here get to be this high up. Still, don''t know if we''re lucky or not to be called up here."


    Anna spoke up. "Why so?"


    "Well." He chuckled. "Lucky because it means you''ve made an important discovery, and are likely to be rewarded."


    "Unlucky, because it also means that this discovery might also pose an existential threat to the town, and that''s no fun to deal with. Trust me on this."


    The rest of the brief ascent was spent in silence, with only the squeaking of the stairs being audible. As they went past sections of the staircase, doors leading into the various rooms on the floors they went past being closed, they quickly got to the fifth floor, a double door standing before them, light shining from under it.


    Marilyn came forward to it before turning around and speaking to the group.


    "Behind this door are the most important people in this town, so please show respect whatever you do. Although they are rather amicable I would like to get past this with no incidents, understand? Looking at you, Rob."


    "Yeah, I got it. Don''t piss off the boss of my boss and I will be fine. Sounds easy enough."


    The rest of the remnants of the exploration party simply nodded in response to Marilyn''s suggestion.


    The woman in question then turned to the doors, took a deep breath, and pushed them open.


    Surprisingly enough, they let out nary a sound when being opened despite their size. What came into view was a room of moderate size, with multiple windows reinforced with stone looking out into the town. In the middle of the room stood a "§±"-shaped table, with three chairs present near the upper table and five chairs each near the opposing tables.


    Only two of the three chairs opposite the group were occupied.


    One was occupied by an elderly man who was mostly bald, possessing a nicely-trimmed beard, wearing a shirt covered in a jacket, and also wearing casual slacks. Overall he exuded a friendly atmosphere with wrinkles near his eyes suggesting that he often smiled.


    In front of him, on the table, a wooden plaque was engraved. It read:


    "Joseph Larring, Lead Researcher of Mana"


    In the second of two chairs, the central one, a woman with green eyes and raven-black hair cascading down her shoulders sat. The mature woman was wearing a white coat, under which a black blouse was visible. If one added a pair of glasses then she would look like a model scientist. However, the aura around her sharply contrasted with that of Joseph''s.


    She exuded a feeling of apathy, only logic and pragmacy having value in her mind. In front of her was yet another plaque, which read:


    "Matilda Stein, Tower Master and Lead Researcher on monster biology"


    The empty seat on her side had a plaque in front of it as well, giving a clue to who was supposed to be there.


    "Lucian Badura, Chief Hunter, and Explorer"


    However, from the dust present on it, it seemed that no one used it in a while.


    While some among the group were gawking, the old Researcher Joseph spoke out while gesturing with his hands.


    "Welcome. Although it was a bit unpleasant to be woken up so abruptly, we came to know that you have valuable knowledge to share. Please, take your seats." He waved his hands toward the seats near the opposing tables, which had no name plaques in front of them.


    Following this, the various group members took their seats, with Marilyn and Leopold taking seats closest to the leaders of the town, the seats being opposite to each other. Other members took the remaining seats, with Anna sitting next to Marilyn, with Beatrice sitting down next to her.


    On the other side, the members of Leo''s party sat, with Rob being closest to the rogue.


    Seeing that everyone settled down, the old man continued, all while the woman who was the Tower Master remained silent, her eyes seemingly studying each member of the group.


    She ended up staring with a sparkle of curiosity at Marilyn and Leo, before also noticing Beatrice, feeling something different about them. Meanwhile, the researcher who looked like a kind grandpa continued, clearing his throat.


    "It is nearly a week ago that our mana-sensors felt and reported a mana wave which usually only happens when a monster boss is formed. Usually, it would take a single hunting party to exterminate such a beast, but this time this wave was much stronger, causing us to send out our most capable exploration party to investigate the exact circumstances."


    While saying this his gaze focused on Anna in particular, upon noticing her bandaged eye it was filled with pity.


    "But we all know how that went. Our dear Ranger over there returned half-dead, the famous ''Berserker'' Stacy lost an arm, and my grandson, Ian Larring, had to sacrifice his ability to wield magic, still not waking from his slumber."


    Joseph''s voice trembled at the mention of his grandson, worry being audible. After taking a deep breath, he continued.


    "So, after obtaining limited information, we sent out three parties for exploration and, if possible, extermination of the Monster Nest that you''ve come back from. The ''Reckless Axes'' led by now-deceased Onheim Nilding, who was one of the best close-combat warriors. The ''Shieldbearers'' led by Marilyn Weld, renowned for her teamwork, and the ''Cloaks'' led by Leopold Burns, whose skill in stealth is unparalleled."


    Rob then humphed, speaking out "Well see how that turned out...", earning himself a glare from Marilyn.


    Joseph fortunately didn''t take offence, continuing with his speech.


    "...Yes, how our friend there speaks, the result ended up in a disaster. ''Reckless Axes'' - were wiped out, ''Shieldbearers'' sustained losses, resulting in a split among the group, and ''Cloaks'' lost a member as well. Such a disaster is unheard of if you don''t count the news of the towns up north being wiped out recently."


    A solemn silence reigned in the room, everyone more or less knowing what he was talking about. The trading partners of Cypress Town which were two week''s journey away - Maple Town and Rockridge Town, had been wiped out by the beast horde coming from the north.


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    Such news was alarming, as their defenses were only slightly inferior to Cypress Town, meaning this horde was an existential threat to the Town as well, the news causing many to flee to the East and West, leaving the town half-empty.


    Those who stayed behind either clung to hope, were incapable of fleeing, or were preparing to fight for their homes and families, the parties in the room being the third.


    Feeling the depressing atmosphere in the room, Marilyn gestured to one of her teammates, the latter passing her a backpack. She rummaged in it, taking out a crystal that was shining in green. Holding it out in her palm, she spoke out.


    "...Although this expedition was, indeed, a disaster, I believe that this source of despair is also our source of hope."


    Although none of those who were in the exploration group were surprised at the sight of it, the Researcher looked at it with wonder, and Tower Master''s eyebrows lifted in surprise. The woman''s imposing voice rang out.


    "Where and how did you get this?"


    Everyone stared in surprise at Matilda who hadn''t said a word until now, leaving Marilyn tongue-tied for a second.


    "It... Dropped when we killed a particularly powerful monster down in that... Dungeon."


    "Dungeon? As in the code name of the Monster Nest?"


    "Ah, to be honest, it was a nickname given to that Monster Nest by one of our explorers who was fascinated with Pre-Awakening stories. Some of the... Features of that particular monster nest somehow reminded him of tha- Woah!"


    In the midst of her explanation, Marilyn exclaimed in surprise as she watched the green crystal float out of her palm, and through the air as if lifted by something invisible. It then landed in Matilda''s grasp.


    "Continue. What ''features'' are you speaking of?"


    "-ah. Well, when I asked Jeremiah, may his soul find peace, he said that some old stories told of places where you deliberately fought monsters and they dropped, in his words ''loot''."


    As the Tower Master listened, the crystal was floating in her grasp, before she held it in her fingers, looking closely at it.


    "And I suppose that this is the ''loot'' you were speaking of?"


    "Yes! And these crystals hold immense value, as after using them, some of us gained extraordinary powers and became stronger!"


    Matilda''s eyes left the crystal and shifted between Beatrice, Leopold, and Marilyn.


    "I suppose it''s you and those two?"


    "Yes, but how did you kno-"


    "Just a feeling. Demonstrate this ''power'' you speak of."


    Marilyn, trying to stem her curiosity, obeyed, and spoke out. "Alright, you may want to protect your eyes as my power is related to bright light."


    As she said her part, Marilyn concentrated and gathered the mana beneath her skin, trying to do the same exercise as when she had just awoken in the dungeon.


    Light gathered on her skin, it brightening briefly before dimming back to how it was before.


    Matilda watched in rapt fascination as if seeing something others didn''t, speaking out when the light dimmed.


    "While it is indeed a curious thing, I don''t see how it may be useful in any way. I believe you can do better."


    Marilyn, trying not to get irritated at the Tower Master''s way of speech, sighed and said. "Alright. But you may want to protect your eyes for real. It is going to be really bright."


    After saying so, Marilyn willed a chunk of her power into her hand without any form of finesse. In doing so, the light rapidly began to gather, and Marilyn closed her eyes, knowing what came next.


    A flash of light that would be comparable to a Pre-Awakening flashbang illuminated the room briefly before disappearing just as fast. Surprisingly, although some people in the room were slowly opening their eyes in caution, some cursing about not closing them fast enough, Tower Master Matilda looked as if she never closed them in the first place.


    "Fascinating..."


    No one heard the words that Matilda muttered under her breath but her. While to others it looked like a mere flash of light, she saw more, the essence of what happened.


    When Marilyn mentioned the nature of her power, Matilda created a thin film of mana around her eyes, thus avoiding the fate of being temporarily blinded. And during the entire process, she watched the mana move from Marilyn and erupt from her hand. This kind of mana felt way different from what the Tower Master was used to wielding, filling her with curiosity, and making her wonder about the uses she could glean from it.


    Following Marilyn''s display of power, Matilda turned towards the other two who gained power.


    "Demonstrate what you have gained. You first, girl."


    Beatrice, nervous at being called out by such a figure, stammered.


    "O-okay, but I would n-need direct contact to best show it."


    "Go ahead."


    Beatrice slowly stood up and walked towards the imposing woman, before putting her hand on the woman''s shoulder.


    Her hands then began to glow in a green light, mana being sent through them.


    The Tower Master jerked, abruptly grasping the girl''s hands and pulling it away from herself, scaring Beatrice greatly.


    "T-tower Master?! H-have I done something wrong?"


    Matilda stared at the girl who was practically trembling at this point, before letting go of her hand.


    "No. Just make sure not to use your power on already healthy people. It stimulates unwanted thoughts in those perfectly fine, so if you want to preserve your purity, use it with caution, especially so on men."


    Beatrice stared dumbfoundedly, before grasping what Matilda meant, causing her face to burn red, making her look like a tomato. Silently, she walked back to her seat, where she heard Marilyn and Anna chuckling, causing her to pout.


    Meanwhile, Rob broke into a laugh. "Hah! Don''t worry girl, I''ll prove that I''m injured before asking for healing!" Seeing that his laughter wasn''t about to die down anytime soon, a female warrior from his party slapped the back of his head.


    "Shit Emily, what was that for?"


    "Just shut up."


    The perpetrator of the whole embarrassment seemed unperturbed, instead studying the feeling of the mana itself that she got from Beatrice using it on her, the thoughts that were stimulated long being buried by her insane willpower. This caused her to notice that the mana being emitted from the crystal in front of her and the healer''s mana were almost completely similar.


    "Interesting."


    Matilda once again grasped the crystal in her hand, feeling the mana within it. Soon after that, she gently tugged on it.


    While all that others could see was a gentle glow erupting from her grasp, in actuality a tiny yet visible thread of green light connected her skin and the crystal. Unlike how the others who absorbed nearly all the mana immediately, with glow surrounding their whole body, the Tower Master''s process was much more delicate.


    The glow eventually dimmed down, an intact, transparent shell being left in the woman''s grasp, which she studied in front of her eyes before putting it back down on the table.


    "I see how it is."


    Joseph Larring who sat to her side watched the whole process in rapt fascination, never having seen anything like it. He asked, curiously.


    "Mrs Stein, what have you found out?"


    "There is still a need for further research, but so far I have found out two notable things. This type of mana has an inherent quality that the mana we usually wield doesn''t. It is lively and vibrant, and I suspect that it stimulates growth."


    Following that, Matilda put one of her hands on the desk, before green light flowed along her fingertips, and where the wooden table was touched, the wood seemed to distort, fresh and tiny branches growing out of it, small green leaves unfurling on them.


    "As you can see, even a seemingly dead object could be ''revived'', though I doubt you would do much for a dead person other than fixing their corpse. I also don''t think you would be able to fix something from ashes, though I may be proved wrong - these are only initial conjecture."


    "As for the second thing I have found out, these crystals contain extremely pure mana, but my body managed to absorb only a part of it, around a tenth. I don''t know why exactly. Beatrice, how many green crystals have you absorbed."


    Although the young woman was startled at being called out abruptly, she still answered.


    "Green crystals? I absorbed only one, the one Marilyn gave me."


    Matilda nodded in response.


    "I see. It may be some kind of inherent quality, but it seems that your body accepted much more mana than my own."


    Just as Beatrice smiled at the praise(?), Matilda quickly shut her down.


    "But the finesse with which you wield your mana is horrible. You merely let it flow and disperse as it pleases, you lack any kind of control over mana. If you wish to be a better healer, you best start working on it, as even with the meager amount that I wield, I am able to do much more than you."


    The healer girl began to sulk, lowering her head at the reprimand.


    "Yes... Tower Master."


    Finally, Matilda turned her head to Leopold.


    "Now you. You know what to do."


    The rogue who was sitting cross-armed nodded at the command, before starting to use his own power. Shadows seemed to converge around him, and it seemed as if the chair he was sitting in was not illuminated at all, he himself now being a dark silhouette.


    The Tower Master nodded at the display.


    "Good, but anyone or anything that possesses a good sense of mana will find you out through fluctuations of mana. Either work on your skill or avoid those who can detect you."


    Leopold nodded, dispersing the cloak of shadows.


    After the demonstrations were finally done, the Tower Master Matilda spoke out in a louder voice to everyone.


    "As all of you have seen, the power that these three had gained from the ''dungeon'' as you had begun to call it, and such powers have great potential, and might be increased with more crystals obtained."


    She looked over everyone, who stared at her with eager eyes.


    "Such power can be obtained by anybody, and not only does it grant one the power to manipulate various kinds of mana, but it also strengthens the body by a small degree. This means that our people can grow stronger so long as we obtain those crystals. Although that place, that dungeon is fraught with danger, the gains outweigh the losses."


    She sighed.


    "If we do not get stronger, we will likely get trampled by the beast horde and die either way. We must obtain more... Mana crystals. We must obtain more strength."


    She then stood up and walked towards a window, overlooking the brightening sky, sun rising on the horizon.


    "After a day of rest, you are to return and establish a forward camp near the dungeon, as we will be sending more exploration teams that way."


    Matilda then turned around and looked at Anna.


    "Dismissed. And Anna, it seems that your friends are eagerly waiting for you on the other side of the door."


    As everyone was getting up and ready to leave, the one-eyed ranger gulped nervously, before walking towards the door as well. As the double doors opened once more, they revealed a one-armed woman and a stoic-looking man who she instantly recognized as Stacy and Johann.


    They stared at her quietly, Stacy in particular not looking even a millimeter away from her face.


    Abruptly, tears started to flow down the warrior woman''s cheeks, as she threw herself at the flabbergasted Anna.


    "I missed you! Don''t you dare leave us ever again!"


    Anna, being dumbfounded at the total breaking of everything she knew about the woman, slowly returned the hug she found herself in, a smile spreading across her face. Johann, in turn, also broke his stoic demeanor and Anna saw him smile for the first time since she met him.


    "Welcome back. You made us worry."


    Anna also felt tears come up on the corners of her eyes.


    "Yes... I''m back."

 Chapter 42: Cult of the Beast

    While some places experienced the joy and happiness of reunions, being thankful for their companions, who they thought dead, being alive, other places had a completely different situation.


    In a place relatively far away, to the north of Cypress town, ruins of what was once a town were burning. Where once were bustling streets filled with merchants, now were streets filled with death, corpses, and desolation.


    Blood covered the insides of many of the homes, the doors of which were broken down, some even having collapsed completely.


    Smoke rose up from the fires all across the ruined town, covering the sky as if the heavens themselves didn''t want to watch the unfolding atrocities. Screams, shouts and howls could be heard all over, ones filled with fear, misery, and hatred.


    In one of the streets, a man was running away from the center of the town, trying to get to the walls of it, trying to flee the disaster which fell on the place he once lived in. However, as he ran around the corner of the street, human figures appeared in front of him, causing him to scream out in terror.


    They were covered in various leathers and bones, masks made of skulls of various species covering most of their faces. Disturbingly enough, some of those masks were made of hollowed-out human skulls. Even so, the smiles and grins were visible under the covers, as if these humans were having the time of their lives.


    The man immediately turned around, scrambling to his feet, fleeing from the ones he saw commit so many atrocities, the ones who brought the disaster upon his home. Although he wanted nothing more than to take revenge on them, he knew better than that, knowing what they were capable of.


    However, just as he ran into one of the side alleys, he was met face-to-face with a wolf who was as tall as him. The beast didn''t waste any time, attacking the man immediately with a lunge.


    The runner, however, threw himself to the ground, the wolf jumping past him. The man then stood up and ran once again. Just as he was to make it out of the narrow alley, the figures covered in leather and bone once again appeared in front of him.


    With the wolf still on his heels, the man had no choice but to try to run past them. He was, however, unsuccessful.


    As he tried charging past them, the man felt burning pain, seeing how two of the figures caught him by piercing him with sickle-like weapons. Other figures then pierced him with various other weapons made with bone and teeth, carving into his flesh, and dragging him screaming along the ground, all while having those grins on their faces.


    The figures stopped in front of the wolf that previously chased him, the beast not attacking them, instead staring at the man who was bleeding out.


    Suddenly, the humans covered in leather and bone started speaking in near-perfect synchronicity.


    "Oh mighty hunter, your unworthy servants bring you your rightful prey."


    Following those words, they tore their weapons out of the man, ignoring his agony. They then threw him towards the wolf, continuing their chanting.


    "May the weak be stripped of their strength, may their flesh nourish us, for only the strong have the right to live."


    The wolf then tore into the man, the blood of the man flowing on the stone of the alley, his screams echoing.


    "We worship the Beast, we guide our masters. For they show us the truth, and we follow their example."


    Soon enough only the bones remained of what was once a man, eerie chanting echoing all around.


    "For Humanity is weak, and the Beast is strong."


    As the chanting ended, silence descended upon the alley, leaving only the masked figures and the blood-stained wolf. The wolf merely glanced at the humans, before going towards them. The figures parted to the sides, bowing their heads in front of it. The wolf did not attack, only walking past them.


    The figures remained in such a position until the wolf disappeared from their sight. After that, they continued their walk, searching for runaways, for prey of their masters.


    Such a scene was commonly seen around the ruined streets all over this town which was once known as Rockridge town. Blood-covered bones were strewn in every place where the prey was caught.


    And in cases where the beast didn''t eat their catch completely, things took an even darker turn.


    The chant-speaking humans devoured the remains themselves, engaging in acts of cannibalism while speaking of ''gifts'' from their ''masters''.


    Only the very center of the town was exempt from such chaos, but that didn''t mean the absence of the cultist-like humans and beasts, no, quite the opposite in fact.


    In the town''s center, various bodies were piled together, forming a circle. And in the middle of that circle were bound men and women, often maimed, who looked like battle-hardened fighters. Those who weren''t unconscious either broke down in despair or struggled desperately against their restraints.


    The cause for their hatred and desperation was right in front of them, in the form of yet another skull-masked figure, and a beast.


    But these two differed greatly from the other humans and beasts who were ravaging the town at the moment. The masked figure held a staff, a cracked human skull adorning the top of it. The mask of this cultist was made from a great wolven skull.


    This cultist stood beside a giant tiger, whose face was covered in many scars, the red and black of its fur reminiscent of fire and coal. Light of intelligence was visible in its eyes, showing that it was no mere beast, but a true predator, a true hunter.


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    As time passed, more and more beasts and skull-masked figures arrived at the town square, the humans being visibly reverent of the beasts. Eventually, the majority of those ravaging the town gathered, and as they were present, the human near the tiger shouted out.


    "The Scarred Lord has spoken!"


    Cheers erupted among the other cultists, showing great joy on visible parts of their faces.


    "I, as the High Priest, one who speaks the words of the Lord to our lowly kind, congratulate you on another successful hunt! And when our masters claim their rightful prize, as their servants we may claim whatever remains! We reject our Humanity, and accept the Beast!"


    As the High Priest shouted out, his shout was repeated amongst the other cultists.


    "We reject our Humanity, and accept the Beast!"


    "We reject our Humanity, and accept the Beast!"


    Following that, the priest raised his arm, causing the humans to fall silent. He then stepped back. The tiger, who was previously staring at the one called the High Priest, raised its head and roared out with a rumbling voice.


    The might of his roar caused all to kneel in submission, be they beast or human. After that, the tiger walked towards one of the bound warriors. The human trembled, tears falling down his face.


    "No, no, please no!"


    The tiger didn''t listen, his jaws clamping down on the human, splitting him and half and swallowing the upper half whole. The lower half followed soon after.


    The overlord of beasts then walked towards the next human in binds. A similar scene occurred, the tiger devouring them one by one, showing not an inkling of mercy however the prey might have begged.


    Eventually, all the captured humans in the circle of bodies were devoured, the tiger having a satisfied expression on his face. Having finished his feast, he stared at everyone around him, who still had their head on the ground as a sign of submission, furthering his satisfaction.


    The scarred tiger then roared out once again, the reaction to this roar, however, was far different. The beasts responded with their own howls and roars, throwing themselves at the bodies that were arranged in a circle.


    Meanwhile, the humans stood where they were previously, watching the beasts feast and fight amongst themselves for the bodies, sometimes drool escaping their own mouths.


    As such a pandemonium continued, the tiger stared at the High Priest who was still kneeling near him devoutly. The priest''s head jerked upwards, his eyes under his mask meeting his master''s gaze.


    This stare continued for a couple of seconds before the priest kneeled once more.


    "Yes, my lord, your servant will bless the unworthy with your words."


    When the beasts stopped gorging themselves on the bodies, dispersing from what was left behind, the priest spoke out once again.


    "Fellow servants! Our Overlord speaks of a perilous journey to a new hunting ground far away. And because of this, only a hundred of us may continue forward."


    Every cultist watched the priest with rapt attention, ready to follow whatever order they were given.


    "Go forth! Devour the flesh of the weak! Make their strength your own! Prove the worth of your lives!"


    Shouting erupted from the cultists, all of them surging towards whatever remains were left, stuffing themselves, picking flesh from bones.


    Amidst all this, they also fought amongst each other, sometimes shoving others away, sometimes wielding their weapon and killing their fellow cultists. Disturbingly enough, those who have fallen were not ''wasted'' as well.


    Such a thing continued until no previously prepared body remained, the bodies of cultists littering the ground. It didn''t take long for approximately three hundred cultists to turn into a little more than a hundred.


    Mere seconds after that, only a hundred remained.


    The priest, seeing this, shouted out.


    "Enough! Those who still draw breath, you have proven yourself! Pride yourselves on your strength!"


    However, the expected cheers didn''t ring out, the cultists instead looking at the priest silently, or rather what was behind him.


    The High Priest turned around, and kneeled once again, seeing his Lord right in front of him. However, as if hearing something, he asked in confusion.


    "My lord, what do you mean there are one hundred and one..."


    The priest then quickly raised his head just in time to see the rapidly closing jaws of his Lord.


    "Ah..."


    And so, the priest was devoured in a similar fashion to those previously bound, his staff clattering onto the ground. Following his death, cheers finally rang out once again amongst the cultists.


    They, however, kneeled once again as their Lord swept his gaze past them as if brought down by some invisible pressure. And then, in the mind of every cultist, a growling voice rang out.


    "Puny humans."


    All cultists were shocked hearing such a voice, instinctively knowing who it belonged to - their Scarred Lord, who was talking to each and every one of them.


    "For so long you have followed me, like ducklings who lost their mother. For so long I have to speak to only the one you called the ''High Priest''."


    The giant tiger walked back and forth, contempt dripping from his voice.


    "But he proved himself unworthy, thinking that my unwillingness to speak to each of your filthy minds at the same time absolved him of the need to prove himself. He remained weak. He has disappointed me."


    Every surviving human felt a chill down their spine, a feeling of impending doom enveloping them.


    "Some of you have followed me out of desperation, thinking of me as your savior your guide."


    The tiger equivalent of a ''humph'' could be heard.


    "I have grown tired of such a game. I have no need for the weak. If not for how useless other beasts were in things other than hunting, I would have no need for you whatsoever, your only purpose being the source of my strength."


    Some of the humans were on the verge of fainting as the pressure intensified.


    "However, the hundred of you may still prove to be of value. I have been leading my pack to what you call ''South'' simply for entertainment, but recently I have found my destination. The hunt''s destination."


    With those words, the pressure lessened, and some cultists managed to lift their heads.


    "While my pack hunts on these grounds, you will go forward. This ''priest'' of yours told me of another gathering of your puny kind in those lands. You will find it. You will burn it to the ground. You will find the True Hunting Ground that your kind doesn''t deserve."


    The tiger then narrowed its eyes at the crowd of groveling cultists.


    "You will either do it or die trying. Now get out of my sight."


    The cultists scrambled from their knees, before bowing and chanting in unison.


    "The Scarred Lord blesses us! We live to serve the Scarred Lord!"


    After that, the humans quickly disappeared into the streets and out of the town, how many of them would actually try to fulfill the mission and how many of them would run away at the prospect of being devoured in return for their dutiful servitude remained unknown.


    But the scarred tiger didn''t care. If the humans failed in their task, he would simply raze that gathering of humans to the ground himself. Although it would be slightly bothersome and less convenient, it wouldn''t demand too much of him, merely spending a little more time beating more beasts into doing his bidding.


    The tiger continued to think within his mind, as he lay down comfortably amidst the blood and bones.


    ''Those humans are only fit for being servants. Had the beasts been any smarter the humans would have been completely useless.''


    As the tiger descended into a peaceful afternoon slumber, knowing that nothing could harm him, not that anything near him would even dare attack him.


    ''Those True Hunting Grounds will be mine... Only I deserve them. As she had named me Khan, I will fulfill the meaning of my name, I will rule over all...''


    And so, the beast slowly descended into slumber amidst the flames and stench of death. All while dreaming of grand ambitions under a smoke-filled sky.

 Chapter 43: Mana Shenanigans

    Ever since figuring out how to make a light that is warm at the same time, AKA the underground sun, Lan had quite a lot of fun experimenting with his newfound discovery.


    First, he tried to replace the illuminating crystal on the first floor, but the result of replacing the mana crystal with an ''artificial sun'' of the same size as the floor heating up to the point that it felt like it was the middle of an equatorial rainforest, instead of the mild temperature that it previously had.


    Consequently, Lan had to replace the crystal with how it was previously, one with no heating whatsoever.


    However, after replacing it Lan found out that with the increase of his capabilities since back when he had just started making mana crystals, the amount of mana contained within a crystal had increased greatly, also resulting in far greater illumination, to the point of being impossible to look at without the supernatural capabilities that Lan had.


    So, Lan disintegrated the newly made neutral mana crystal as well. After thinking of a solution for quite a while with no result, the Core''s thoughts drifted away from the project and towards the ever-fading human memories.


    One of the rare vivid ones that he could remember was when his parents took him on a camping trip to the mountains west of their town. He remembered how they pitched a tent, made a campfire, and how they gazed at the distant stars in the night sky...


    ''Stars in the sky... Huh.''


    Not fully out of his dreamy state, Lan started unconsciously gathering mana at many different points at once, many small crystals forming in the ceiling of the Floor. They dotted the entirety of it, glimmering in the dark.


    Gradually, the ambient mana filled them out, Life mana along with Neutral mana making the crystals glow in a greenish light.


    The change in the flow of mana snapped Lan out of his state of dreams, and back to reality, facing a scene similar to what he remembered.


    Various glowing green crystals were scattered all over the ceiling of the First Floor, illuminating the entirety of it in a gentle glow. Lan stared in wonder while thinking aloud.


    ''Sometimes the solution comes when you least expect it...''


    Lan liked the view, to say the least. The glow was just enough, beautiful yet not too bright. He liked it so much that when he turned his attention to the boss room on the Floor, he removed the single illuminating crystal and tried to condense the ''stars'' all over the ceiling as well.


    When he tried to do so, he was met with a setback: he had to focus on many things at once to do as he wanted successfully. Still, if he had let that stop him, he would have given up on building his dungeon long ago.


    Lan''s current mental capacity was far beyond that of a regular human, when he tried doing mental calculations, he could do them at speeds of mere seconds. Most curiously of all, when solving them, he was able to as well, his comprehensive ability far greater than he remembered.


    So, when he tried various ways to do multiple things at once, he was getting closer to his goal with each unsuccessful try.


    ''...What if I try to condense only half of it? No, that won''t work... Maybe I need to gather mana beforehand?''


    As he went along with his experiments, something new was happening to his thoughts, and suddenly.


    ''Will that even work?'' ''Maybe if I try that...''


    A second ''voice'' of his thoughts appeared in his mind.


    ''Who?!'' ''What!''


    Lan snapped out in confusion, and the voice seemed to be startled as well. Just as Lan thought that he was going schizophrenic, an idea appeared somewhere in his Core.


    ''Wait...'' ''Is it still me?''


    His guess was confirmed.


    ''This is weird...'' ''But cool as fuck.''


    His conjecture was that there was no second ''voice'' in his head, but a parallel line of thinking, which came from one of the novels he read in his human life. After calming down and testing it out in-depth, Lan noticed that he was thinking of multiple things at once, separately.


    It was like working on two screens at the same time, paying an equal amount of attention to both. But for a human such a feat would be inefficient, being unable to work well in such a state, for Lan, however, such a state seemed natural, his thinking not being impaired in any way.


    ''I like this.'' ''I''m going to be able to do so much stuff with this!''


    It made Lan curious though.


    ''Is there a limit?'' ''How many channels can I split into at once?''


    Lan thought back to the moments before he split his thinking into channels, trying to find out how exactly he did it. It didn''t take long to find that moment, that mental twist that was needed. Soon enough, a result was apparent.


    ''I did it!'' ''Success!'' ''Can I do more?''


    And he did it again.


    ''More?'' ''More!'' ''More.'' ''Correct.''


    And again.


    ''Woah.'' ''This is going to be useful.'' ''Parallelu Thinkingu!'' ''Let''s go!'' ''Core is better than brains!''


    Lan felt wonder in five different ways at his new find. His previously untapped mental power was now put to use efficiently. As an experiment, Lan tried to actively observe both the sky, the surface, and his dungeon at the same time. He succeded.


    Lan could actively comprehend the birds in the sky, the forest rapidly growing back from the ashes, and the endless battles for dominance underground. All while thinking in five parallel channels. He wondered if he could take this further.


    Yet when he tried to do that twist again, a splitting pain seemed to appear within his very being, when he looked at his Core, to his horror he saw a crack appearing on it. Lan hurriedly collapsed the parallel channels, returning to how he was before.


    ''What... Happened?''


    Lan couldn''t find an answer from doing nothing, but he was apprehensive about trying to open the parallel thinking channels once again, so he tried to think logically about the whole thing.


    ''...Thinking is connected to Mental mana, right? As I gathered more Mental mana and grew bigger, my thinking got faster, along with my mind and memory. So maybe this... Failure is also related to it?''


    As he was thinking, he channeled his Mental mana to his Core, along with the command of ''healing'', causing the crack to slowly disappear. Once it was gone, Lan tried to split his thinking once again, this time paying close attention to Mental mana.


    When he twisted his mind the needed way, the Mental mana flowing from his Core doubled in output. Mental mana that previously was only generated and passively radiated from his Core was now being put to use. Still, Lan remained cautious.


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    ''Steady...'' ''Let''s do it once more.''


    After yet another split, around three-tenths of total Mental mana was now being actively used. So, Lan continued the split once again, no splitting pain being present. And then he once again arrived at the point where he thought in five parallel channels at the same time, just like before. Around half of his Mental mana was being used actively.


    This time, remembering his previous experience when trying to open the next channel, Lan was cautious and didn''t perform the whole ''twist'' completely, monitoring the changes instead.


    When the sixth channel was forming, the pull on the Core got stronger, and it seemed that the mana used became greater than the amount generated. When such a thing happened, Mental mana that was practically the lifeblood of the Core began getting sucked away from the Core itself, harming it in the process. Lan stopped immediately, the formation dissipating.


    This experiment yielded valuable knowledge to Lan.


    ''Okay, so it seems that the total amount of Mental mana dictates how many channels of parallel thinking I can form at the same time. Each channel consumes Mental mana from the reserves of the Core, but it usually regenerates in time as long as the strain is not too big, but it slows down the regeneration of reserves with each channel.''


    Lan shuddered mentally at vividly remembering the pain he suffered when his Core cracked.


    ''If the output exceeds the generation, I am in danger.''


    Lan looked over his finds once again and formed a plan of action.


    ''Okay, so it seems that as I grow, I will be able to form more channels. But It''s not necessary to use all available ones immediately. So, I will only use the amount I need. At the moment four channels are already enough with me having only three Floors. Optimally I would like to have a channel per Floor with one in reserve, but I will see how my growth goes.''


    Having finished thinking about that, Lan collapsed his fifth channel, leaving only four. Then, three of the four channels were focused on the Floors, and one was focused on the surface. Observing the sunlit ground, all while being aware of what was beneath it was a refreshing experience.


    ''Ah... Well, this is new. But the work never stops.''


    While Lan was observing the surface, he was already at work underground at the same time. He was currently condensing ''stars'' for the boss chamber on the first floor. To finish the process faster, Lan pulled the surface channel to help as well, and soon enough the boss room was lit by many little lights as well.


    The second floor needed reworking as well, the illuminating crystal present in the central pillar being obsolete with his new knowledge of Light mana. So, Lan disintegrated the thing and connected the gap that formed inside the pillar. He then opened another gap further up in the pillar, before forming an empty Mana Crystal there.


    Following that, he gathered and filled it with Light mana, the crystal now shining in a much brighter light than it was before. But Lan was not satisfied. So, he also began forming ''stars'' in the ceiling too. These ones would not be filled with green Life mana, but Lan decided to experiment and fill them with Shadow mana instead.


    The result was curious, to say the least. As the dark motes of Shadow mana gathered and were absorbed into the Crystals, the ceiling darkened instead of brightening. The light that shone from the pillar seemed to get absorbed in the darkness that covered it. Now it looked like above the forest on the second floor was a starless night sky instead of a rocky ceiling.


    Ironically, the light from the pillar seemed to be even brighter when contrasted with the abyss of the ceiling. The resulting scene on the floor was both eerie and enchanting at the same time, only further enhancing the ambiance.


    ''This may be useful in the future, as it can be used to simulate boundless darkness or a night sky. Truly beautiful.''


    The third floor was next, and the channel of thought that was dedicated to it was currently thinking about whether any changes of lighting were necessary in the first place, as the artificial sun was currently illuminating the jungle of ferns well enough.


    ''Huh... The only thing that would be desirable would be to somehow make the sun set and rise. But I still lack the ability to make objects move on their own. A task for the future Lan then.''


    With no changes being made for the moment, Lan scanned the floor with the channel of thought present. In doing so, he discovered something interesting, something he had been waiting for, for quite a while.


    ''Finally! The Huntress is forming her Heart Core!''


    When he last checked up on the big and proud cat, she was sleeping, and mana was gathering around her. Back then she seemed to be preparing to evolve, which was a bit weird considering that no other Beast or Monster did so.


    But right now mana was surging towards her in a process all-too-familiar to Lan. But something was different, and this caused Lan some worry. Two kinds of mana were surging towards her at once.


    Lan was worried because the Huntress didn''t yet possess a Core, so if anything went wrong, he would not be able to bring her back from the dead. Still, he did not interfere for fear of making things worse.


    As Water mana and Shadow mana surged around her at the same time, her organs and skin were slowly breaking down, concentrated mana replacing the fleshy counterparts. Blood seeped through her skin, before evaporating and turning to mana. As she trembled in pain, being seemingly conscious, the currents of mana gathered near her heart, seeking to crush it and turn it into a Heart Core.


    The mana gathered and slammed into her heart, the fleshy organ bursting, mana contained within collapsing inwards, condensing into a tiny crystal around which mana gathered, being absorbed into it, growing it.


    Once the Heart Core grew to a certain size, other than the mana that was previously contained within her body, Shadow and Water mana also joined the fray, surging towards the Heart Core.


    To Lan''s horror, the Heart Core trembled, the two types of mana clashing, trying to fill the Core, not being harmonious like in the Mana Crystal that was now an artificial sun, instead fighting for dominance, not ceding a distance to the opposing type of mana.


    Under that stress, the Heart Core trembled ever more violently, until suddenly, a crack began to run through it. At this point, Lan was panicking. If the Heart Core shattered, then it meant the death of the Huntress. And it seemed that it would be that way at the rate it was going.


    So Lan began frantically searching for solutions, anything to help the cat who he grew rather fond of, survive.


    At first, he tried to increase the ambient mana around her in hopes of helping her both fix the Heart Core and maybe overwhelm the conflicting mana. The result disappointed Lan, with the elemental mana instead infecting the neutral mana and surging in turn, accelerating the impending demise of the cougar.


    Then he tried to gather Life mana, as it was also a type of elemental mana. This helped a little, with the cracking of the Huntresses'' Heart Core halting, even somewhat repairing. But as the Water and Shadow mana kept surging, the Heart Core remained unstable. Lan realized that he was treating the symptoms instead of the cause, and this fight would continue until he solved the problem.


    So, as Lan ran out of ideas, only one thing remained which came to the top of his head, his wildcard which he knew was filled with mysteries. Mental mana. Mana which performed miracles, his very own Deus Ex Machina.


    If The two types of Mana couldn''t reside within a single Heart Core, then it wouldn''t end any time soon. But what if there was more than one Heart Core? So, Lan knew what command he should give.


    "Form!"


    His shout echoed throughout the boss room, although Lan didn''t notice the fact that he spoke aloud for the first time ever since he became a Core, instead focusing on the result of his attempt to save the Huntresses'' life.


    He watched as with surging mana, yet another Heart Core began forming. A tiny crystalline seed appeared next to the fully formed yet unstable Heart Core. It absorbed the abundant mana, and it didn''t take long for it to grow to the same size as the other one.


    As if sharks smelling blood, the elemental mana surged towards it as well, but Lan would not allow for it to get destabilized as well.


    "Oh no you don''t!"


    As the Huntress herself seemed to wince and get pressed into the ground with some kind of invisible pressure, only Water mana surged into her second Heart Core. With no ''competition'' present, it was quickly filled up, beginning to glow in a bluish light. The first Heart Core on the other hand had Shadow mana which now overwhelmed the Water mana that was present, fully occupying the vessel.


    As both Heart Cores became full, a resonance formed between them, as if both Cores, although having different types of mana, worked together. Both Water and Shadow mana, with Life mana as a foundation, filled out the whole mana-formed body of the cougar, filling it out, carving out the Mana Circuits, flowing... and mixing.


    The mana that categorically refused to mix inside of the Heart Core now became whole, like ink staining the water. Quite literally in this case. Light Blue mixed with the Dark, forming a Dark Blue mana. Patterns of the same color began carving themselves on top of the fur of the Huntress, being both subtle and gentle, flowing along her skin and fur in a symmetrical manner.


    Finally, the Huntress awoke from her agony, shakily standing up to her feet.


    Suddenly, shadows began to gather around her and water droplets began to float midair. And then... The water and shadows mixed.


    The water became darkly colored as if the droplets of water became droplets of ink. As a sheet of water formed in front of the Huntress, shadows mixed with it, making it into a dark curtain that was impossible to see through. Interestingly enough, this lack of visibility didn''t seem to apply to the caster herself.


    ''Sigh... Mana shenanigans. The more I know, the more remains unknown... I''m glad she is alive. I wasn''t sure it would work.''


    As Lan observed the big cat experimenting with her magic, the irony of cats being afraid of water was seemingly lost on her, to his surprise he felt a tug on his mental connection, one leading to the Huntress herself. He ''accepted'' the ''request''.


    Intents and thoughts were transmitted from her, along with a somewhat feminine voice.


    "Thank you oh Master of the Hunt. I thank you for saving my life."


    After making such a statement, the female cougar went to sleep, leaving Lan dumbfounded.

 Chapter 44: Drilling Deep

    Lan was surprised quite a bit by the fact that the Huntress was able to form complete thoughts, and was quite near the ability to form words. He could hear something like a ''voice'' already forming, and this signified just how high her intelligence was.


    ''Well, it is not that surprising considering the intelligence she showed back when she first got here. Still, that makes me excited to see just how smart she will get.''


    Lan then thought about all the other Guardians who he named. They were far above the simple label of a ''Beast'' already, and their intelligence continued to improve as they grew stronger. Lan guessed that all Named would eventually be as intelligent, if not more so, than a human.


    ...But the enhancement of intelligence did not change the basic nature of an animal. In other words, The Huntress, a cougar, which was basically a big cat, behaved like a big cat. So the first thing that came to her mind after a near-death experience was to take a nap.


    ''Sigh... Cats. It almost makes me sleepy myself. It''s a pity my mind doesn''t seem to tire at all. So, no sleep for me, my work never ends.''


    Sighing, Lan turned his gaze away from the sleeping Huntress, checking in with the channels of thought on other floors. Nothing much was going on the finished floors, same battles for mana, survival, and power, nothing new.


    And if all the floors that he had dug out were finished and stable, then it meant one thing. It was time to go deeper, to carve the next floor.


    ''Alright, but the most asked question by all Dungeon-making Cores: How the fuck do I do this shit.''


    As always, every step forward needed experimentation and research. Although Lan was accustomed to it by now, he couldn''t help but feel annoyed. So the Project "We Need To Go Deeper" began.


    Lan already had a suspicion about what might be the solution as always, but he still tried the other options to know what would happen if he tried to use them, that being mana other than Mental.


    The most obvious choice for going deeper would be to use Earth mana to dig a hole leading further underground, causing the Core to slowly descend as it was being dug. Lan tried to do so.


    As the ground shifted and parted like water, the Core, refusing to abide by non-supernatural laws of physics, remained in place. Currents of ambient mana simply held it in place, like strings would hold a puppet, except the Core was the puppeteer.


    So, even though the Core wouldn''t just fall and shatter on the ground, which was a good thing, this plan was a fail.


    After that Lan tried to use his wonder weapon - Mental mana. Think hard and true, and your wish will come true, that was the extent to which he could describe this enigmatic type of mana. And following the description, Lan thought, he pulled away all the thinking channels from observation duty, and put them together, like weaving strings into a rope.


    And through this rope, mental mana flowed out of the Core and unto itself, just like a fountain.


    Obeying the command given, led by Mental mana, the Core slowly began descending into the previously made hole leading downwards. The ambient mana radiating from it smoothed out and pushed away walls in the same radius as before, leaving a perfect tunnel in the wake of its descent.


    However, as Lan was on the verge of success of his descent, he felt his senses strain and slowly begin to... Fade away.


    Startled, he stopped the process, trying to find out what happened to him. Gradually, things returned to normal, but Lan, after a brief scan of his whole domain, understood what just transpired. And what he found out alarmed him greatly.


    When he overlooked his domain, at first everything seemed normal, nothing out of the ordinary, but when he focused on the mana, the problem revealed itself. Normally, the Core was well... The CORE of his whole domain, everything depended on it and mana it supplied and cycled, whether it be ambient mana, mental mana, or whatever else mana there was.


    As long as something used mana while being in Lan''s domain, it depended on the Core. And suddenly changing the location of the Core was rather disastrous to this whole intricate network. Delicate strings of mana grew taut and snapped, mana supply wavering, and though they regrew once the Core stabilized, the impact was still there.


    This went to show just how gravely important the Core was, and it became apparent that a more... Delicate touch was needed.


    Luckily Lan got pretty good at multitasking lately, so lowering his Core while keeping track of what went on with the mana was pretty easy for him. So, while three of his thought channels worked on lowering the Core with the use of Mental mana, the two remaining ones kept track of mana activity.


    As the Core descended meter by meter, Lan noticed once the connections of mana grew taut, halting his descent. Once they recovered he resumed the process. And so, cycle after cycle, Lan slowly descended down into the Earth.


    Somewhere along the way, Lan discovered the fact that actively cycling mana helped in the recovery of mana connections, speeding up the descent slightly. Even sped up though, he descended slower than an old elevator in a third-world country.


    Cycles of descent and recovery eventually merged together, and Lan''s mind got used to the repetition. As the mental strain receded, Lan felt the descent rather physically. The Core housed his soul, he was pretty sure, so it was his heart, brain, balls, and whatever other important parts a man could have at the same time.


    And now imagine that feeling when you''re on a rollercoaster and it reaches the top right before the way down. Yeah, now amplify that about ten times, that was how Lan was feeling at the moment.


    ''Holy shit- Ugh! If I had a mouth I would have puked...''


    And the biggest problem was the slowness of the process. Lan checked just to be sure and discovered that he had descended only thirty meters downward, and this discovery almost snuffed out his motivation to drill down, but he held on... and drilled down.


    Lan didn''t know how long he was ''falling''. It could have been hours, days, or maybe even weeks. He didn''t really keep track while occupied with the task.


    He endured and drilled, that was his motto. Even so, his mind contained within the very Core he was dragging down, eventually got mildly exhausted, so he stopped the process, instead checking just how deep he was.


    Though with how long he presumed to have drilled he expected good results, he still surprised himself.


    ''Holy moly, at this rate it will not take long to drill to the other side of the planet!''


    That rather exaggerated statement was a response to him finding out that he was currently nearly five hundred meters below ground, two hundred meters away from where he previously was.


    So, Lan decided to stop at this much, deciding that two hundred meters would be plenty enough for the floor he was planning to make. However, a tiny problem appeared. In the form of a two-hundred-meter deep, 50x50 crater leading downwards from what was previously his Core Room.


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    And he couldn''t just ''stitch it back up'', as contact with the surface must not be interrupted lest he returns to his semi-blind state.


    ''I''ll solve it later...''


    At the moment Lan finished getting to the depth he wanted, but he would also prefer to move away horizontally as well so that the fourth floor wouldn''t be completely vertical. But that meant even more moving, which was rather unpleasant. But if Lan wanted to pursue his dreams, he would have to suck it up.


    Once again Lan the Driller took the reins, and cycles of digging and recovery began yet again.


    This went on for quite some time, quite a bit longer than when he was going downward. Thankfully, moving horizontally was easier than vertically, so a greater distance could be conquered in a lesser amount of time.


    Although Lan didn''t know, the amount of time it took for him to reach his desired distance, which was about a kilometer from his previous location, two days had passed on the surface, 48 hours spent only on drilling. While it was a lot of time, to Lan in his trance-like state it didn''t seem that way. So, when he arrived at his destination, he merely mentally wiped his forehead.


    ''Phew! Now that mining is done, crafting is up next!''


    In the monotony of drilling away for hours and hours on end, Lan had plenty of time to think over the theme he wanted for this floor. The first three floors were all about forests and jungles, and that was getting old. Lan liked to keep his dungeons fun when he was a DM, and he would keep up the tradition.


    So, this time the theme would be completely different, but still familiar.


    ''The Winding Caverns! That''s what I''ll call this floor!''


    Yes, caves underground, are very original. One might think that a forest underground was way cooler, but it all depended on what caves one talked about. One could call some big tunnels underground ''caves'', but they could also captivate one''s breath.


    Because what Lan had in mind was no natural and boring cave system, but full-on Fantasy Caverns, with glowing mushrooms, giant insects skittering in the dark, lurking predators, and winds howling from below, cold air sending chills down the delvers'' spine.


    Lan was feeling giddy just thinking about it, but first, he wanted to remove the tunnels he left behind. If he was building some kind of mineshaft, then a central enormous shaft leading below would look quite good, but this was not the case, so he had to replace it. Before sealing the tunnels, however, he had to carve out new ones to not impede mana.


    And just like that, earth buckled under his will and command, a diagonal tunnel connecting his past and present Core Rooms was quickly carved out. It was unimaginably fast compared to the process of moving his Core and was satisfying to no end.


    Following the formation of the new tunnel, Lan commanded the Earth mana, and the tunnels left behind by his descent were rapidly buried in the ground as if filled with cement... Except with no cement being present.


    And so, with the ''tracks covered'', a ''clean sheet'' was before Lan, he was free to form the fourth floor as he wished, the diagonal tunnel could molded if needed, and all that remained was to pour out his fantasy to make it a reality.


    ----------------------------------------------------


    While a certain Core toiled endlessly deep below the surface of the ground, life never stopped, and things continued on even if Lan wasn''t aware of them. Humans setting up camp near the entrance to his Dungeon was one of such things.


    Leading the effort was the first group who ever ventured into the dungeon: Anna, Stacy, Johann, and Ian.


    Even the near-crippling injuries couldn''t hold back their adventurous spirit, much to the discontent of some, even among the wounded themselves.


    "I don''t know how many times I''ve said this, but Ian, why the hell are you here and not in bed back in Cypress? Seriously, I don''t want to sound like a jerk, but you don''t have much combat capability at the moment."


    Anna, who was back in the field once again, complained about the same thing yet again. This wasn''t the first time she said this, but she was rightfully worried about a teammate who, upon waking up from a mini coma, decided to hop back into the danger zone instead of recuperating.


    "And I will answer just as much as you ask, Anna. I belong out here and not behind the walls. If I cower like a helpless child for the rest of my life, is such a life worth living?


    You know how much I loved being outside, and even without my magic I am still fully capable of supporting myself."


    The mage, who looked much less vibrant compared to when he led the first exploration into the Dungeon, responded in a tired voice, a bitter note being audible. He turned away from her and walked towards the giant tree being visible past the treeline.


    "Ian, you-"


    As the ranger seemed to begin her words yet again, Ian snapped at her suddenly, his calm demeanor shattering.


    "Anna, stop it! Did you already forget how much I loved exploring the wonders of nature? How do you expect me to react when you tell me of all the wondrous things you''ve seen, with me knowing I''ll probably never see them again with my own eyes?! Don''t you know, Anna?!"


    At his sudden shout, the other explorers and hunters turned to them, some pointing at the pair, exchanging whispers among themselves. The camp itself was placed at the edge of the clearing under the Giant Tree, as making it directly under it was impossible, with various plants and greenery rapidly overgrowing whatever was built.


    The ranger herself, who now had an eyepatch made of leather cover her blinded eye, flinched and drew back her hand with which she tried to hold Ian''s shoulder. The anger and sadness in his eyes made her pity her friend and teammate. She wondered, how would she feel if she lost her leg, never to run in the wilds ever again?


    Suddenly, rustling could be heard not far away, causing Anna to unholster her crossbow from her back, and turn towards the bushes not far away from the direction in which the sound came. The forest was almost completely recovered in comparison to when the fire swept past it, maybe being even more vibrant than it was before.


    As such, whatever lurked in the undergrowth had plenty of space to hide within.


    As Anna cautiously monitored her surroundings, Ian withdrew to the center camp, bitterly acknowledging the fact that he wouldn''t be of much use on the front lines as he was right now, manaless.


    Suddenly the ranger jerked her head towards a sound coming from far behind her, from the other side of the camp. It was a shout from one of her new team members.


    "Wolves!"


    Although it wasn''t a scream of agony, just the mention of a ''wolf'', caused a series of images to flash within her mind.


    ''Black and White... Death and Blood...''


    As she remembered the last wolves she had seen, her body began to tremble involuntarily, and her blind eye began to tingle. Her breath quickened, and her heartbeat increased. She herself didn''t realize how much the word ''wolf'' now had on her.


    She slowly turned around, seeing how from that side of the camp, a wolf emerged from the darkness. It was black and white, most of it being black, the neck and chest of it being white. But it wasn''t the only one.


    She could see more wolves emerging around the camp, not attacking but watching, observing them. Hearing sound once again, she witnessed yet another wolf watching her eerily closely, being no more than 10 meters away. She froze as she witnessed its eyes staring into hers crimson and gold intertwined, becoming a color of bloody gold.


    The fur was white, and black markings accentuated the Beast all over its body.


    It was as if two of her nightmares became one.


    She was nearly shaking at this point, unable to keep her crossbow steady, nor could she hear the warning shouts of her teammates behind her, she could only see the combination of Black and White, Crimson and Gold.


    "Get the fuck back!"


    She was snapped out of it by Ian practically dragging her back by the shoulders, or at least trying to. She followed his lead and retreated closer to the center of the camp. At this point she could clearly count the number of wolves, there were eight in total. Four of them were black and white.


    However they only surrounded the camp, but did not attack it. But if she was being honest, she doubted the camp could hold their own against such a pack. Although they weren''t as big as the pair below, the one with bloody-golden eyes was coming close to that size.


    Abruptly the wolf in question raised its head and howled. Just as every human tensed up, Anna held her breath... And the wolves retreated.


    She stared in caution as the wolves ran past the perimeter of the human camp with a brisk walk, making their way past them. As she wondered why would they do so, an answer became apparent.


    "Of fucking course."


    The only thing of interest in that direction was the Giant Tree. And the dungeon full of mana under it. Sure enough, the wolfpack made their way to the base of the trunk, before disappearing from the human''s view. But not before the blood-golden-eyed one cast one last gaze onto Anna.


    As her adrenaline evaporated from her system, the ranger fell heavily on her rear, sighing out while muttering nonsense.


    "...Although I liked dogs from the pictures I have seen, from now on I''m a cat person..."


    Ian looked at her with a complicated gaze, as the way she behaved during the whole encounter was far from how he remembered her. Ian wondered what the hell happened when he was absent for something to leave such a lasting impression on her. But before that, he had something else to do.


    "Pack up people! This spot is no good! We can''t have camp so close to the place where every damn Beast for kilometers wants to be. Unless you want to be eaten in your sleep, get your things and prepare to resettle at the edge of the forest!"


    As grumbles of annoyance erupted all over, no one really argued, as this was not the first time where some wild Beast approached the camp they set up, or even attacked it. It became increasingly obvious that this wasn''t a good spot for long-term settlement.


    Meanwhile, Ian cast his gaze at the towering Tree, feeling mana flowing around him. though he was unable to draw it inside himself like before.


    "This is either going to be the place of my dreams or the place of my early grave."

 Chapter 45: Caving Out The Caves

    "You know, although I like the fighting, the thrill of a mighty opponent... Sometimes I hate this place to my bones. The Architect really knows how to get to you quite often. Seriously if the rewards weren''t as generous as the danger, I might have quit long ago."


    -A snippet from a conversation regarding The Great Dungeon. 38 AA.


    ----------------------------------------------------


    Lan was digging away at the rock and stone in his way. Ground flowed like water, away from where Lan didn''t want it, compressing into the walls of the created tunnels, making them tougher, but that didn''t make further reinforcement unnecessary. On the contrary, if Lan didn''t want the whole thing collapsing later down the line, reinforcement was a must.


    Nevertheless, Lan was digging. He was digging without a proper layout or a plan in mind, which was probably a problem, but the creative freedom and acquired space made him tune it to the back of his mind.


    Curiously enough, Lan was also digging several tunnels going in various directions at the same time, all thanks to his thinking channels. The overall theme he was going for was a ''Cavernous Maze'', as back when he was messing around with the layout of the Second Floor, he vowed to make the next one a maze.


    Though he didn''t completely abide by that vow by making the Third Floor a jungle, now was the time to fulfill it.


    He had plenty of space to make it, two hundred meters in depth and possible kilometers in length, the options were many. And thanks to the option of making the tunnel go up or down being present, this maze could be three-dimensional.


    Still, just the corridors and tunnels by themselves would be quite boring, as there would be no proper space for combat. So, Lan''s DM memories awakening in the hazy mist that were his human memories, an idea immediately came into being.


    ''Just like the Second Floor, the path has to occasionally widen to allow for combat encounters. But this time an open room won''t mean being the correct path forward.''


    Only some of the combat rooms would be Places of Power, and among those selected, some would be placed in dead ends, their mana nonetheless beckoning any attuned enough to it.


    Lan was feeling pretty evil as he was designing this, as he knew that human exploration parties'' navigation often heavily relied on Mages and their mana sensitivity. Some among the Rangers were proficient in tracking, true, but Mages didn''t require as much training to be the team''s navigator.


    In this maze, with Mana being especially dense due to this being a particularly enclosed environment, Places of Power were all over the place, Mana current running from below being nearly indistinguishable from the other Places of Power.


    So if the teams in question didn''t have a proficient tracker or a Mage with them, then they could possibly wander for quite a while, not finding an exit.


    As he was thinking that, one of his channels of thought finished carving out a chamber of moderate size at the end of one of the tunnels which split off from the one that came from the boss room on the third floor, and quickly began reinforcing the walls of it with Earth mana.


    After that, rocky ''steps'' were carved on the wall opposing the entrance, and a Mana Crystal was formed on the very top of it. What followed was a gathering of moisture which caused water droplets to become visible in the air, the crystal beginning to shine in pale blue. A Water Crystal was made, and a stream of water began to trickle from it, forming a small waterfall running down the carved ''steps''.


    Making a Place of Power so close to the entrance into the maze served multiple purposes. First of all, it being so close made the mana feel potent, throwing off the Mages right from the start. Second of all, it being of Water Mana made a source of water available in the maze, both for humans and beasts, though it would probably be often contested.


    As Lan''s other channels of thought continued to carve their own tunnels, this one in particular finished up the chamber, watching as moss covered the stone where the water flowed, and some mushrooms sprouted in corners of the room. Truly these buggers were everywhere. The first dweller soon arrived, in the form of a spider about thrice as big as a tarantula.


    Though this size was unimpressive by this era''s standards, the fella was already busy with its web, spinning it right above the Water Crystal.


    Meanwhile, another thought channel was finishing up carving out another chamber along the way. But this one was rather different, being on the correct path downward. It was previously part of the diagonal tunnel which originally connected the third floor and the Core Room, but now this particular segment was widened and heightened, this chamber being lengthy as well.


    As the somewhat oval shape took form, Lan was already reinforcing it, and as that process came to an end, Lan tried making something he hadn''t before.


    But he had made things similar to what he was currently doing. And the things he was trying to make were the trademark of any old-looking cave: Stalagmites and Stalactites. The names were quite similar, the only difference being which one was the top and which one was the bottom, Lan didn''t remember that part well but it was irrelevant.


    Lan had made pillars before, and making something that was essentially a shorter and sharper pillar required only a slight change to the sequence.


    He dragged Earth Mana up and down, Mental mana flowed as well, reinforcing the image he wanted to carve out with the one present in his Imagination. Sharp spikes rose up from the ground and down from the ceiling, the cave now resembling a maw of some beast with how many appeared.


    Lan made the earthen spikes of various lengths, both longer and shorter stalagmites, and stalactites appearing at the sides of the chamber. But Lan didn''t want this chamber to be some glorified corridor, so he also made some points in the chamber where the spikes from opposing sides met, creating something like a pillar, being rather thin in the middle.


    Also, the especially high stalagmites (which he just remembered were the spikes from the ground), formed what was de facto a wall of spikes, looking cool, sturdy, and overall not being a place you would want to be on top of.


    That particular thought channel of Lan''s appreciated his own work, the chamber now looking like one of those caves he saw on Country Geographic or some other documentary about subterranean things. But for a Dungeon cave, it was still lacking.


    For example, without lights, it would be hard to appreciate it. Though the lack of lighting would be yet another type of challenge for any explorer, Lan had plenty of intentionally lightless places in the maze he was making, so he cut some slack on this one.


    It didn''t take long for him to form a set of Mana Crystals, but as he was wondering which type of light to create, he realized that he never tried combining Earth and Light mana, or tried making Earth mana-based lights in the first place. So...


    ''Why the hell not?''


    There was plenty of Earth mana underground, who would have thought, so it didn''t take long for half of the Crystal to become filled with it, making it seem like a topaz, only giving off a weak glow. Light mana was taking longer to gather due to a distinct lack of light. On the contrary, Lan sensed plenty of shadow mana here.


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    ''Shadow... In the darkness... How ingenious. But shadows are cast when light is present, right? Technically the underground is covered in shadows as light is held by the surface...''


    While Lan was waiting for Light Mana to gather, random thoughts wandering through that particular split part of his mind, he noticed something interesting. Shocking even.


    ''Did I... See that right?''


    As Light Mana gathered, a peculiar thing was happening to Shadow Mana around it. The Shadow Mana, as the darkness receded and light appeared, it didn''t disappear along with the darkness, no, it stayed. And it changed.


    Into Light Mana.


    This entire process shocked Lan, as he didn''t expect that at all. In the first place, the light that was created seemingly out of nowhere was a result of some interaction between his Mental Mana and Shadow Mana particles. Under the influence of his mind the Shadow particles ''switched'' to Light particles, thus generating light.


    Lan couldn''t exactly comprehend why that happened, as he thought of Shadow and Light as two different, completely opposite elements, fantasy novels he had previously read throughout his life maybe taking a part in such a mindset. But this discovery subverted his understanding.


    ''...So, two sides of the same coin, huh? I thought Light Mana was connected to photons in some way, but it appears that magic science and regular science don''t always match. Well, it is not like I was some nerd or scientist, so it doesn''t change much for me, but I can only imagine how it would the egghead mages from the surface. Heh.''


    Lan admitted that he wasn''t exactly the smartest one out there, but it is always satisfying to look at someone trying to find the answer that you already know. Like when your friend plays through your favorite game for the first time.


    Still, the fact that Light and Shadow Mana, which he decided to keep calling that way as it was easier to understand, could switch around just like that, made some questions come up.


    ''So if I have a Mana Crystal filled with Light Mana... Can I ''switch'' it to Shadow Mana?''


    Lan focused on the Earth-Light Crystal that he created, and commanded, sending out his Mental Mana, to ''switch''. Though he wasn''t sure how exactly his Mental Mana would interact, he had a hunch it would work.


    And just like that, the glow of the light-filled crystal began to dim. That light soon turned into darkness as the Mental Mana seeped through it. But then, out of Lan''s expectations, it didn''t simply end up as a light-absorbing crystal, instead, it interacted with Earth mana contained within.


    The Shadow Mana seeped into the Earth Mana, and as a result of such an interaction, darkness seemed to creep out of the Crystal. It spread along the wall it was on, and it reached as far as the ground, forming a spherical space where stone mixed with shadow, the two being indistinguishable.


    Just as Lan was wondering what the heck was going on, a lizard about a meter in size passed by that shadowy patch of rock. Just as it stepped into the abnormal zone, it seemed to have lost all coordination in its movements. It flailed wildly, its limbs being in chaos.


    Lan wondered what happened to it, and peeked through the mental link present between them. The small critter''s mind was filled with confusion, and Lan soon found out why. The lizard didn''t seem to feel its limbs or any part of the body that touched the ground.


    The sudden loss of sensation caused the small animal to be incapable of proper movement, thoroughly confusing it. Lan having a hunch on the cause of the whole predicament, ''switched'' the light back on.


    The shadows receded as the Shadow turned to Light, and sure enough, as the shadow zone disappeared, the lizard regained its senses and hurriedly went away from the location.


    ''Alright, that proves it. Shadow plus Earth means say-goodbye-to-your-toes zone.''


    The combination of the two types of mana was quite peculiar, and the produced effect was quite interesting as well.


    ''Shadow by itself takes away your ability to see. I''ve previously tested dense concentrations of Shadow Mana, they caused even animals with night vision to lose their sight. But this combination with Earth Mana also seems to take away the sense of touch. Is Earth Mana related to tactile senses in any way..?''


    Taking a note for himself to research this interaction in greater detail sometime later, Lan continued.


    ''Well, this might make for a nice trap should I- No, when I make some. Any good dungeon should have traps. Hell, I might add some to this very floor. But... Lights come first.''


    With his discovery of the Shadow-Light switcheroo, Lan didn''t make the rest of the illumination, so he began making up for it. Mana Crystals were formed sparsely across the chamber, filling it with dim light, but with plenty of shadows still being all over. One wouldn''t want to take away all the predator''s hiding spots.


    Another boon of the lights was the fact that they, being a Mana Crystal, along with just how many there were, made this chamber yet another Place of Power, with Mana being concentrated yet dispersed throughout. Such a place would surely attract more than one beast thirsting for it.


    Along with the increase of Mana, vegetation sprung up as well, completing the basic ambiance. All that remained were some bats and water dripping down the stalactites for a fully convincing scene. But this particular chamber was overall done.


    Along another tunnel, Lan decided to add a touch of horror to it. At first, he thought of making some sort of stone hands reach out from the walls, but that seemed a little... unoriginal, though he didn''t know why exactly. He wanted something else.


    In the end, he decided that a superficial decoration would not fit into the overall theme of the fourth floor, so he chose something else. Out from the walls and ceiling of that tunnel, he carved out many small openings which led to a network of similarly small tunnels and chambers which he made very quickly due to how small they were.


    And in that network, he placed Mana Crystals filled with Earth mana. They were absolutely tiny, even tinier than his Core when he first awakened, but they corresponded to the size of the expected recipients. Bugs and insects.


    Lan''s devious idea was for many creepy crawlies to settle in the walls and the ceiling, and when something large enough to disturb them passed through the big tunnel, they would crawl out en masse. Though they wouldn''t be much of a threat (supposedly), the creepy factor would be at an all-time high.


    In yet another tunnel carved by yet another part of Lan''s mind, he decided to make the most primitive of traps: a spike pit. Even if one noticed it, the explorer would have to think of a way to cross it due to the narrowness of the Tunnel. Lan was feeling quite devious.


    And as the idea of spike traps appeared, it brought along many ideas for the ''intermission chambers'', chambers with no particular intended combat encounter.


    Lan remembered some of the games he used to play. A game that was something about sentient bugs and their underground kingdom, was a platformer that obviously employed spike pits in its many parkour segments. So, Lan wondered, why not have a parkour chamber?


    As the idea came, he carved out a particularly deep chamber along one of the tunnels. He then raised up many pillars from the bottom and to the level where the entrance to it was. Lan spaced them out a bit within the distance a bit bigger than that of a human''s jump. He did this because he saw that the Crystals enhanced the human physique, making them ascend beyond the mundane limits.


    As he spaced them out, some of the platforms being wider than others, at the finish he made the widest platform, and in the center of it - a pedestal.


    ''Though this chamber''s off-course, I''ve gotta motivate someone to complete it nonetheless. At the end of a challenge, there is a reward. Or maybe a lure from another perspective. Still... Let There Be Loot!''


    Lan quickly flipped through things that would be valuable to humans, and the only thing he found on top of the list were Mana Crystals. Heat Crystals in particular were as of yet unobtainable because none of his Guardians possessed Heat affinity. So the reward was decided.


    Lan quickly condensed a Heat Crystal, placing it atop the pedestal. Not quite satisfied with the look of it, he shaped out a chest made of stone around it, embellishing the container with swirly and pretty carvings. Though it looked grey, it was stylish. And he also added proper hinges, so it would open normally... Probably.


    He then added a light shining from the ceiling in the form of a spherical Earth-Light Crystal, which was held by two hands made of stone, the style being different due to the nature of the room. Finally, Lan created sharp spikes at the bottom of the pit where one would fall in case of failure.


    He didn''t add any water, as he made this chamber not to cater to humans, but to reward them for risking their life. This was no children''s playground, no second chances. If one survived the fall, one would have to get up by their own means or be helped by teammates.


    Though survival was unlikely in case of a fall.


    Lan continued on with the digging of tunnels after that, or rather he never stopped in the first place, doing many things simultaneously. Chambers both with Places of Power, spike traps, or other devious things that would hamper an already challenging descent were being added one after another.


    For example in one of the tunnels, he made no regular downward-curving path, but instead a vertical drop, with only a hoop in the ceiling of the vertical tunnel signifying that one should possess a rope. But he also added a pool of water at the bottom of it by briefly making a Water Crystal before removing it.


    If someone was foolish enough to jump down relying on the safety of water, they would be disappointed by a sharp surprise from below. Even with a rope, one would have to descend cautiously if one didn''t want to get their boots wet or pierced.


    The funny thing was, this was part of a correct path.


    If the previous three floors were like an introduction, then this was a proper welcome. Lan started properly exploring his creative and sadistic capabilities by making such a maze, though he didn''t know how long it would have to wait for its first visitor.


    But that''s how it was. The ones exploring the dungeon didn''t often think just how much effort the DM put into making it. So the DM evened it out by enjoying their struggling.

 Chapter 46: First Proper Delves

    At the edge of a rapidly regrowing forest, the hustle and bustle of a newly built camp could be heard. As the sun was rising, the work that started late in the night was being finished up, with tents being set already set up, and a campfire lit in the center of the camp.


    "Once the trench is finished it will be my turn to get some sleep..."


    Marilyn yawned, lifting her shovel once again. Following the order she was given, she rested for a day back in the town after returning from the mission, but after that, she was sent back out to the danger hole.


    And what did she find? Instead of a camp where she could rest, she joined the disgruntled and now sleep-deprived explorers who were still in the process of setting the whole thing up. When they saw her they didn''t see her as an experienced explorer, but a fresh labor force. And so, she ended up with a shovel in her hands.


    To her mild annoyance, Ian didn''t participate in the hard labor, instead being the brains behind the planning of the camp. To be fair, he was constantly running around and checking up on everyone. He also played on his flute occasionally, providing a bit of mental relief.


    It was no secret that Ian was good with it. Back in town he occasionally gave performances in the Square and various taverns. Marilyn was secretly glad that he was out of the dumps he was in when he woke up with his ability to use magic being crippled.


    As she was amidst her thoughts, her hands continued the work. And soon enough, she had finished her part, the trench being finished.


    Marilyn couldn''t help but stretch after such an exercise, but after looking over herself she realized that she needed a bath and she needed some water. Her tank top was covered in dust, and he hair which was tied in a ponytail was not much better. Still, the bath could wait.


    She then went through to the center of the camp, where the cook who came with the advance party was already making something in his pot over the campfire. It smelled nice, but that wasn''t Marilyn''s destination. Instead, she went towards the former Mage, who was currently looking over a table filled with maps, plans, and drawings, looking rather busy.


    "Hey Ian, mind if I take some water?"


    The young man was a little startled, seemingly not having noticed her earlier. Still, he then gestured towards a table to the side, where a barrel filled with water was placed.


    "Sure, go ahead. Please don''t use my cup though."


    Marilyn looked over all the cups, which looked the same, and took a random one, shrugging. After that, she quenched her thirst with the water from the barrel.


    "-ahh that was refreshing. So, how''s the construction going overall?"


    The not-mage responded without looking away from the table, instead taking out an empty sheet of paper and beginning to draw something on it using various mapping supplies.


    "Slower than we''d like, but understandable considering that we had to relocate the whole camp in the middle of the night. To have proper defenses at least a couple of makeshift watchtowers would be desirable, and having a palisade would be best."


    Ian then looked up at Marilyn.


    "But that''s unlikely to be any time soon. And you, Marilyn, why did you come to this tent specifically to get water, knowing there are plenty of barrels outside... And why did you take my cup?"


    Marilyn gazed at the cup in her hands once again.


    "Answering your second question: I''ve got no clue how this mug is any different. And your first question... Well, I''ve got some questions for you instead."


    Ian sighed in exhaustion as if such a situation was familiar. For some reason, seeing such an expression caused Marilyn to remember Anna and her previously cheerful demeanor.


    "...same as always. Well, ask away. I suppose I owe you that much seeing that you were doing a job you were not really needed to do."


    "Here goes then. When''s the next exploration party going into the danger-hole?"


    Ian looked at Marilyn with a confused expression.


    "Danger... Hole? Do you mean the dungeon?"


    "Well most folks call it that, but I keep it simple. It is a hole and it is dangerous, hence a danger hole. Now please answer my question."


    "Okay, whatever. A hunting party was sent out at dawn to get some game from the First Floor. And don''t worry, they were explicitly told not to engage the monster bosses, as a single party would be insufficient... At least for now."


    Marilyn unconsciously looked out of the tent, from which the caps of the forest trees were visible.


    "Aren''t they supposed to be back by now? It''s about an hour till noon."


    Ian pulled out a pocket watch from one of his pouches and then also looked out.


    "You would be correct in that assumption, it''s a quarter past eleven. In fact, they should be arriving any second now if nothing happened..."


    Abruptly, cheers sounded from the side of the camp that was near the forest. Following that, a party of five dragging a pair of sizable boars behind them came into view from among the tents, with the kills being proudly presented on display.


    "...and there they are. Not a member less. Pretty good considering how all other expeditions turned out."


    Marilyn added a sarcastic note.


    "How our expeditions turned out. They''re rather lucky compared to us."


    Ian walked away from the table filled with plans and went out of the tent.


    "Yes, they are. I''d rather it be a cause for celebration rather than envy. Let''s go, we need to know what they encountered."


    Marilyn silently followed Ian, but she knew deep inside that he was still bitter at his loss of magic even though no longer being depressed about it.


    She sighed, as she also knew just how deeply fascinated Ian was with the subject, thanks to his grandpa who was an avid researcher of the topic. And now, at the peak of his life, his dreams and aspirations were torn away all to let his party get away safely. Nevertheless, it wasn''t her affair to meddle in, so she focused on the present.


    Meanwhile one of the five was either retelling their hunt or plain boasting about the whole experience.


    "...and then get this, the big lug comes outta nowhere! While Timmy over there got scared, I on the other hand, with nary a tremble, put my arrow clean into the eye! Cool, am I right?"


    The hunter in question was sipping from his canteen while talking, with one of his teammates, presumably Timmy, giving him the stink eye.


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    "And just as we calmed down, we heard..."


    He was, however, interrupted.


    "Yes, that''s a nice story, but could you please give a proper report? It is important for us to know the actual situation, preferably without any embellishments."


    Ian had a notebook and a quill in his hands, looking ready to record any obtained information.


    The interrupted hunter looked rather displeased at being interrupted. While not saying anything, he put his boot atop one of the slain beasts. He then leaned forward.


    "And who''re you supposed to be? Weren''t you taught that it is rude to interrupt others? Cause what you''re doing now seems pretty rude to me. Oh wait, I remember you..."


    The hunter leaned forward, grinning.


    "You''re the cripple. The waste of space."


    Gasps could be heard from the crowd at the outraging statement. Ian''s face didn''t show any emotion, his hands instead balling up into fists, anger beginning to simmer in his eyes.


    "Honestly, I don''t even know why they let you out of the town. Some kinda strategist? Just some staff member from the Tower would be bette-"


    He would never get to finish his words, however, as an armored gauntlet met the side of his face. Not the best meeting for the fleshy side.


    The man was thrown to the ground, as the owner of the fist stood above him. Marilyn was huffing angrily as she gritted her teeth in rage.


    "Don''t you fucking dare spew shit about Ian. You don''t know the sheer value of his sacrifice! And he did it not for some selfish goal, but to save the lives of his teammates! And you?.."


    Marilyn looked down at the man who was grasping his face, showing that just the pain from the single punch she delivered was enough to debilitate the man. It wasn''t that the punch was that painful, but rather the man was unused to pain.


    "What kind of hunter are you even supposed to be? Cowering at that much. I''ve known people who can get their arms torn off and eyes clawed out, and still keep on fighting! You? You''re a coward. And the thing I hate most is a coward."


    With these words, Marilyn looked over the gathered crowd, catching the guilty look from two faces in particular, who didn''t dare meet her gazes. She then kicked the man in the shin with her steel boot for good measure.


    She then spat on the ground and marched off from the scene.


    Murmurs erupted as soon as she left, and the partymates of the man on the ground didn''t even bother helping him up, looking at him with disdain as if having had enough of his antics.


    "Who the heck was that? How dare he badmouth our boy Ian!"


    "That''s Daniel, he came from Carveshore Port to the East. A vain man I tell you. This was supposed to be his first proper expedition. Though I admit his luck was bad in coming to the town he didn''t know could be soon destroyed, that''s no excuse for being so disrespectful."


    "Serves him right. Everyone knows that fucking with Marilyn''s friends will not lead to a good outcome. He''s lucky Stacy''s not here, she was not allowed to come after her injury. Though it seems hypocritical with how Ian''s here."


    "I dunno about that, but is it just me, or is Marilyn a bit more violent since coming back from her expedition? It won''t take long for her to be a second Stacy at this rate..."


    The man of the hour, Ian, looked at the man who was crying in a fetal position on the ground, before sighing and turning away from the mess. If he was honest with himself, he was not sighing in relief but in gratitude to Marilyn, for she had done what he wanted to do badly.


    Still, despite whatever he felt, work still needed to be done. Though Ian lost his magical combat abilities, the enhanced mind of a Mage could still be put to use, and Ian refused to be useless.


    There were still plans to be drawn, which needed to account for the possible threats from the forest, expansion according to possible future arrivals, supply logistics from the town, and so on. No easy job was available at the camp.


    While Ian was busy with his papers and Marilyn was venting steam with an axe using an unfortunate tree, the work in the camp continued after the violent interaction. Through the course of the day, two more hunting parties were sent out into the dungeon to bring back mana-rich meat, which was very beneficial for consumption.


    Both returned with no casualties, only sustaining some injuries at most. The worst one was multiple poisoned bites one of the Warriors took on from the Venomous Earthworms, who by now have gained some infamy thanks to the stories that were being shared about the first two explorations as well. The creatures were now jokingly called Venorms.


    When the sun was setting, a batch of researchers arrived from Cypress Town along with the second batch of explorers. The Mages seemingly had curiosity engraved within their very bones, and quickly got their hands on the animals that were brought back from the dungeon, examining the distribution of mana or whatever.


    When the next day arrived, some of the Researchers requested to be taken along for the daily delve. Ian, as the one responsible for the camp and the safety of every person inside of it, argued with them on the topic of the safety of the Mages who were inexperienced with being in the field.


    After a rather long and bothersome discussion, it was agreed upon that a pair of researchers would go in while being protected by two parties at the same time. Ian decided on this out of consideration for the Researchers who might give in to their curiosity and start examining something out of the blue.


    As a point of reassurance, Marilyn volunteered to be one of the party leaders, though Ian was pretty sure she just wanted to get back into action. And like this, twelve people went to the Dungeon. In fact, based on sheer size one could call it the Third Exploration Party, though they wouldn''t go too far, as Marilyn doubted they would even face the first boss.


    Still, Ian''s expectations were confirmed even before they went into the place itself, as the Researchers were taking notes and stopping to feel the flow of mana from time to time. One of them, who was an old man, apparently was a botanist before the Awakening and was overly interested in the rapid growth of plants and trees after the fire.


    With the group already getting tired of dealing with such a troublesome pair, they eventually made it to the Dungeon itself, and that''s where things got a little better, as the presence of danger caused some caution to reveal itself among the Researchers, with them getting a bit more restrained in their actions.


    This allowed Marilyn to warn them about the dangers they might encounter, and categorically warn them not to go near the boss room. She then added that they were free to go anywhere other than that place, which, she could swear she was not seeing things, made a fire appear within the Mages'' eyes.


    So, the Mages once again began taking notes and mumbling among themselves at every second thing they encountered.


    A weird-looking plant? Recorded. Mysterious lights in the ceiling? Recorded. The revelation that those lights weren''t there the last time? Furious scribbling and wild theories unwinded on the previously blank pages.


    The group was attacked a few times, but any beast foolish enough to attack was quickly disposed of with impeccable teamwork, Marilyn continued to perform as an excellent leader despite her experiences, overshadowing the leader of the second party.


    They did experience one tough battle though. The group was attacked by the infamous Venorms who were practically a staple of the First Floor at this point, with no hunting group escaping the wrath of the slithering biters. But the swarm itself wasn''t the main problem, as they were fairly simple to deal with.


    Instead, the threat was a venorm that was triple the size of others, possessing significant strength. It burrowed through the ground like water, causing confusion and disorder. Before it could cause any casualties, however, Marilyn took control of the situation, and with her shield she blocked and deflected the beast, countering it with her sword.


    Though the hide of the beast was much tougher than that of the other of its kind, once the other party members, along with even the Mages throwing in a shockwave or two, started their assault, the wriggler quickly succumbed.


    To everyone''s surprise, the beast then dissolved into mist, causing the researchers to be especially intrigued. In its place now remained a topaz-like crystal, shining with weak earthly light. Marilyn recognized the thing and briefly described what it was in general to others.


    The Researchers were in a frenzy, to say the least, juggling it between themselves, and damn near licking and sniffing it. Though the other party members looked at it covetously, their greed dissipated rapidly seeing the crystal get defiled by the Mages.


    That battle left the group rather winded, and Marilyn called up a vote to go back to camp. Though the Mages were reluctant, they were outvoted ten to two. And with that, the group quickly returned with no incidents. When they came back, the camp was now halfway surrounded by a palisade, the tree stumps, however, were already being partly regrown.


    While such a discovery would have thrilled the Mages before, they were rather numb after what they had seen down in the Dungeon. Plus, they were exhausted. The group agreed to let them keep the crystal, leaving the duo to their own devices.


    And while the explorers feasted and drank, the Mages toiled among themselves, being joined by their coworkers that previously stayed behind at camp. Fierce discussions and theorizing went among themselves, some things discovered were unheard of and mysterious. And in the end, they unanimously came to a decision.


    As the falling sun once again told of the coming night, a very disgruntled group escorted one of the researchers back to Cypress Town. No one had noticed the absence of one Mage that day, daily delves instead became even more popular after the stories about the mysterious Mana Crystals were shared amongst themselves. Everyone wanted to gain greater power.


    However, no one was as lucky as the group of researchers the day before. The day was rather uneventful.


    But as the sun set once again, an unexpected scene happened in the camp.


    As Ian heard the commotion, he went out of the tent and saw a crowd surrounding a group of new arrivals. As the crowd parted, Ian widened his eyes at the identity of one of the arrivals.


    "M-Mrs Matilda?!"


    "Hello there, young mage. I have heard interesting things about this place. So I decided to go out for a walk.


    Matilda Stein, the Tower Master of Cypress Town had arrived at the camp.

 Chapter 47: Tower Masters Might

    Lan didn''t quite know just how long exactly he was building his Fourth ''Floor'' if he could call the anthill of a maze he had dug out. The result was an abomination of traps, spontaneous and optional parkour sections, dead ends with things that would make you dead, and claustrophobia-invoking tunnels.


    Overall, Lan would proudly say that this Floor could terrify even a veteran of the war in Vietnam. Provided that they didn''t possess magic or some other superhuman capabilities of course. But this was the best way he could describe what he had built, as without an omnipresent gaze like the one he had, one would get lost quite easily.


    And though the floor was nearing completion, Lan hadn''t yet created the boss room, not really knowing who to put there, hence not knowing in what way to design it. But the fact that he finished everything else meant that his ''hands'' were now free. Hands being thought channels that is.


    As such, he left behind one of five parts of his split mind, the others settling on the floors they originally belonged to, various information of each floor he was briefly ''away'' from flooding back in.


    The Third Floor was as hot as ever, The Huntress being on the prowl looking for dinner, or lunch, who knew. The Second Floor was kind of chilling, no battles ongoing. It seemed that every beast that occupied a Place of Power was now too strong for a beast without a Heart Core to Challenge. Battles would usually happen when some Magic Beast wanted to get a spot closer to the boss room, where there was more mana.


    But it would seem that the current generation was pretty content with the spots they were currently occupying, just sitting under (or on) their trees and accumulating mana.


    ''Well, what can I say, they be vibin.''


    When the First Floor was reconnected, Lan noticed a difference. First of all, there was an abnormally abundant amount of mana present. Also, there were some remains of various beasts strewn about, and some places had traces of a recent battle, though they were disappearing quite quickly.


    ''It seems that humans came by once again while I was dungeoning my dungeon. Doesn''t seem like anyone even tried to fight the boss. No one died on the human''s side either, there are no souls. Still, what is up with the mana? A single hunt wouldn''t result in such an outcome... Wait.''


    Lan realized that he had quite possibly said the answer himself, a single hunt wouldn''t result in so much mana being released, released from when a part of a dying animal''s mana dissipated, even when they weren''t a Magic Beast and their bodies didn''t turn to mist after death.


    But what if there was more than one hunt? Then it could be quite possible for such a thing to occur. Lan wasn''t sure if this was a good thing or not.


    ''Well, this means that the humans come here regularly, and hunt frequently, the reason for now being unknown. But the abundance of mana causes the creatures to procreate and grow even faster, as such, I guess I shouldn''t be too worried about a lack of beasts as long as there is a breeding pair. So, overall a good thing.''


    Mind you, the whole internal monologue that Lan had went by in a second, with his thought processing speed being leagues faster than an average human, and that''s only when utilizing a single thought channel. If he was as slow as when he was a fleshy being, building the Fourth Floor could take months if not years.


    And as a couple of seconds passed, the vast information about the kilometers of the surface that his domain covered, flowed into his mind. Firstly, he saw that the forest was regrown, no trace of fire being present, greenery replacing the charred ground that was there mere... Days? Ago.


    Lan wasn''t sure how much time had passed. Because along with it, he witnessed humans who were rather close to his dungeon. A whole camp of them.


    ''Just how long exactly was I simply... Digging? Whatever, it doesn''t really matter as long as I focus on the present. Now, let''s see what the ''frail mortals'' are doing.''


    Lan noticed that as time passed he grew further detached from his remaining humanity. Though he was conflicted about that for quite some time, feeling his old memories get replaced by crystalline new ones, he decided to embrace the change. And what better way to accept a change of species than developing a god complex?


    The camp was quite well developed. A nice palisade was already present, as well as a moat before it. The camp consisted mostly of tents, but it seemed that planks were being prepared for further construction.


    ''Huh. Looks like the humans want to settle here long-term.''


    As he was looking, a group of five, which he now knew was the standard size for an exploration/hunting party, left the camp and headed in the dungeon''s direction. Lan switched his focus to them, and sure enough, they arrived at the dungeon''s entrance within fifteen minutes.


    Followed by that, they entered the First Floor where they seemed to hunt the resident beasts, sticking to the outer edges of the floor, not going to the boss room. After securing a couple of kills, they dragged the bodies back out, the enhanced physical ability of their warriors being helpful for this.


    After that, the hunters dragged the kills back to camp, where they were handed over to someone who looked to be in charge of body dismantling. Following that, a team who was proficient in the job separated the edible parts from useful parts, and the food was sent out to the chefs, the bones and useful parts were put into storage, and the waste was thrown away.


    It was oddly interesting to see the whole process, like watching a video of an assembly on a conveyor belt.


    Just then, a commotion erupted on another side of the camp, which drew Lan''s focus. He expected to see many things, maybe a supply transport, the arrival of new explorers, or maybe some beauty getting all the attention. What he wasn''t expecting was to see a woman emanating an amount of mana Lan thought impossible for a human to possess.


    Her quantity of mana alone was comparable to that of Lorn''s, who was made of mana for dungeon''s sake. Not to mention that her mental mana was even stronger, very impressive for a human even though it was meager in comparison to Lan.


    Her overwhelming might aside, she struck an odd feeling in Lan, feeling as if she was somehow familiar. Lan tried to find the source of such a woman, but other than some vague feeling in the back of his mind, a fog of nothingness shrouded all else.


    Suddenly the woman seemed to feel something, and she tilted her head away from the crowd in front of her, and she looked slightly to the top. Right, where Lan''s point of view was currently present. Though Lan was omnipresent in his domain, he preferred to focus from a certain point, rather than being everywhere at once. And the fact that the woman sensed him, who wasn''t physically there, spoke to him of various things.


    Still, it was a rather unsettling experience, so he stopped observing from a point but dispersed his focus over an area. This seemed to have worked somewhat, as the woman furrowed her brows and looked around, but didn''t find what she was looking for.


    A startled shout from not far away could be heard.


    "M-Mrs Matilda?!"


    Lan finally found out the name of the woman who possessed such power. But just her name and the fact that she was, apparently, married, didn''t tell him much else.


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    "Hello there, young mage. I have heard interesting things about this place. So I decided to go out for a walk."


    As Lan perceived her words, he finally decided to check out who she was talking to and was a little surprised when he felt a faint mental link connected to the person in question. It was the Mage who was among the first four people to delve into his dungeon.


    He barely even remembered of establishing the link, as with how hastily constructed it was, it was rather faint. Additionally, it seemed that the Mage seemed to subconsciously reject it, further weakening the signal, and rendering it useless at long ranges.


    But with Lan being far more powerful now, he could try and re-establish it properly, overpowering whatever resistance the man may put up. For whatever reason though, such an option seemed rather repulsive to him, as he established a proper contract even with the Huntress back when she was merely an intelligent beast.


    Additionally, with a woman named Matilda, who was very sensitive to mana and magic, such a thing seemed risky, and she may as well somehow thwart whatever Lan tried to achieve. So, Lan continued to observe, resorting to spying on the outer thoughts of the Mage whose name was Ian, to try and find out more about her.


    Surprisingly it worked, as the mage''s mind turned out to be frantic at the status of the woman before him. She was the mysterious Tower Master that Lan had seen so much about in the memories of the fallen. With the brief mystery being resolved, her absurd power now made sense.


    Lan decided to observe them for now.


    "I''ve come here to speed up the research, which was agreed upon by the personnel present. So, expect me to join the ''delves'', as I''d heard people have begun to call the expeditions."


    The young mage seemed like a man meeting his idol, nervous but trying to appear calm.


    "Yes, of course! So uh... I suppose you are planning to explore the First Floor? I doubt anything of value is yet to be found there though..."


    The woman who was surveying the camp with her gaze, upon hearing such words, had the slightest of smiles appear on her face.


    "Just the first? That would be rather counterproductive... Rather unambitious. We will go as deep as the Second Expedition went, maybe even further."


    Staring at the dumbfounded Ian, her gaze turned reminiscent.


    "Like a certain young boy used to say long ago, you gotta go big, or go home."


    Matilda seemed to stare off briefly into the distance, before snapping back to reality. Meanwhile, Ian the Mage was already saluting her by putting a fist to his chest.


    "As you command. A proper exploration party will be ready in two hours!"


    And with that, he retreated away and somewhere into the camp, gathering and debriefing various explorers. Lan''s gaze remained at the woman, however. That gaze, that voice, all tugged at his mind, like knowing that it was important, but not knowing exactly why.


    She seemed so familiar, but he didn''t remember her face at all. So, he continued to observe her like a stalker, trying his hardest not to get noticed. Had this world gained a System along with the Awakening, words like ''Stealth has risen to 70'' would appear. But they did not.


    Two hours later, Ian delivered on his promise. Fifteen people, three parties, and one exploration group stood before the Tower Master. Among the teams were the Dungeon veterans. Marilyn, Leopold, Rob, Beatrice, Anna, and everyone who had been down there at least once was prioritized for this delve.


    Ian stood behind the imposing woman, who seemed to not even notice those before her, instead gazing in the direction of Lan''s dungeon. And the direction from which Lan just so happened to observe.


    "I have heard many things about the place you have been to, and I have heard about the horrors you have encountered. For that dungeon is a place like none of us have encountered before. One of unknown origin... And design."


    With that, her gaze seemed to drill into the point where Lan was staring from as if his efforts of concealment meant nothing.


    "Some of you may be afraid. I would not blame you, for many have not returned from the depths. You know best what fate befell them. Yet you forget one thing."


    With those words, mana seemed to erupt out of her body like an ocean tide. While previously she seemed normal to any human, now they felt palpable pressure emanating from her. Matilda''s figure seemed to be surrounded by an unearthly glow, pure energy crackled at her fingertips.


    "You forget that now I dive down alongside you. I bet you may have heard many things about me, thinking that most tales about me were a hoax or a mere embellishment. And though that may be sometimes true..."


    The Tower Master flicked her hand at a distant tree. A bolt of pure mana condensed and then flew out with a whistle, before slamming into the target. The trunk shattered into pieces, the entire tree crumbling to the ground. And the woman herself looked like it didn''t take any effort at all.


    "Every tale has truth in it. And today I will remind you that I am no mere eggbrain who knows nothing but maths and research. Today, I will remind you that I search for the mysteries of this new world, I long to find out the truth. And together with you, we will find out the truth behind the Dungeon!"


    Her final sentence was met with cheers and shouts from the group before her and all the other explorers around. Just a couple of sentences caused their fear to evaporate, instead, the courage to face the unknown replaced it.


    After that display of power and charisma, Matilda began to walk at the front of the expedition, everyone else following behind her. No beast dared to attack the group, the mere presence of the Tower Master overwhelming their instincts and whatever sixth sense they possessed with fear.


    Plants that were in their way titled out of the way with nothing more than a twitch of the woman''s finger, as a flicker of Life Mana under her control steered them the way she wanted.


    Even Lan could only remain in awe of such a display. Though the woman''s power was small compared to his, her control was far more refined. Where the Core relied on an overwhelming amount of mana, often condensing things into being, the Tower Master possessed a far more delicate control, being able to bend mana to her whims like a seamstress weaving a picture.


    If Lan was honest, he felt that he might learn something just by observing her at work. He previously thought that he was now far beyond any human in terms of knowledge and skill with mana.


    ''Welp. You can''t always be right. I admit my loss on this one.''


    It didn''t take long for the group to arrive at the dungeon. The Tower Master stopped briefly before it and gazed up at the tree towering above it, which was exactly 67 meters in height by Lan''s measurements. Lan didn''t exactly know what exactly caught her eye here, whether it be the flow of mana, or the tree itself.


    What Lan didn''t notice in his fascination with the Tower Master, were the threads of mana intertwining in the middle of the Great Tree''s trunk, similar to when a Heart Core was formed, yet completely different. Mental Mana emanated from it was also far beyond when it was a mere sapling, and still growing, what would come from it, Lan wouldn''t know for a while.


    "What are you?"


    Matilda asked seemingly no one, yet Lan knew who she was asking, as she was once again staring at his viewpoint, which he didn''t even bother to hide at this point. Lan really didn''t know whether to admire or fear the woman for her skill at this point.


    ''Both? Both. Yeah, both is good.''


    Soon after, the human group ventured on after the Tower Master gained no response, which was kind of what was expected when talking to seemingly empty air.


    Obviously, no beast on the First Floor could pose the slightest threat to veteran delvers, not to mention the absolute monster of a Mage present, who could probably sense them from afar.


    Against all expectations, the Venorms struck once again, defying any expectations. Yet the battle didn''t ensue anyway.


    When the giant earthworms erupted from the ground, they became stuck in midair, and solidified mid-motion as a result of the Tower Master lifting her hand and making a grasping motion, mana twisting around every attacker in turn. And then, she tightened her grip.


    The slithering beast started to twist and writhe midair, before exploding into a shower of gore. Interestingly, not a drop landed on the woman, instead sliding and bouncing off of an invisible bubble around her.


    Lan watched the display, which was basically her controlling all mana in a certain area, before over-concentrating it in certain points, causing localized shockwaves. And that invisible bubble of hers made by her twisting mana in an invisible cocoon around her, with a structure so intricate, Lan ''saved'' it to his memory to study it later.


    The group then proceeded along towards the boss room, Matilda obviously feeling the denser mana. Along the way, she looked towards the ''stars'' dotting the ceiling. A slight smile crept onto her face as if remembering something pleasant.


    It only took a short walk to approach the boss room, as the First Floor wasn''t that big. Facing the corridor, the Tower Master slid her hands along the unnaturally smooth walls, while whispering unheard to anyone but Lan.


    "Just who are you... To make something so wondrous? What is your purpose?"


    She turned her head towards a certain point above her, once again staring straight ''at'' Lan.


    "I know that you''re watching. Probably listening too. I don''t really know why and how you built this dungeon..."


    Matilda then began to walk towards the boss room, approaching the clearing. As the other fifteen people began to follow her, she held out her hand and said to them.


    "Stay here. I will go in alone."


    "But madam-"


    "This is final. Or are you doubting me?"


    Matilda Stein then headed away from the dumbfounded group, a smile now being fully present on her face. She then continued to whisper.


    "But whoever you are, you made me remember some fond memories, and you gave me something fun to research. So I''ll do it. I''ll play your game."


    As she walked towards the center of the clearing, her white coat swaying in the breeze passing through the room, two wolves emerged from opposite sides of the clearing, circling her, being wary.


    Energy began to crackle at her fingertips.


    "Let''s dance, shall we?"

 Chapter 48: Skill Against Power

    The woman, the Tower Master, walked forward unperturbed, only giving the two wolves who were flanking her a side glance. It was rather surprising that the beasts didn''t even try ambushing her, as if recognizing the futility of such an action, trying to take her head-on instead.


    In the end, it seemed that despite their size, the wolves of black and white were at a disadvantage in this battle. They were intelligent enough to understand that, being tense and cautious.


    Soon, the lone woman stood in the middle of the room, staring the beasts who still didn''t attack straight into the eyes. Seeing their idleness, she sighed.


    "Not going to come to me? Well then, I''m going to come to you."


    Following those words, a sequence of events happened within seconds, in which only Lan could fully understand what happened.


    As Matilda finished speaking her words, Lan witnessed how mana began to circulate rapidly within her, before surging toward her hands. This caused light to emerge from them, before condensing into something like a thick needle, which hovered over her palm briefly.


    Said needle turned out to be a projectile as it was then sent out faster than an arrow shot out from a bow, straight towards Tag. The wolf managed to barely react as his pupils shrank at the incoming threat. He crouched down to the ground, the magic bolt whizzing right above his head, before flying away into the treeline, an explosion sounding soon after.


    Nacht stared in shock briefly before understanding what happened. Recognizing that this was no prey, but a fellow predator, she chose to immediately attack instead of wasting time, risking getting shot down having done nothing.


    As she rushed at the woman, at the same time trying not to follow a straight path, knowing such tactics worked against other ranged adversaries, Nacht closed the gap rapidly, being a single jump away from the threat in mere seconds, as the wolf''s capabilities were growing by the day.


    Just as she was about to pounce on the woman, an explosive force suddenly slammed into her face, not causing much harm, but flinging her further than where she came from.


    "Oh my, you surprised me there. You are quick, I''ll give you that. But will you manage to get close again? Let''s test that, shall we?"


    The Tower Master was nothing like the pragmatic and charismatic researcher when Lan observed her in the camp. No, now she looked like a mother playing a game with naughty children. The children in question being giant wolves wanting to kill her.


    Still, when Nacht was flung away, Tag was already on the move, being in range and already midair, his claws outstretched in offense. Sadly for him, the Tower Master seemed already aware of him, turning her head towards him, a smile present on her face.


    "I always wanted to test this..."


    Just as his claws seemed to be about to hit her, they seemed to slide across an invisible wall, the dumbfounded Tag following soon after, tumbling over the woman, being repelled by something smooth and unseen instead of cutting into her. The would-be victim was instead muttering in her breath.


    "A bit inefficient... The redistribution of force needs some work, and the overall structure is destabilized after a hit. Good enough for now."


    After this brief exchange, no result was achieved in the clash, but this was only the beginning. With a twitch of Tag''s tail, Nacht received the signal along with a brief image being transmitted through their mental link. And following that, Nacht melded into shadows, and Tag disappeared into the light.


    Matilda merely narrowed down her eyes at this display.


    "Truly curious. I''ve never seen a Monster use mana before in such a way, and such unfamiliar mana too..."


    As she was saying this, she moved her hands to the sides, before twitching her fingers one by one. With each twitch, a sphere of pure energy appeared on her fingertips, before detaching and starting to hover around her, continuing to grow inside along the way. In just a few seconds, ten spheres of light floated to her sides.


    "...but using such unrefined magic in hopes of hiding from me is... laughable."


    With that she giggled, followed by her waving her right hand. Five of the orbiting spheres left their places almost instantly, flying away in the given direction even faster than the magic bolt previously. Their target: a barely noticeable shimmer of light that attempted to close in on the Mage from her side.


    With such speed, there was no hope for evasion. They struck true, five small explosions appearing upon striking an invisible target, which was Tag whose invisibility was canceled shortly after with his side having a large charred wound, yet one that was bleeding anyway. He rolled on the ground after receiving that momentum, and he had a hard time standing back up.


    It was obvious that the damage was severe, and that his battle ability was near-nullified. However, he was not alone. A shadow surged from the direction opposite to Tag''s, turning into a wolven jaw closing in on the woman''s torso, seeking to snap her in half.


    And yet, when it was about to bite her, it halted mid-motion.


    "A pincer attack, the most basic of strategies. But you probably didn''t know that using mana makes you a beacon for me and that I wasn''t giving my all just yet, did you, little puppy?"


    As Matilda turned around, what greeted her sight was a black wolf with crimson pupils which was staring at her intensely, but was unable to move. All because it was tied down in place with thick ropes of grass which seemed to have spontaneously grown out of the blue. Despite the result of her latest experiment, Matilda clicked her tongue


    "Tsk, though the idea was worthwhile, the mana expenditure is horrific... I have used up almost the entirety of that green mana. Oh well..."


    Turning her attention to the wolf who was struggling against the restraints, Matilda merely sighed.


    "I won''t make you suffer. Until we meet again."


    With those words and a wave of her hand, the remaining five spheres slammed into Nacht''s skull. Fading mist and a black crystal were all that was left behind.


    The Mage then looked at Tag, who unsteadily tried to walk towards her, only to crash down due to blood loss. The Tower Master merely condensed a magic bolt once again, before sending it towards him. In the end, the white wolf didn''t even get to use his flash attack due to how short the whole battle was.


    Where numerous lives were previously lost, the two beasts who have slain many an explorer were killed by the Tower Master with relative ease. It just went to show her skill, the skill which outdid the pure power of beasts.


    Matilda Stein soon returned to her cold persona as she knew that along with the cessation of the sounds of battle, the group would come to investigate. She picked up the two glowing crystals examining them closely, feeling them in her palms.


    As the sound of many footsteps arrived behind her, all that was left were two transparent husks devoid of energy, the woman standing still with her eyes closed as if tasting an exquisite dish.


    "T-Tower Master? Are you okay?"


    The Mage breathed out, her breath containing some residual mana, before turning towards the one who spoke out, that being Anna.


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    "Yes. I told you all not to doubt me. Is any further proof than this necessary?"


    Along with those words, she showed the crystals in her hands, earning her gasps of admiration. However, she paid no mind towards the praise that came her way, instead turning to her next destination, and beginning to walk towards it: the way downward.


    "Madam? Aren''t we going to break camp?"


    Marilyn seemed to ask the question that was on the mind of the whole group when they saw her do this.


    The Tower Master did not even turn around.


    "Are you sick or elderly that you get tired after a brief walk? I was the one who just fought, being older than all of you, and I am not complaining. So what''s the point?"


    Those who were questioning her now had no arguments to make, as what she said was rather reasonable. But it also kind of put their previous exploratory efforts to shame, as massive battles with casualties were now replaced by what was in essence a brief walk and a small fight.


    While Marilyn contemplated her strength as a leader, the group silently followed the lone Mage down the tunnel to the Second Floor. The thing was rather straightforward, with no surprising twists appearing during the descent, and the sight of an underground forest soon came into view, illuminated by the light from above.


    Marilyn gasped in surprise as she witnessed it, as the scenery was different than before.


    "It''s... changed."


    Apparently, she said such words out loud, as she soon heard Matilda''s inquisitive voice.


    "Oh? In what way?"


    Though a little startled, the battlemaiden replied nonetheless.


    "Well, first of all, those uh..." She pointed towards the ceiling. "...stars were not there last time. And the ceiling was definitely visible."


    Upon examining the scene further, Anna pointed out another thing.


    "And that light in the pillar over there? Yeah, it was lower down on it. I''m telling you all, this place is strange as hell. If I still thought it was just some Monster Nest, I would be the biggest fool I''ve ever met."


    Some veterans from the Second Expedition nodded in agreement, also noticing the changes. The Tower Master looked over all of them before turning away once again.


    "...Another thing to research. Now, I''ve heard that the last time''s group went down the path to our left. Why not the one to the right?"


    Marilyn was the one to answer.


    "We had Leopold scout out the one on the right, and it was dark and full of spiders. The left one seemed to be the better alternative. It didn''t mean that it was safe, however."


    The Tower Master while asking was also scanning the flow of mana to understand whether one of the paths was a fake. But she was surprised by the fact that both possessed an intense mana flowing through them. In fact, the whole ''forest'' before her had various points of concentrated mana. She once again whispered so that only one person would hear.


    "Did you mask the flow of mana this way? Truly an interesting solution. Are you trying to make full use of the space on the floor like that?"


    "Tower Master? Is everything alright?"


    The Mage was snapped out of her thoughts by Anna''s curious gaze. The ranger was one of the Tower Master''s many admirers, and seeing the renowned person deviate from her usual visage made her curious about the reason.


    "Yes, I''m fine. We shall proceed just like you did before, down the path on the left. It would be wise to fully know one direction before exploring another."


    "Yes, madam!"


    Marilyn responded as the group''s leader, giving out orders and arranging the formation. When she was done, she asked Matilda a separate question.


    "Would you still like to lead, Madam? The path ahead is mostly unknown."


    In response to such a question, Matilda asked.


    "Are there foes ahead that are stronger than that pair of wolves from before?"


    "We haven''t encountered any so far..."


    "Then there you have your answer and reassurance."


    Marilyn was once again shocked by such a brazen response from the usually stoic woman but nodded silently. Once again, an interesting sight unfolded. A woman in a white coat and casual wear was leading a group of armed explorers, clad in armour with their weapons ready.


    Such a group followed the narrow path, being surrounded by pines from both sides, soon emerging into the first clearing housing a white birch, golden leaves covering the grass under it. The first adversary soon came into view.


    A supernaturally large fox was already staring at the group with a wary gaze, their sheer numbers alone being intimidating. The Beast waved its two tails, and, upon steeling its resolve, disappeared into the tall grass. Had the Tower Master not been present, it would have succeeded in stealth. But she was present.


    The woman herself pointed towards a certain spot in the undergrowth, a sphere of magic glowing in white light forming on her finger.


    "Follow my aim."


    The sphere shot out towards the beast, an explosion followed by a yelp of pain soon being heard. A flash of light erupted at the location of the strike, clearly illuminating the wounded Beast. The rangers of the group didn''t dally, their arrows flying out at the visible target, some missing but most striking true.


    The Beast''s body soon struck the ground, turning into a mist made of magic once again, a green crystal remaining in its place.


    One of the rangers sighed. "It''s a pity that the bodies just disappear. I wonder just what we could do with the leathers and bones that we could get from all these."


    Anna was the one to respond. "Hey, we get these... Mana Crystals, I believe the Mages call them, instead! And we can get stronger thanks to those. Speaking of, Tower Master, what do we do with this one?"


    The woman in question already had the crystal in her hand, and she responded by tossing it towards the ranger while saying.


    "I suggest you give it to the Mage of the group. The Nature Mana, as I now call it, helps heal wounds, so if it is given to a warrior or a ranger, it may only enhance their natural regeneration."


    While saying that, she picked up a twig from the ground, and infused mana into it. The seemingly dead piece of wood sprouted new leaves, and soon looked like a fresh branch.


    "But if given to a Mage, you may gain a healer, as well as give them another means of attack if they master it."


    She finished up those words by manipulating the mana within the branch in a certain way, which resulted in it growing rapidly, the ends of it now looking like sharp spikes. The crowd was awed at such a display, and the Mages present soon began to argue amongst themselves for the ownership of the crystal.


    "I suspect there is some kind of aptitude at play, however, as it would seem that some accept different kinds of mana better than others. Beatrice over there seems perfectly compatible with it, while I absorb only a portion of mana from the crystal."


    The discussion halted at such a suggestion, some envious looks were cast at the young healer, causing her to turn away, unused at the attention. One of the Mages asked the Tower Master.


    "But how do we find out?"


    An unclear response awaited him. "Feel the resonance, and you will know. And think of your teammates before lying for a chance of getting the crystal in hopes of getting just a little stronger."


    Every Mage appeared as if they were seen through, and they soon began passing the crystal amongst themselves, though Beatrice was excluded as she had previously used one. In the end, a certain Mage got it, absorbing around 60% of mana within the crystal, causing it to shatter in his grasp soon after.


    After the short episode was done, the group moved on, venturing down the path, and onwards to where the Second Expedition turned back.


    Lan, meanwhile observed all this, and his initial awe for the Tower Master''s skill turned to worry due to how easily a powerful individual along with the beasts suffering a severe numerical disadvantage allowed the group to quickly get past obstacles in form of Magic Beasts.


    ''Calm down Lan, it''s just the Second Floor. Did you expect it to be super difficult? I should be concerned if they make it down to the third just as easily. For now, I observe.''


    As he was observing, he was also trying to decipher the identity of the mysterious Tower Master, whose identity he should have known at some point.


    ''Still, who is that woman... Damn, these human memories are so bad. Just the fact that she gives me such a strong feeling means that she must have been important to me. But who exactly... My teacher, an aunt next door? Heck, maybe my past girlfriend aged that much? No, wait, I remember that I died a virgin, so that option is ruled out.''


    Among all his thoughts, one possibility was almost screaming into his mind, but he subconsciously denied such a possibility, not until he had definitive evidence, as two people could share the same name, and even the surname. Lan didn''t want to cause himself pain if his guess was wrong, so he did and didn''t want it to be true at the same time.


    Nevertheless, as he was embroiled in mental conflict, the exploration group was embroiled in one of physical nature. This fight wasn''t over in mere seconds, as the next tree was surprisingly occupied by a group of beasts. Squirrels.


    A swarm of squirrels the size of a human''s leg frantically fought with the intruders. They scratched, they bit, and they even threw various objects with surprising force. The rodents displayed surprising mobility due to their patagia (the membrane between limbs), gliding around the humans.


    But eventually, one by one, they were struck down by a precise magic missile, an arrow, or a well-timed slash of the sword.


    As a result of the battle, only the largest one, the leader, left behind a crystal that was transparent in color, yet still had mana in it, surprising even Lan, as the mana within was unfamiliar even to him, yet he could guess what element it was.


    ''Wind mana?!''


    The Tower Master, just as curious, picked it up, before absorbing it. As the crystal was emptied, a gust of wind blasted outwards from the woman, her robes flapping behind her.


    "Hah... Let''s go onwards. We will rest after the next one."


    Marilyn listened to the woman, calling out various commands. She couldn''t help but respect the strength she showed, leading the whole group towards where Marilyn had to turn back, and nearly completely by herself.


    On the other side, Lan was pouting, bitter to his Core that an outsider got hold of Air, or Wind Mana before he did. He swore to pay more attention to various things in the future. And by strengthening his awareness of the floors, an unexpected sight greeted him in the form of a wolf pack on the Third floor, led by an oddly-familiar wolf.


    ''Wait... Aren''t some of those Tag''s and Nacht''s kids? When did they get here?''

 Chapter 49: Questions With No Answer

    Lan witnessed a newly present pack of wolves, way down on the Third Floor. Half of the pack looked like various normal wolves: Grey and Brown, they seemed pretty ordinary overall, not even being linked. And the other five, their mates apparently, were of distinct colorations: Mixes of white and black, with a dominant color being one of the two.


    But the biggest of those who were clearly grown-up kids of Tag and Nacht, but with the addition of new scars and a ''hardened look'' if one could call it that, stood out. That particular male also possessed a white and black coloration, but his pupils were also unique, being a mix of golden and crimson.


    ''It seems that the kids came back after finding their partners... Seems they know how to pick, the intelligence of these new wolves is rather high. With my increased mental strength, I could force a mental link, but I guess I''ll show some tact seeing as they''re partners of the kids.''


    Though Lan only established a ''contract'' with The Huntress before, with his memory, the process could be called perfected.


    So, doing what needed to be done, Lan sent out a connection towards the new arrivals, alongside messages showing them hunting with their pack, patrolling the lush jungle. But in turn, he also showed images of humans and the need to repel them, stating his terms and conditions, so to speak.


    The Beasts were obviously startled, descendants of Tag and Nacht being mostly confused, but only the blood-golden-eyed figuring out what was probably going on. He howled out and seemed to signal something in various gestures and twitches of the tail. Though it looked rather silly, Lan concluded that thanks to their intelligence, the wolves could have begun forming some kind of rudimentary language.


    Still, whatever the leader of the pack told the rest, it clearly cleared their doubts and fears if they had something of the sort. Soon enough, they also joined the mental network.


    Lan briefly wondered if he should give them names so that he could resurrect them if something happened, but in the end, he decided to hold off on that.


    ''If I start to Name and get attached to every second Beast that resides in my Dungeon, the list is going to expand continuously, and each resurrection has its own costs... I should view bringing a Beast back from the dead as a privilege for the Floor Guardians and other distinguished Beasts, the best of the best, not every boar, wolf, and Tim.''


    So, although he liked this pack of wolves, he wouldn''t coddle them, and neither would he coddle humans despite being one of them once. The primary law of wild nature was the survival of the fittest, and by subjecting various beings to trials and tribulations, the beings would either die or become better to survive.


    ''Speaking of humans... How are they doing again?''


    Lan then checked back on the party which was carried- *ahem*, supported by the Tower Master.


    ''...I''m wondering if I should rebalance things or if she is just too strong.''


    The group of humans in question was in the midst of battle in the first Place of Power along the left Path. The Tower Master, that monstrous woman, was still leading the battle, though she was showing signs of exhaustion compared to when she fought the First Floor''s bosses. What was worrying though, was the fact that as she battled, she gradually incorporated new spells.


    Instead of just slinging magic bolts and magic bullets, it seemed that she had taken a fancy to using Life Mana to control vegetation as a means of restricting her opponent. Also, he was pretty sure that he had just seen her use Air Mana as a means of retreat by blasting herself backward.


    Compared to her control over Life Mana, her Air Mana skill was much less refined, her resorting to basic blasts of the stuff, nevertheless, she had that type of Mana before Lan, making him bitter.


    ''Damn it, I swear I''m going to comprehend Air Mana as soon as they leave! Even if it means I''m going to have to concentrate on feeling the winds outside or something...''


    It didn''t take long for the group''s adversary, which was a large brown bear, which was entangled in grass thickened to the point of it looked like vines, with numerous arrows sticking out of its hide, and various slashing wounds bleeding it dry, to collapse. The body of the giant Beast fell heavily to the side before turning into mist, leaving behind an Earth Crystal.


    Cheers rang out once again amongst the humans, as to them each victory was a giant success, only some veterans maintaining their cool, knowing that it was only thanks to the woman before them, who already had the crystal in her grasp.


    Tower Master Matilda sighed as she absorbed the Crystal once again, just like the previous times. She didn''t share the joy of victory. Seeing such a scene, Marilyn came up to her and asked.


    "Madam? Is anything the matter?"


    The Master Mage tossed yet another shell of a Mana Crystal into her side pouch and answered.


    "Winning over and over with overwhelming strength got me thinking... If a single overwhelmingly powerful Monster came to our town, to the point where all of us together would struggle to defend against it, would we run in fear, or struggle in the face of death just like these Monsters?"


    Marilyn responded with a rather uncertain voice.


    "But we are no Monsters, we have walls and fortifications..."


    "Do you truly think that a little stone wall is going to stop something that is closer to a force of nature?"


    "...Okay, maybe not. But we have you, Tower Master! Under your guidance, we will prosper as always!"


    All she got in return was a chuckle.


    "Alright then. Tell me, Marilyn. If I were to disappear somehow, then what would you do? What if something like a Beast Tide arrived at our walls five years ago, and I am not there to stop it?"


    Marilyn wanted to say something, but her words got stuck in her throat. Deep inside, she knew that just like they wouldn''t get this deep into the Dungeon without the woman''s help, their town would fall into disorder without her as a unifying figure.


    "See? You understand what I''m talking about. You rely on me too much, all of you. And though I may not look it, year by year, I''m getting closer to my demise. I am not eternal."


    At this point, the rest of the group was listening as well, they too had shivers run down their spines at the realization. To them, the Tower Master was a heroic figure, being the idol of many, the symbol and the shield of Cypress Town, seemingly infallible. The thought of losing her didn''t even cross their minds.


    A somber silence descended upon the group. But it was suddenly interrupted by the Tower Master''s laugh. They stared in confusion as the woman wiped tears from the corners of her eyes.


    "Oh! You just had to see your faces just now. I''m not going anywhere for now, but I''m telling you to increase your strength so that you can protect the town even without me. I wish for you to be able to descend this far by yourselves. Now let''s rest before heading back, there is no point in over-exerting ourselves."


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Various sounds of agreement could be heard, before one by one the group settled down on the clearing under the birch tree, the wounded being healed, and others taking a bite out of their rations or conversing with others.


    After a brief break, the Tower Master''s order to head back was accepted as everyone''s ambitions cooled down, they too understood that their own strength was completely insufficient, already struggling to kill the giant Bear, that single battle taking a dozen minutes even with Matilda''s help.


    Lan observed them from all around, the human''s ascent backward was far quicker than the descent with no battles in front of them. The group though stumbled upon a scene of multiple Beasts battling it out for the Place of Power, though they scattered upon noticing the arrival of such a numerous foe.


    Upon seeing this, Lan also considered whether to respawn Tag and Nacht in front of them like he did last time, but he did not do so.


    ''First of all, I''m sure that with that woman present they are going to get steamrolled, wasting the effort in resurrecting them. And second of all... It would be rather unfair, wouldn''t it? In games, once you beat a boss, you don''t have to beat it on the way back. A fresh boss against an exhausted fighter is unfair as hell now that I think about it.''


    When the group came to the tunnel leading up, the woman named Marilyn shared their previous experience causing everyone to go on guard, but having no choice, as that was the only way back.


    This resulted in them being pleasantly surprised to find no threat waiting for them in the empty boss room. Marilyn and Anna, the one-eyed Ranger in particular had faces full of confusion. Matilda, however, left a comment on such a thing.


    "Well, it would seem that the designer of this place deemed such a thing unfair or unlikeable."


    These words caused confusion among many, Anna asked the question on their minds.


    "What do you mean, Tower Master? We know that this place is artificial, but do you mean that it is actively being changed? By... some kind of designer?"


    "Why of course, that''s exactly what I mean. Didn''t you report yourselves that this Dungeon was directly different in some parts compared to before? And do you really think that someone who can bring things back from the dead, according to what we know of this pair of wolves, who you said is the exact same, even retaining their memories, can''t control when they are exactly brought back?"


    Once no argument was found to refute her. Among all the people, only Rob called out.


    "So what are we doing here exactly? Playing on some dude''s playground, probably to his amusement? For what?"


    The Tower Master had an interesting look on her face as she slowly continued walking towards the way out.


    "Well, although this Architect does not seem very friendly, we do get benefits from succeeding in these challenges, don''t we? We get an opportunity to get stronger, an opportunity we wouldn''t find anywhere else. A risk worth making if you ask me."


    With those words, the woman who was as enigmatic as ever walked away gradually, the rest of the group trailing behind at a distance, having much to think about.


    Meanwhile, the one who they were talking about was watching the entire charade, while contemplating about things of his own.


    ''I didn''t really think of it this way. At first, I just wanted a defense system, these Heart Cores being a byproduct of the increasing strength of the Beasts. But now it seems that I get closer and closer to what is an RPG version of a dungeon.''


    Lan scoured through his remaining human memories of such a thing, comparing them with what he already had.


    ''I have ''levels'', filled with ''mobs'', followed by a ''boss'' in the end. Defeating a ''boss'' grants a ''reward''. Repeat with increased difficulty... But with no saving and loading. For an explorer the death is final, this is no game. At first, I compared myself to a Dungeon on a whim, but it seems I am literally becoming one. Quite ironic...''


    Lan then thought back to the way the somehow familiar woman called him.


    ''An Architect, huh? I guess I already got my first title. Sounds cool. The Dungeon Architect Lan!''


    Still, he realized that he had more urgent things to do other than revel in his glory. For example, he needed to unlock Air Mana, and then do something so that the bosses couldn''t just get swarmed and overwhelmed by human wave tactics. Maybe also do something so that they won''t get steamrolled by an overpowered opponent.


    ''Alright, let''s do everything one by one. First things first: Air Mana. I guess I''ll need to focus on the outside for this.


    Following the plan, Lan focused half his thought channels on the surface, as if ''standing'' atop the Great Tree, which if he was honest, was getting bigger by the day.


    He then focused on the flow of the wind around him, which, if he was honest, was kind of hard to do without having skin. Or any kind of body for that matter.


    He was aware of every movement the air made in his domain, how it shifted, cooled down, or heated up, he knew all that, but he wouldn''t feel it.


    ''Well, I guess this is going to be more challenging than I originally thought.''


    But if a single setback could deter him from his goal, Lan would have given up long ago on being a Core.


    Instead of trying to feel it as he used to do as a human, he instead tried to feel it as a Core. Like any other element, he needed to understand it, he needed to comprehend it, not just feel it to control it.


    ''So, enough thought, let''s just try this.''


    At first, Lan tried to do the same thing as always. Thinking about the nature and the essence of the wind.


    ''It is free. Shapeless and formless. Everchanging. It seeks freedom for it can''t exist without it, the movement is part of the wind... It is the life of a bird and the joy of a human.''


    Despite himself giving the best philosophical description for the wind he could think of, no feeling of profound resonance with it emerged, no sudden enlightenment either.


    ''Hmm... Is it the wrong direction I''m taking somewhere? Maybe I''m focusing on the wind itself, which is, in essence, a movement of air. So I''m trying to comprehend an action instead of an element? Something like that, I guess.''


    Lan then tried to refocus, trying to think about the air itself this time.


    ''Air. It is everpresent. All living things breathe it, for they cannot live without it. It may be Aether, the purest of energies, but it may also be stained with smoke and impurity, becoming poison...''


    As Lan felt a familiar sense of resonance, he also began feeling the mana all around him. He felt through other split parts of his mind the underground, his Dungeon filled with Water, Earth, and Light, Shadow also being there. He also felt the Life Mana permeating his entire surroundings.


    But as he felt the Life Mana, he noticed an abnormality, something that snapped him out of his trance, frustrating him, as he felt that he was on the verge of discovering a new kind of mana. Still, he decided to investigate before trying to comprehend it once again. So, he ''opened his eyes''.


    As he glanced around, noticing in passing how the humans moved away through the forest, a particular flow of mana caught his attention. It was right under his point of view, inside of the tree that he ''stood'' atop.


    He noticed streams of mana converge inside of its trunk, congregating at a certain point. This process was unfamiliar yet similar to what he previously witnessed.


    ''Is it forming a Heart Core?''


    It would seem that he ''came out'' at an opportune time, as the process, which he didn''t know when it exactly started, seemed to be coming to an end.


    The massive amounts of mana formed a singularity, which then collapsed upon itself and exploded with an enormous amount of energy. Lan was prepared to witness this towering tree shatter into pieces, but the explosion he expected didn''t happen. Instead, the discharge of energy was self-contained within the trunk.


    Lan then watched in fascination as instead of exploding the trunk mana turned into a singular point, creating something new as a result of such a reaction.


    ''A Heart Core... Wait. It is different.''


    Upon a closer look, the structure of the resulting thing that appeared was completely different than a Heart Core. Outwardly it looked like a crystal, just like a Life Core, shining in a bright and vibrant green glow, but that''s where the similarities ended.


    An abrupt change occurred while he was occupied with his speculations. A small hollow space began to form around the center of the... Core. It wasn''t big, merely a dozen centimeters across. But as such a thing happened, Lan could swear he felt a shudder down his nonexistent spine.


    It floated amid that hollow space, hovering by being lifted by flowing currents of mana that surged from its roots and up its trunk. It remained in place, reminding Lan of something all too similar.


    ''My Core...''


    He continued to frantically examine the newly created structure, comparing it to his own. It seemed to be made of pure crystallized mana. It wasn''t like a Mana Crystal, which was essentially a stone supercharged with Neutral Mana. No, instead it seemed that this was the very crystallization of various kinds of mana. Two kinds were prevalent among most, however. Life mana... And Mental mana.


    ''And now that I focus...''


    Most of the mental mana signature of the tree was now concentrated inside of that tiny Core of that tree, just like it would be in the brain of a human or a Beast.


    Lan then tried to find out more but with no result. In the end, he gave up on trying to find immediate answers, instead focusing on what he found out.


    ''So... I guess trees don''t get Heart Cores, that''s one. The second thing would be that their bodies don''t manatize either...''


    Following such casual conclusions, Lan continued his thoughts.


    ''But its Core is eerily similar to mine... But it doesn''t seem to be conscious, but that seems like a question of time... Will it want to establish a domain once it awakes? Will it clash with me?''


    Lan would have massaged his temples if he had them.


    ''Argh! So many questions with no answer! But, I guess I can make a theory...''


    ''I may be in some way related to trees as I am right now...''


    Despite such an absurd thought, Lan couldn''t help but shout out mentally.


    ''Behold! I am Lan, The Dungeon Architect, The Underground Tree!''

 Chapter 50: Freedom Of The Winds

    "You know, the wind''s here kind of nostalgic."


    "What do you mean? How can a breeze so deep underground remind you of anything?"


    "I dunno, it has a certain feel to it."


    "A feel?"


    "Yeah... Reminds me of home."


    -A conversation between two explorers on the Sixth Floor of the Dungeon.


    ----------------------------------------------------


    A few days had gone by since Lan discovered a tree''s apparent evolution process. He was not sure if it was the case for just this particular tree above his Dungeon or other trees as well, maybe even including plants. So, he conducted some experiments following such a discovery.


    The first thing he tried was infusing some plants with mana, but other than the insane rate of growth and proliferation, nothing new happened. This also included trees, where all the mana went into growth, not forming any kind of core. Something was missing.


    So, Lan examined the Great Tree and what made it different from other vegetation... Other than its enormous size and the presence of a Core.


    Once he did check out the whole Tree, he discovered that he seemed to underestimate its capabilities quite a bit. In particular, the root system of it. And it would seem that he was far more intertwined with it than he thought.


    ''Uhh... What am I supposed to do with this?''


    The roots stretched out from the trunk, burrowing into the ground. They then twisted flawlessly around his Dungeon, enveloping underground space around his rooms and absorbing any mana that seeped upward. Though he did notice that a while ago, with it increasing the mana concentration greatly, he did not witness the sheer extent of it.


    These roots twisted wherever the dungeon went, even as far as the Fourth Floor, the length of the roots going far beyond its height on the surface. But it didn''t seem like they tried to reach for his Core. They merely twisted a certain distance away from the Floors, and absorbed any excess mana, nourishing their owner, and ''recycling'' unused mana into Life Mana on the surface.


    Thanks to such a conversion, the forest on the surface thrived to the extent that it was impossible for humans to settle there permanently, as any would-be fortification would simply get overgrown. At the same time, the Great Tree was a beacon, attracting Beasts from great distances.


    ''It''s... Not that harmful? We seem to be in a symbiosis of sorts... I guess it will be fine as long as it doesn''t try to eat my Core with its roots.''


    Nevertheless, Lan added reinforcing the area surrounding his Core Room with further Mental Mana onto his checklist, all while continuing to think of the enigmatic tree that turned into his neighbor inadvertently.


    ''And there was that one time during the forest fire... It seemed to reach out to me, asking for help, and that alone means it already possesses some degree of awareness. But it has slept ever since.''


    That thought caused him to think of how the trees just stay in the same place, year after year, unmoving, yet outliving any human if not cut down.


    ''Maybe it''s just the nature of it? The Ents, Tree Folk in fantasy movies, were said to be slow-thinking, so maybe it''s the same thing?''


    While musing on that topic, he continued examining what caused it to form a Core other than the quantity of Mana it absorbed. As he watched its roots, he noticed something in passing, which caused him to switch his attention to a particular spot not far away from his Core.


    ''Am I seeing things, or did it just... Yeah, it did!''


    What Lan witnessed was the roots absorbing the passively emitted Mental Mana which was emitted from his Core. It wasn''t the one he absorbed, but his own, as he was a living being as well, and emitted Mental Mana of his own, which wasn''t absorbed like foreign Mental Mana did, instead being used up on various tasks and thoughts, the rest dispersing into the surroundings.


    He noticed the place where it was far more abundant, near his Core, where it was absorbed. But as he focused on purely the Mental Mana, he witnessed the tiniest of idle wisps floating away from his Dungeon get sucked into the Great Tree, then surging into its own Core.


    ''Wait... Could it be?''


    But as Lan focused further, he noticed that such behavior wasn''t unique to the Great Tree, it only being the biggest ''consumer''. Every living being absorbed the tiniest of idle, ownerless wisps of Mental Mana. It ranged from plants to animals, the difference was in quantity.


    Upon further inspection, it became apparent that Beasts absorbed fewer Mental Wisps than plants, but there were some exceptions. And the first exception he noticed was in the belly of a pregnant fox on the Second Floor.


    Within it, there were four points where wisps of Mental Mana seemed to gather far more quickly in comparison to the surroundings. And if it wasn''t obvious enough, Lan''s observation of its innards confirmed that those congregation points were four unborn fox whelps.


    Ownerless Mental Mana gathered around those points, gradually forming what seemed to be a minuscule cloud of Mental Mana. Lan guessed that whatever process was going on was sped up thanks to the dense Mana present, and he had a theory on what the process itself was.


    ''Can it be... A formation of consciousness? Yes, I wondered why these ''clouds'' looked so familiar, but they are the much smaller versions of the ''souls'' I observed in so many living beings!''


    At such speculation, Lan couldn''t help but be momentarily dumbfounded, as he seemed to have stumbled on a secret of life.


    ''Wasn''t there the debate as long as the history of humanity on the existence and nature of the soul? And the grand answer is that they are simply the energy of consciousness, recycled after our death..?''


    Lan snapped himself out of such a train of thought, as after witnessing the things he previously thought impossible, it would be foolish to rule out things based only on a single speculation.


    ''No, I can''t jump to conclusions. With the existence of magic, the probability of beings who mastered it far better than me, and far better than the Tower Master is rather high. And who''s to say some of them didn''t attain some kind of godhood, forming some kind of afterlife for their followers, forever reaping their Mental Mana from such places...''


    Though Lan had just made a simple theory, the eerie thing was that it seemed feasible with enough knowledge and skill. So, to shake off existential dread, he turned to the ''mana generators'' of his own. Humans.


    And it seemed to be a good decision to keep an eye on them without constantly falling into research for days, as the smart creatures were always on the move. The camp had expanded further compared to his last ''visit''. The palisade seemed to be gradually reinforced, turning into a partially-done wooden wall. Gates were built as well, proper watchtower watching over from the edges of the camp.


    The center of the camp was also ''upgraded'' a bit, some tents being replaced with wooden huts. The cooking area seemed to receive additional attention, with them having floors made of wood, and some kind of underground chamber akin to a basement being in the process of being dug out, probably a cold storage in the future.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    In a section not far away, there were wide tents set up with long benches inside of them, a dining area, obviously. Right in front of it were places designated for campfires, marked by circles of stones and burnt ground with coals on it.


    Overall, it seemed that the camp was thriving. Explorers dozens upon dozens of explorers came and went along the ''streets'' of it, the most popular destination being the dismantling station. It even had a fancy sign depicting two crossed cleavers.


    The station itself was a mix of a wooden structure in the front, but turning into tents at the back, being under construction. But none of that deterred the flow of people. Explorers were lugging whatever they hunted, sometimes the Beasts not even being dwellers of the Dungeon, merely the ones attracted to the Mana-abundant forest.


    A clerk wrote down something in his notebook, and men in aprons carried the bodies to the back. The compensation the explorers received varied, but Lan was curious to see what kind of currency the current society used. Were they bottle caps? Gold coins? Maybe paper money?


    Well, it would seem that the primary currency was old-world coins. No, not some newly minted custom coins in the image of a new era, but the old cents, pennies, eurocents, and the like. Most of the numbers inscribed on them were indiscernible by now, but generally, it seemed that the bigger the coin was, the greater the value of it.


    ''...Rather rudimentary. But I guess no one would really use valuable metal and dedicate effort to mint it, especially when every resource could be used elsewhere. Maybe if there was some centralized government, such a thing may have come into being, but alas, every settlement seems to be on its own.''


    Lan could only imagine how many arguments went down among the merchants while talking about the value of one coin or the other. At this point measuring the weight of the coins would be better, but it was what it was.


    Overall the whole camp seemed rather harmonious, with new people arriving every day. The Dungeon must have been seen as a very lucrative opportunity for such a town.


    The explorers came and went to his Dungeon, mostly staying on the First Floor. Lan guessed that it would be a while before a party not led by the town''s leadership attempted to challenge the boss on their own. Not without gathering more Crystals and their own courage first.


    But amongst such a rhythm of life, Lan could also notice murmurs and whispers of people carrying an uneasy atmosphere, not being particularly joyful.


    "...Did you hear? The newbies from the Town said that the scouts back there found traces of increased Beast activity in the North not far away."


    "Could it be the Beast Tide? Is it going to flatten our town too?"


    The man who spoke first sipped on his mug filled with some kind of alcohol.


    "I dunno man, I dunno. Whatever the case, I am not going back. In my opinion, it''s better out here, kind of a new beginning, a chance to make a name for myself. Back in town, I lived on the outskirts, not even close to the Town Square."


    The second man glanced around the camp from the dining tent they were in while saying.


    "I guess me too... But hey, if every explorer capable of fighting moves here, is there going to be anyone left back in Town? Aren''t civilians going to go unprotected?"


    "To be honest, I don''t really care. None of my business really. If they are unsatisfied, they can move here too, there is plenty of work to be done outside the Dungeon."


    "But if the Beast Tide comes, aren''t we going to be safer inside the fortified walls rather than in a new camp? Our defenses are going to be stretched thin if we try to defend both!"


    The first man merely shook his head.


    "Whatever the case may be, it''s not for me to worry about. I''m going to live my own life, let the Mages and their fancy brains solve the big problems. I am living in the present."


    "I''m not sure man... Hope shit figures itself out."


    "Sure, I''ll drink to that, bro."


    From such a simple conversation, Lan gathered new information. Apparently a ''Beast Tide'' was coming, the meaning of the words not being hard to figure out, Lan got concerned as well.


    ''So is a massive horde of Beasts going to attack? They''ll probably go for my Dungeon due to the sheer mana it emits for sure... I need to fortify my defenses, especially against sheer numbers I might encounter!''


    Although Lan was somewhat concerned for humans, it was rather minor in comparison to his own safety. And he had an idea to limit the possible amount of intruders at the same time in his mind, though it would require comprehending Air Mana.


    Some kind of doors wouldn''t cut it, even if there were some kind of ventilation holes for Mana circulation. Because as long as they opened or got destroyed, their function would be null. Lan knew that he had to get creative, and a certain game he played in the past gave him inspiration.


    ''Whatever, first I need to get Air Mana.''


    Lan wasn''t too worried, as he was on the precipice of attuning to it not that long ago, before being interrupted by one of his many discoveries. But the memories of his thought process were still there, being like a paved path forward.


    ''Hoo... Let''s do it again.''


    ''Air Mana.''


    Lan focused his point of view up in the sky, away from the camp and the forests below.


    ''It is everpresent.''


    He felt with his perception the movements of the winds all around him, chaotic yet orderly.


    ''All that breathes cannot live without it. And yet, just as it can be the purest aether...''


    Lan focused on the area above the clouds, away from worldly troubles and impurities.


    ''But it can also turn to poison, killing, instead of giving life, tainted with the filth of the world.''


    The Core felt his memories get rewound to the day of the forest fire. Back then, as all life fled from the blazing tongues of the flames, many instead suffocated in the smoke that suffused the surroundings. They needed to breathe, but that was also what killed them.


    He then began feeling the resonance of mana once again, the energies of the world beginning to dance along with his musings and contemplations.


    ''And yet, whatever nature it might take, whatever it may contain... It flows across the entire world, be it the heavy mist or light breeze.''


    Lan could feel the winds begin to churn up in the sky as if every word he thought triggered a gust of wind, each greater than the last.


    ''For Air is the essence of unbreakable will...''


    Clouds swirled, and the branches of the trees swayed at the sudden storm. The humans at the camp were alarmed at the supernatural event.


    ''...the essence of FREEDOM."


    Though Lan wasn''t aware, the last word of his contemplation wasn''t contained merely within his thoughts. Instead, it surged throughout the mana surrounding him, and particles of mana previously unseen to him, responded, another veil shrouding his perception being lifted.


    He witnessed that which he was seeking. Air Mana. It was unlike Light Mana, which descended from the skies along with the light, before turning into Shadow. It wasn''t like Water Mana, flowing along the currents of water, or Earth Mana, entrenched deep within the rock and stone, as stubborn as the ground it resided in.


    No, it was distinct, unique. Just as he had described it... It was free. Chaotic even. It didn''t seem to follow any kind of order, floating everywhere. And yet... The Chaos of it had a certain Order to it.


    The Air Mana was scattered, yet united, passively floating around, or together forming mighty winds in the sky.


    As he tried to reach out to it, he found out that true to its nature, it was difficult to control, as if it despised the very notion of it. It flew away from his mental grasp, like sand seeping out of a clenched fist.


    And yet, Lan had a solution soon after. If he couldn''t control it... Why not harness it? Suggest movement to it? It wasn''t a new thing, his whole ''control'' through the mental link of his creatures was like this. So he tried it. He tried to nudge the air instead of forcing it.


    And the wind blew. Though Mana itself had no... Personality, Lan could swear it was joyous at the movement, moving eagerly thanks to the mana provided. It was like a child if nothing else. Lan would smile if he had a face, being reminded of the previously faded moments when he was with his family. His mother was setting up a tent in the wild, and his father was making a fire, all while making dad jokes that made his childish self laugh.


    He momentarily lost himself in the memory.


    But as the word spread through the waves of mana, every living creature felt it ring out within themselves, the meaning itself being profoundly sensed even by the Beasts who didn''t speak human language. Those who were previously timid or lazy went out to hunt and explore, and those who were overly cautious had their adventurous spirit ignited.


    The humans, however, experienced it differently.


    As the wave swept through the settlement, everyone halted simultaneously as if on command. Their eyes were unfocused for a moment as if focusing on something away from sight and for a good reason.


    The human''s minds on average were greater than that of a common Beast, as such they also understood such a thing more deeply. The things that happened after they broke out of that trance one after another were varied.


    Some broke down crying, shouting out their laments.


    "Damn it! Why didn''t I go with her? Why did I stay behind!"


    Some roared out in laughter, then grabbed their comrades, full of motivation.


    "Let''s go! Why the hell are we so scared of exploring the Dungeon, everyone does it!"


    And some had serene expressions on their faces as if their doubts were resolved.


    "So... It was like that in the end... Huh."


    Many people housed many emotions, and today many either resolved their fears, admitted their regrets, or understood themselves more deeply. And the Tower Master, who was back on a journey towards Cypress Town on her own, with her mind surpassing every single human both in the camp and the town, understood the word completely.


    She halted as the wave swept past her accompanied by a breeze of the wind. Her robe flapped in the wind, along with her hair which she untied. She stood still for a moment as if the time itself was frozen.


    And then, she fell on her knees.


    She grasped her face, before looking up at the sky.


    As the locks of her hair moved away from her face, blown away by the gentle wind, her aged face came into view once again. Tears were streaming down her eyes, as a mere whisper escaped her lips.


    "Son... I miss you so very much."


    The wind reminded her of a starry night in the mountains.

 Chapter 51: Mist and Fog

    Once again, another type of mana discovered meant another round of experiments getting summoned on Lan''s schedule. But as time went by, he had a rudimentary ''checklist'' established when researching a new type of mana, which sped up the whole thing.


    Part of it was like this:


    1. Test how a filled Mana Crystal influences the surroundings.


    2. What does increasing ambient mana of such a type do to a chamber?


    3. Determine what is the variable responsible for the quantity of mana present.


    And so on and so forth. At this point, the whole thing was closer to a routine, but it nevertheless remained interesting to do. So, the experiments commenced.


    An Air Crystal would be more aptly named Wind Crystal, as when it became filled with transparent mana, although it provided close to no illumination, the surrounding air currents were intensified, turning a passing breeze into a clearly-felt wind. When Lan looked for a cause of such a phenomenon, he found out that a concentration of Air Mana agitates other Air Mana in the surroundings, inducing movement.


    ''It kind of makes sense, with its nature and all. This type of mana likes freedom, and ''confining'' it like this must be unnatural, leading to such a result.''


    Though Lan didn''t really know how he could use Wind Crystals for now, he guessed that harnessing such a reaction could be useful in the future.


    Then, after carving out a small testing chamber, he filled it with Air Mana. Thanks to filling his Mental Mana with the right intent, and transmuting it into Air Mana, the process was gradual. At first, the chamber was completely sealed, possessing little air or oxygen, but along with Air Mana, both were increased all the way to a breathable level.


    But as the concentration further increased in an enclosed environment, the nature of mana once again showed itself, with violent and rapid winds appearing out of nowhere, sweeping and cutting at the chamber''s walls, as if trying to get out.


    ''So it seems that there is a certain critical point where oversaturation leads to such an outcome... I didn''t encounter such issues before, but I better take it seriously. It would suck if a completed Floor gets cut into shreds due to a mistake.''


    Then was the question of where exactly Air Mana came from. The answer was obvious enough: Air. It was nearly absent underground with no access to the surface, and vice versa being abundant above the ground.


    But for the life of him, Lan couldn''t figure out whether it was tied to oxygen in some way or not. When he tried to peer into molecular structure, his mana perception fizzled out, losing sense of any mana. It would seem he was not at a level to discover such secrets yet.


    Putting off such a mystery for later, Lan instead decided to focus on interactions with other types of mana, hoping that the answer lay there. Obviously the first was Heat and Air Mana, with the well-known need of a fire for oxygen. In one of the empty chambers of the Fourth Floor, where there was some vegetation present, having closed it off, he increased the concentration of Heat Mana.


    The greenery lost its life and dried up, some bushes being set ablaze due to the sheer temperature present in the chamber. But with it being enclosed, oxygen was being burnt out, causing the fire to wane as well.


    At that moment, Lan started to conjure Air Mana into it, and voila. The fire began to burn yet again, as with Air Mana, oxygen somehow appeared as well. Lan was no chemist, physicist, or whatever else scientist was proficient in this, but even he thought that summoning things out of sheer will was not really scientific.


    Nevertheless, the experiment could be said to be a success, with the flames burning brightly yet again. And as the concentration of Air Mana increased, they were ever brighter... Until they ran out of dry fuel. The following violent winds that were summoned extinguished whatever remained after.


    Lan unsealed that chamber for recovery and cataloged his findings within his mind. They were... Intriguing to say the least.


    ''...I''ll leave the hard stuff for later, I have yet to test other types of mana!''


    The second test was Earth Mana and Air Mana. No apparent reaction except for usual interactions between the soil and the winds. If one could call blades of wind tearing apart stone in their fury a ''normal interaction'', other things like wind erosion and kicking up dust were also present.


    Air Mana and Light/Shadow Mana: No apparent reactions. Or they were weak to the point of not being seen. Lan heard something like wind shifting photons slightly back on the internet, but he didn''t really witness such a thing.


    Air Mana and Life Mana. Although Lan didn''t expect anything to come from this, it would seem that Air Mana dispersed Life Mana in the surroundings like some kind of smoke or powder. It decreased the local concentration of it, instead spreading it over longer distances, carrying Life Mana along with its movement.


    Lan wasn''t really sure what to make of this, not being sure of possible uses either. But considering that when ultra-concentrated, Life Mana could fulfill the role of a potent aphrodisiac, this might as well be a good thing in some scenarios. Dispersing Life Mana on the surface could also promote the growth of life over larger areas, a useful option as well.


    And finally, Air Mana plus Water Mana. Lan would be lying if he said that he didn''t have any hopes for this one. He wasn''t sure why, perhaps one could call it an instinct. And it would seem that his instinct was sharp.


    Once the two types of Mana combined, a dense mist started to appear in the area of the experiment. Air Mana seemed to be weighed down by Water Mana, before mixing together. This combination resulted in mist forming, and with the increase in concentration, it soon turned to fog, which grew ever denser.


    Lan realized that this was no interaction, but instead a full-on combination of two types of mana forming a new one.


    ''Mist Mana!''


    The reason he figured this was because the ''feeling'' of mana got mixed up. The playfulness and freedom of Water and Air turned to the gloominess and lethargy of Mist. Lan wasn''t sure how two distinctly positive traits made a 180, but the result was before his eyes.


    ''Maybe it''s something like overabundance turns to poison? Like too much medicine is poison, that same principle? Argh! I don''t know! Air and Water make Mist, case closed! I can always research it later. It''s not like I am capable of forgetting anyway.''


    But the combination of two types of these two types of mana helped him understand the new type of mana too. Maybe because he could already feel those two elements from the start, he was partially attuned to Mist Mana from the start, requiring only some further focusing in order to fully control it and be able to summon it from scratch.


    ''Mist mana.''


    ''It is heavy and brings gloom.''


    ''And yet it can also herald the coming dawn or bring the air of mystery to the shores.''


    ''For within this mist and fog, endless mysteries take hold.''


    If the moment when Lan attuned to Air Mana was a shout at the top of his lungs, then this time was the barest of whispers. No Beast or human heard it, not even the mightiest of the two species.


    Instead, this whisper seemed to get trapped among the many leaves and branches of Lan''s domain, the whirling of leaves echoing it amongst themselves again and again. Every tree seemed to take on an air of mystery for a moment, and a mist covered the forest on the surface, being densest under the Great Tree. The morning of that day was filled with mystique for humans.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Lan, as always, paid no heed to the effects his actions held on the outside world, instead various theories were whirling in his mind.


    ''Why is the resonance fainter than before? Is it because Mist Mana is a combination instead of a completely new element? Or is it because I was mostly attuned already?''


    Lan concluded that both were probably true. And after that, he realized that he had unintentionally made a giant leap to adding ''gates'' to his boss rooms.


    ''Can I do it?..''


    Lan reviewed the new element and concluded.


    ''I probably can! It may take some testing, but it seems feasible!''


    Lan''s attention surged towards the corridor between the First Floor and the boss'' room, his ''fingers'' were itching for action. He proudly declared the project name he was about to start.


    ''Project ''Fog Gates'', totally not copied from ''Elden Souls'', begin!''


    During his conundrum of thinking of what way to create a door limiting the number of people, Lan thought of a mechanic implemented in one of the games he played in his human life. It was notorious for its difficulty, and there, the boss arena had gates made of fog through which the players had to walk through.


    The thing was, they were one-way, and the player couldn''t leave through them without defeating the Boss. Lan figured that if he fiddled with them somehow, then he could make only a certain amount of people pass through for the battle.


    First of all, Lan decided to create Mist Crystals. At the same time, he lamented the fact that he was just testing Air Mana, and here he was fiddling with yet another new mana already, like some harem protagonist finding a new girl each arc.


    ''Still! The fog gates must be done! They will change the Dungeon forever!''


    Exaggerating things a bit, Lan continued on. The resulting crystals looked as if there was dense fog swirling within them, and said mist continuously seeped out of them, filling the corridor they were created in. But, just as mist would, it continued to flow even past the confines of it.


    ''Well... I don''t know what I should have expected, but that was unplanned for.''


    In Lan''s vision mist should completely fill out the corridor, flowing down from the ceiling like a waterfall, forming a wall impossible to peer through. Mist obviously wouldn''t behave like that. Something else was needed to stop it, obviously.


    Thankfully Lan was already on the move in search of a solution.


    ''Alright, how about Air Mana!''


    A wall of wind seemed like an obvious solution... Until he realized it wouldn''t stay in place either. It wouldn''t remain stationary like some kind of ventilator.


    ''Earth Mana? I will at most make a door with that, and I don''t need doors...''


    But as he was contemplating how to hold back Mist Mana, he noticed out of the corner of his perception how the Mist... Was stopping at the edge he didn''t want it to go past. As his focus was broken, it continued to flow as it was along the floor. But Lan, who cycled through possible causes of such a phenomenon, already had the answer.


    ''The one and only, my deus ex machina... Mental Mana! It channels my intent to mana, and Mist Mana is no exception! That means...''


    He excitedly thought about the ramifications of this breakthrough, and his mood died down a bit because no matter how much he thought, he ended up with the same outcome.


    ''Do I need to continuously devote a part of my attention to keep it up?''


    As he thought further, Lan also understood that it wouldn''t pose that much of a problem, as his thought channels could already supervise each Floor individually, so adding a passive task wouldn''t add that much of a load to split parts of his mind that were lazing around for most of the time.


    Even now, when researching this project, only the thought channel responsible for the First Floor was active, and when thinking particularly hard, such as when he was attuning to Mist Mana, only then did Lan pull additional help, usually in the form of the thought channel from the surface, which was the most idle of them all.


    Even so, as someone who lived in the twenty-first century, he couldn''t help but long for the automation of the process. Maybe it was in his nature to take off workload when possible. But for now, he didn''t see any further solution.


    ''Well... You know what they say, laziness brings innovation!.. I''ll do the innovation part later.''


    Staying true to himself, Lan continued with his current work. With Mental Mana being supplied together with his intent, the Mist did not leave the boundaries of the corridor between the Floor and the Boss Room. Gradually the mist seeping out from the single Mist Crystal embedded into the ceiling started pooling up and filling the corridor.


    Soon enough, it turned from near-invisible, to ''I can''t see shit'', to ''Whatever beyond it is invisible.'' Mist turned to fog, which was denser than smoke. It pooled inside the corridor, obscuring whatever lay beyond it. Lan was a bit unsatisfied though.


    ''Hmm...''


    As he wondered what was wrong, it struck him.


    ''Not thick enough. And a bit too dispersed...''


    A single Mist Crystal did fill up the corridor gradually, but it was a rather slow process, causing some of the Mist to disperse despite not seeping out of its confines. And what was the answer?


    ''As one wise man said: Use Mana. And if Mana doesn''t work, use more Mana. Or something along those lines, I don''t remember those days that well.''


    Multiple new Mist Crystals were then made inside of the ceiling soon after. This caused the fog to thicken even more, filling out every single corner it could get to. And voila! A wall of rolling fog now stood as an obstacle.


    ''Now that looks mighty fine! But that''s just part one! If I don''t add any restriction against numbers, then this would end up just a visual trick adding a dramatic effect and nothing more. And that wouldn''t do, now would it?''


    Lan was also thinking of how to make an anti-escape feature. It wasn''t that he wanted humans to die, but his bosses always fought to their deaths (though they would be revived), and he also didn''t want humans to get used to rushing in unprepared. A boss is an absolute challenge of the Floor, and if you aren''t sure you are ready, you shouldn''t even think of challenging it.


    ''Who do they think I am? Someone whose bosses serve as harmless loot dispensers? Glorified pinatas? Hmph!''


    The question was, as always, ''How?''


    And Lan was always eager to find out. First, he tried increasing the quantity of Mist Mana even further. And sure, the fog was as dense as ever, but no significant effect occurred.


    But as he looked at it being all gaseous, his old knowledge from primary school kicked in.


    ''Gasses. Liquids. Solids. It is all a question of density. Gasses could be liquefied under pressure, and liquids could be solidified under the right conditions too...''


    Various things like high temperatures, pressurized environments, and needed reactions appeared in his thoughts occasionally. But he shook his nonexistent head and widened his nonexistent smile.


    ''But I have magic over here... And if I want to compress it hard enough...''


    Lan sectioned off a part of the mist on the edge of the corridor and willed it to compress. In his mind, he held an image of a cube being squeezed tight, some gas within turning into liquid. As he did so, the fog converged further in that particular zone, before droplets of misty liquid started to drip from the ceiling.


    Those few droplets turned into a drizzle, which then turned into something like a shower. At this point, Lan got the hang of the process and was also witnessing such a spectacle while continuing the compression. Seeing that the Mist Mana was running out, he let in some more while not letting the condensate disperse.


    Soon enough, that shower turned into a curtain of water, which grew ever thicker. Once the liquid hit the ground, it dispersed into a gaseous state, before being gathered back together into liquid. But Lan noticed that it was no liquid he knew of.


    ''It isn''t water like one would expect... It''s the color of the mist... As much on the nose as It might be, it''s literally liquid mist. Mist Mana turned to liquid!''


    While he observed it, he noticed that the feelings emanated from it were far more pronounced as well, gloom and lethargy practically radiating off of it. He couldn''t help but wonder what kind of effect it might have on living beings.


    As if ordained by fate, a rodent was passing by with the goal of descending to the Second Floor. It was a bit confused by the mist, stumbling about for quite some time, though the distance wasn''t that large. Once it went closer to the liquid, its movements slowed, and once it touched it, it directly fell on its side.


    Lan thought it died for some reason, but he noticed it was still alive, just looking as if it lost all will to live. After a few seconds of thought, the answer clicked.


    ''Lethargic... So that''s how it is! One of the aspects of mana directly influenced it! I do wonder if it is the same for larger creatures with greater will!''


    But there was no conveniently large predator passing by, and Lan didn''t want to experiment on Tag and Nacht, they had already died for him multiple times, and they deserved their resting times. So, while keeping an eye out, he was also thinking about the number limiter.


    ''Something to let in some but not the others... I can control the entire corridor somewhat... So I need to expel them... Expel? Maybe that''s the solution?''


    Lan didn''t know how to set up some Thousand Illusion Bewildering Grand Ancestral Formation, but he knew that he had Air Mana. Compressing Air Mana could generate violent air bursts. He could control it using Mental Mana to some extent. Air Mana was part of Mist Mana. Conclusion: Could he blast away people using it?


    ''This calls for an experiment!''


    Lan already knew that Water and Air made up Mist, but he wasn''t sure how to go about the separation of the two. But if Mana was present, it could be used. Lan focused intensely, focusing on the mist. Thanks to how dense it was, it didn''t take much.


    Looking past the mixed layers of gloom, he tried to see the part longing for freedom and separate it. But he didn''t see it, Mist, true to its name, concealing the secrets within.


    ''Then maybe...''


    He tried to focus on the feeling instead of ''vision'' he sent out the intent of ''freedom'', waiting for a response. And he got one. He sensed that part that was ever-moving, the opposite of inaction.


    And, he grabbed a chunk of it and pressed it together. As expected, a violent gust was held within his ''grasp''. All that remained was to give it direction.


    And with his intent, he gave it one. Away from the boss room. He may have underestimated the impact a bit, causing him to involuntarily think.


    ''Is it too late to say ''Fus Ro Dah''?''

 Chapter 52: The Beginning of Chaos

    ''Is it too late to shout ''Fus Ro Dah''?''


    The reason for Lan to think of such a thing was the rather... Excessive effect. He did succeed in making an ''air cannon'' or whatever else he should call it, but the result was a bit much.


    As the Air Mana followed the path he laid out for it, an enormous force erupted suddenly, blasting away all the Mist in the direction leading away from the boss room. As for the rodent which was lying on the ground previously... Well, now it was nowhere to be seen.


    Thanks to the presence of Mist Crystals, however, it didn''t take long for Mist and Fog to once again flood the previously emptied corridor. Meanwhile, Lan was reviewing the process before the blast, trying to find the mistakes that led up to this blast of Unrelenting Force.


    ''...Well, obviously the quantity was too much, I gathered Air Mana from too broad an area. While that would be fine if I wanted to blast away all intruders at once, it wouldn''t work for selective blasting. Suppose I should focus more.''


    This time Lan gathered one-tenth the previous amount of Air Mana before compressing it and shooting it out. The result was something like a laser made of wind. It even struck an unfortunate Beast passing by on the outside of the corridor, drilling a hole through it, resulting in death.


    ''Oops... I compressed it a bit too much, overconcentrating the force. Plus, with it impacting a small point, the impact was further worsened. At least the amount is about right. Maybe a little bit more and it''ll be fine.''


    Leaving the body of the casualty for the scavengers to pick apart, Lan once again repeated the sequence of gather-compress-release along with needed adjustments. This time the result was much more agreeable, with the blast being the size of a human torso, along with its force being less concentrated.


    Unfortunately for the Beasts, a test subject was needed for comprehensive testing, so Lan waited for another one to pass by and executed the wind blast.


    To the great bewilderment of the victim in the form of a boar, as an unstoppable force of wind slammed into its side, it was sent sailing through the air before crashing down, sliding on the ground briefly. It scrambled away in panic but suffered no major injuries other than some scrapes and bruises.


    ''Okay, I guess it''s a success. It would be good to test on a human to account for any abnormalities such as their Mental Aura which might disrupt the gathering of mana, but I doubt anyone will challenge the boss other than the veterans for now. And considering they bring around fifteen people and struggle, I''m not sure if I need to limit their numbers for now...''


    But then an image popped up in his imagination, where two dozen weak adventurers group up to try and take down the bosses for the Crystals, overwhelming the two wolves with sheer numbers. So Lan decided on the maximum number in the end.


    ''Alright, let fifteen be the limit. If they can''t win with that many people, they won''t survive down below either. Add that to the do-or-die boss battles, and the casualties caused by under-preparation, and that should be enough to teach any arrogant young masters a lesson.


    But Lan didn''t know just how long it would take for the average strength of an explorer to increase that much. It may even take a year or two for the Second Floor to be considered a ''casual'' destination. As more strong explorers appear, they will retrieve more Crystals, resulting in more capable explorers gaining strength, creating a snowballing effect.


    Depending on calculations such as these, Lan also began implementing Fog Gates on floors below just because he could. It''s not like his dedicated thought channels had much to do outside of research. As for his First Floor, it currently had regular visitors in the form of a regular hunting party.


    At this point, it was more of a routine than an exciting experience to watch them, at least for Lan, as they did the same things. Come in, kill a Beast or two, get out. It was only two times in total that a Mana Beast was formed and encountered on the First Floor outside of the boss room, and both sent the teams packing only to be hunted down for their Heart Cores the next day.


    To the hunting party as well the First Floor seemed to have lost its thrill as long as they didn''t stay for too long, some even considering whether it was worth challenging the boss. But the tales from veterans about the slaughters that happened during those fights dissuaded the ambitions they might have had.


    By all means, this day seemed to be the exact same as this particular hunting party, but it would seem that this day would be different. The regular hunt was interrupted by an observation by one of the party members who glanced toward the boss room.


    "Hey guys, was that thing there before?"


    "What''re you talking about?"


    The hunter pointed towards the looming entrance, where fog now flowed down like a wall.


    The rest were bewildered too, as it was previously a simple corridor... Leading to certain death. Nevertheless, they were now both curious and frightened at the same time.


    "Should we check it out?"


    Upon being met with agreement, the five men came in front of the weird thing. One of them tried to touch it, and his hand passed clean through. The fog even started to seep out around his arm, startling him.


    "What the hell is this shit? I''m not going in there!"


    "Yeah, I heard the monster boss is past that corridor anyway. Two of them even. Let''s just get out of here, this place is giving me the creeps."


    And so, the party retreated out of the Dungeon quickly, returning to camp without any hunted game. Lan''s surface thinking channel followed them out of boredom. But when he, along with them, returned to the encampment, he was met with a far different atmosphere than he remembered.


    There was none of the previously demonstrated harmony and cheer, the camp instead had an aura of gloom over it, and it was raining to boot. Lan, being confused, spread out his senses and searched for the source of such a change. It didn''t take long to find it.


    The number of humans present at camp increased sharply, being nearly double what it was before. Many among the new arrivals didn''t seem to be any kind of combatant, however, instead looking like civilians. Their desperate looks betrayed their nature though.


    ''Refugees. Something must have happened back at the Town.''


    Lan immediately continued the search, listening in on any conversation that seemed in any way related to the current predicament.


    "...Those poor bastards..."


    "...Katheryn? Katheryn! Where is my wife!"


    "What could have happened? So many are wounded!"


    Overall he could gather that something happened at the Cypress Town, causing civilians to flee one after another to the camp where they knew the majority of explorers went. But, apparently, they were attacked by Beasts along the way. Many didn''t make it.


    As for the exact nature of the disaster, he couldn''t find out. Just as he was about to intensify the search, a shout somewhere from the camp caught his attention.


    "The Tower Master is back! She brought back more!"


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Lan immediately looked towards the camp''s western gates which faced the Cypress Town''s direction. He witnessed the sight of the all-too-familiar woman, looking much more ragged and exhausted compared to the last time he had seen her, with a group of refugees trailing behind her.


    ''Just what the hell happened while I was holed up once again? Seriously, I need to make a clock to know the passing of time...''


    Members of the camp opened the gates, which were previously closed tightly shut, and began helping her and the refugees. Those who were wounded were immediately taken away for treatment. The Tower Master Matilda then called one of the senior explorers nearby towards her with a shake of her hand.


    "Gather the combatants. I have things to say."


    With a nod, he ran off. The woman herself, however, trudged towards a wooden building in the very center of the camp which served the purpose of the administration and command headquarters.


    She sat down in a chair that was not far from the entrance heavily, slumping into it momentarily. Matilda then said three hate-filled words through her gritted teeth.


    "Fucking Beast Worshippers!"


    Although such a term didn''t make Lan recall anything, he could feel her anger. Lan supposed that he found the cause of misfortune... At least the name of it, not what it was.


    Meanwhile, the Tower Master stood up, and after drinking a cup of water, went out once again. A sizeable crowd had gathered in the meantime thanks to her orders, comprised completely of combat-capable personnel. Explorers, Hunters, Mages, and whoever could fight were present.


    "People of Cypress Town!"


    All heads turned toward her, anxiety brimming in many of the gazes directed at her.


    "I''m sure you already know, but our home and our people came under attack."


    Sure enough, thanks to however long the refugees were present, most of those present already knew the general gist of the situation, raptly listening to what the woman had to say next.


    "And yet it is not the mindless beasts that were scratching at our walls, no! Instead, we are dealing with fellow humans!"


    This statement sent a visible shock rippling through the masses, whispers erupting, as this was not what the people were expecting.


    "What we previously thought a mere rumor, a distant threat, came to our home. In the form of Beast Worshippers!"


    "What!"


    "How can this be!"


    This time the reaction was even more severe, as the group in question was known to many one way or another. To some, it was an imaginary boogeyman for keeping the children in the Town. To some, it was a horror story to tell, or a rumor of brutality to shudder at. Hell, most dismissed such a group as a figment of someone''s imagination.


    And suddenly they were told that this was what caused the crisis they were facing.


    "Although it may be hard to believe, I have personally verified this, and have encountered them myself! And their actions may have already doomed Cypress Town."


    Ignoring the shouts of various causes, she continued.


    "You all know that I went back alone two days ago. And when I came back to the Town, I found the city far from how I left it. The gates: damaged beyond repair. The people: hiding in the safety of their homes!"


    She continued her story.


    "And some were fleeing out from the Town and towards this camp. When I asked them the reason for their actions, I was told what would have been thought of as a horror story. Murders in the night! The food supply was sabotaged and poisoned! Figures masked with skulls stalking the dark..."


    "But how did this happen so quickly?! And there are plenty of explorers in the Town, aren''t there? How could they allow such a thing to happen!"


    Matilda merely sighed.


    "This may have been a consequence of our mistake. Almost all explorers capable of combat moved to this camp, lured by the bounty of the Dungeon. This left the Town nearly defenseless."


    She then breathed in before continuing.


    "In my incompetence, I thought that the sturdy walls would protect our home while most of us were away. I too... Was lured away by the promise of knowledge instead of prioritizing the Town."


    A silence descended among the previously loud crowd, but the woman continued.


    "But there is still hope for our people! Led by Joseph Larring, guard teams were assembled to protect the people. It is only thanks to them that they repelled the attackers from the shadows, not letting them reign."


    But as she finished speaking, she beckoned towards one figure in the crowd.


    "But I alone only witnessed the consequences of the struggle, not the conflict itself. It would be better for one of those who were there to tell the rest. Come forward."


    A tattered-looking woman unsurely walked out from amongst the crowd, clearly uncomfortable at all the gazes that suddenly turned toward her. Anna and Marilyn, who were present, recognized her. She was the receptionist who greeted them when they returned at night.


    She walked towards a position near the Tower Master before turning to the crowd and beginning to speak.


    "M-my name is Laura... And I was there when it all began..."


    And so, she began to tell of the struggles the Town had faced, having experienced them first-hand.


    ----------------------------------------------------


    Two days ago


    It was yet another normal day for the receptionist. Greet explorers, collect, and give out tasks. With the exception of the fact that there was less than a fraction of how many people there were before, with them going away to the Dungeon. And so, she had more spare time than she knew what to do with.


    Currently, she was speaking with Stacy, the one-armed woman who was one of her good friends, although she was rather grumpy about not being permitted to go out of Town.


    "...So I don''t understand what those old farts are thinking. I can fight even with one arm! I can still hold a sword, so what''s the fucking problem?!"


    "Yeah, I get you. But maybe consider yourself a protector of the Town? Nearly all explorers went away, so maybe you''ll protect us all if we get attacked?"


    Laura said so half-jokingly, reports of increasing Beast activity ringing in the back of her head. Well, the swordswoman seemed to take it as a joke nonetheless.


    "Oh? You want me to protect ya? Maybe even stay by your bed at night? Give you a goodnight kiss?"


    Being as brazen as ever, she turned the joke around onto Laura, causing him to blush slightly. The receptionist waved her hand dismissively.


    "I can take care of myself plenty, thanks... Who is that?"


    A cloaked figure suddenly caught Laura''s eye as it walked into the Tower. She didn''t know anyone who would conceal themselves in such a way, even though she had worked as a receptionist for years. That alone made her cautious, even more so when four more similarly dressed people walked in.


    Stacy was also on alert having turned around, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword. Most of the other guests seemed rather oblivious to the unusual intruders, treating them as an afterthought, but some did notice Stacy''s attitude with curiosity.


    Suddenly, with a movement, one after another, the figures took out something from under their clothes. Though indiscernible at first, Laura''s eyes soon widened as she recognized what they held. Weapons. White as if made from bone.


    Just as she prepared to shout a warning, a collective shout erupted from the cloaked ones.


    "We reject humanity, and accept the Beast!" "Glory to the Scarred Lord!"


    As they shouted, they immediately began moving, their weapons in motion as well. It was only then that Laura shouted out.


    "Be careful! We''re under attack!"


    But it was too late for some.


    A man screamed out as a bone sickle tore into his shoulder before brutally being pulled out. A woman was stabbed in the back with a dagger, and another explorer swung a sword at the neck as a target but managed to block it, causing the blade to slide down and slash his chest.


    At this point, everyone noticed the hostile intruders and the hall erupted into chaos. The civilians fled away in pain, even some explorers not being an exception. Yet those who remained took out their weapons and surged towards the attackers together.


    With overwhelming numbers, the fight turned in the Townfolk''s favor. And yet the intruders didn''t succumb, each being stronger than three men. As one cloaked figure, in particular, slashed away with his dual-wielded sickles, an explorer who blocked his attack was sent tumbling onto the floor due to sheer force behind it.


    However, this also gave an opening to other people, who quickly exploited it, with an arrow and swords surging towards the figure. Though it had blocked one of the attacks, two fists can''t win against four hands.


    An arrow hit the cloaked man in the chest, and swords slashed across his back and side, causing him to fall to his knees. At this moment, the cloak fell down, revealing the face covered with a mask... That seemed to be made out of a human skull, with a manic smile underneath.


    "Glory... To our..."


    He wasn''t given a chance to finish, being decapitated shortly after. But other fights weren''t so smooth, as the masked people were fighting like beasts with no concern for their injuries, some even using their teeth and nails once they lost their weapons. And yet, they were killed one by one at the cost of multiple lives and grievous injuries.


    Stacy, however, fought just like them. With her one arm, she wielded her sword like a berserk, with no finesse and only strength behind it. And she remained nimble, avoiding every attack thrown her way. On her own, she fought a masked woman, and after dodging her attack, Stacy slashed her sword from below, cutting through the woman''s neck.


    Finally, everyone sighed out in relief as the battle was won. That peace was short-lasted as suddenly explosions sounded from the edges of the Town along with distant screams.


    As everyone was in panic, an old man who no one saw descend down the stairs, suddenly spoke out.


    "Our home is under attack! Split into groups of ten, and defend our families! Those explosions came from the directions of the gates, secure them! I will assist as well."


    Under his rapid commands, no one even had time to question him, instead quickly doing as he said. The man himself also joined one of the groups, true to his words. Only when he was nearly out of the Tower did Laura finally ask her question.


    "M-mr Larring?! What are you doing!"


    The old man merely looked back with a smile before responding.


    "I am doing my duty as a Mage of the Cypress Town''s Magic Tower."


    As if on cue to his words, more Mages, young and old descended down the stairs, surging to the defenders, joining them and healing the injured. Everyone would need to fight earnestly to protect their homes.

 Chapter 53: Interlude: The Towns Massacre

    The Explorers and Mages united into teams, with two Mages joining each group of ten. They gathered in the square around the Tower, and Laura followed them as well. What greeted her sight was unpleasant, to say the least.


    Pillars of smoke were rising from multiple points in the city, the already clouded sky becoming even darker. The hustle and bustle of the streets was nowhere to be seen, instead distant screams and silence intermingled, creating an eerie atmosphere.


    As for the Town Square itself, it wasn''t spared either. Multiple dead bodies lay on the stone-laid plaza, horrific wounds being visible on them. Some of those lying on the ground were still alive, however, groaning and whimpering in pain, they would bleed out if not healed.


    One of the healers rushed towards one of such wounded, sitting down on his knees and beginning to heal the man, when suddenly one of the ''dead'' bodies surged upward and lunged towards the healer, a serrated dagger made of bone revealing itself from under the pretenders'' robes.


    The healer was caught off guard, only realizing that he was under attack mere moments from the incoming stab. But thankfully, that was enough for him.


    A wave of mana was blasted out from his quickly raised palm, slamming into the ambusher. The enemy was flung away, rolling over the ground multiple times. The Mage was no defenseless pushover. And once the dagger wielder tried to stand up once again, three arrows, one after another pierced him.


    As he swayed unsteadily, another two pierced his eye and neck, putting him down for good. As the ambusher was taken down, friends of the attacked Mage rushed to check up on him.


    "What the hell were you thinking Jefferey?! You almost got yourself killed!"


    "Well, what I was supposed to do? Watch my favorite shopkeep bleed out?"


    Chief Researcher Joseph intervened before the argument could escalate.


    "Calm down both of you. There is no time to argue among ourselves. Though it is important to rescue every life we can, your lives are just as important. Remain on guard!"


    Following that, he turned to a remaining group of around twenty people among which were Laura and Stacy.


    "We need a well-defended position to return to. Barricade inside the Tower, and prepare for any possible intrusion. You are to accept any civilian or Explorer that seeks refuge, obviously. How ironic it is that we are so cautious within our own home..."


    Sighing heavily, Joseph then motioned with his hand to multiple squads of experienced Explorers, who quickly understood the command given: Move out.


    "Treat this as a hostile territory! The enemy is cunning and brutal, so don''t show them any mercy! That would only lead you to your death. Onward!"


    No cheers or battle cries could be heard as the squads parted in different directions. No one was high on morale as they now fought for their homes and families, and many didn''t know the fate of the people close to them but didn''t dare to go off on their own, as that would be near tantamount to suicide.


    The numbers of the enemy were unknown, but each individual enemy was much stronger than them on average, which didn''t make the situation much better.


    As they departed, the team that was left behind quickly got to work. Stacy took the position of a leader, surprising many who thought of her as a simple musclebrain. Under her command, the stalls from the Square and the various furniture from inside the Tower were brought to fortify the entrance.


    One of the remaining Mages also previously absorbed a Nature Crystal, and had brought up the idea of using his mana to ''fuse'' some of the wooden furniture together, which was quickly implemented. Various other improvised defensive implementations were brought up one after another, turning the reception hall into a well-defensible position.


    Meanwhile, the exploration teams spread out to rescue any civilians that were wounded or otherwise in distress, kill the hostile madmen, and figure out the sources of chaos to resolve them. For some the patrol was rather quiet, coming across dead bodies and occasionally healing wounded who they gathered in batches and escorted towards the Town Square.


    Some among them though, didn''t have as much luck. One of these teams was the one where Joseph Larring was present. Twelve people were walking down what was previously a bustling main street, which now had occasional bloodstains present along with the corpses. The people who were alive usually took cover in the buildings, hiding in fear.


    For now, the teams didn''t check the buildings, instead focusing on securing the gates which were their target, and at the same time where large amounts of smoke were coming from. But sometimes there were cases where personal feelings took over duty.


    "S-sir! That''s my house, and my family must be inside! Can we please check it out?"


    The Explorer who spoke out received a contemplative glance from the old man.


    "Please, I beg of you! I have to make sure they are safe!"


    Joseph merely sighed.


    "Fine. You and you, escort her, we will check the surroundings in the meantime."


    With the two additional Explorers sent out along with the one who made the request, the rest of the group also started to examine their surroundings more closely. The old man stood with furrowed brows, as this was not going along with the plan, wasting valuable time. But he couldn''t refuse a request related to family. Not after what happened to him.


    But he suddenly noticed a detail that snapped him out of his musings. It may have been a trick of the eye, but he swore that he saw a shadow move behind one of the windows around him. It may have been a civilian, or...


    Suddenly a scream sounded from the house which was investigated. Joseph cursed as he then heard the sound of battle erupt. He shouted out.


    "Ambush!"


    Just in time with his warning, multiple windows burst outward with masked figures jumping out through them. Thanks to his shout most of the Explorers managed to react, but one man was unlucky, with the enemy landing right on top of him, a hammer made of bone and iron crushing down on his skull.


    There were eight defenders with three being away, and five enemies. Considering the strength of the Masked they witnessed previously, the odds weren''t good. The opposing combatants stared at each other briefly before a shout broke the stalemate, causing the battle to begin.


    "Blood for the Scarred Lord!"


    Both sides surged towards each other, though the masked cultists were faster by a small degree, it would seem they were weaker than the ones who attacked the Tower.


    A chaotic clash erupted, with the first exchanges being fruitless, the Explorers blocking or parrying with all their might, and cultists dodging out of the way of the strikes directed towards them.


    One of the cultists jumped back from his opponent, landing on all fours, lunging towards the Explorer along with his gauntlets which had bone claws attached. As he jumped, he felt a force pressing down on him, causing him to land on the ground heavily right in front of the man, who took the opportunity and pierced the cultist through the neck.


    Another enemy knocked the sword out of a female Explorer''s grasp, preparing to bring down his sword, when he felt as if a giant bull slammed into his side, flinging him towards a wall not far away. Along with the impact, the majority of his bones were crushed, being as good as dead.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    As for the source of such a happening, it wasn''t obvious until one looked towards the center of the Explorer''s formation, where old man Larring stood with his hands stretched out towards the positions of the impacted enemies, a serious look on his face.


    Not all were lucky to get his help in time though. An Explorer swung down at a cultist with his axe, only for the masked woman to sidestep it, before bringing down her daggers on his back and neck. One mistake was all it took to lose one''s life.


    Joseph saw this, at the same time anguished, as he knew the dead man quite well, and angered, directing two of his hands towards the woman, who suddenly froze. He seemed to have something in his grasp, and he clenched his fists.


    The cultist didn''t even have a chance to scream before she seemed to collapse inward, blood bursting out like when a packet of juice burst, nothing more than a bunch of fleshy remains lying where she previously stood.


    That move took some effort on the old man though, as he was now breathing heavily, veins popping out on the sides of his head. As he heaved for breath, he noticed that the battle was nearing its end. As the number of cultists decreased, it allowed the Explorers to team up against those who remained.


    Only one was still alive now, the second just fell to the ground with multiple arrows sticking out of him. The last cultist standing evaded a slash directed towards him, but his evasion opened his back towards another Explorer, who ended the battle by piercing the enemy through the back.


    Joseph, as the leader, counted those who remained. Statistically, the battle didn''t go too bad, with them killing five while losing one, two other Explorers being healed at the moment. But that was no cause for celebration, as every life lost was a tragedy. Having no time to waste, Joseph straightened his back once again, as he had to check what happened to those sent out to explore the house.


    As he went past the doorframe though, a horrid sight appeared before his eyes. Where was once a family''s home was now a scene of carnage. The entire room was covered in blood, counting six bodies just from the entrance. And only two people were alive.


    One of the bodies belonged to an Explorer, who seemed to have his neck sliced, the culprit in turn lay dead on the ground with his head split open. As for the rest... Joseph cursed.


    "Fuck..."


    The bodies seemed to be mutilated in many ways, some seeming to be eaten. Holding back his urge to hurl, he instead checked on the living Explorers. The girl whose family apparently lived here, was on her knees with a hollow look in her eyes, tears streaming down. The other Explorer which held the bloodied axe also looked shocked but acknowledged the old man''s presence with a nod.


    Not many words were needed.


    "...Bring her on your back. She is in no state to move on her own right now."


    Having left those words, he walked back out. After briefly explaining the situation, the decision was made to return to the Tower and regroup, also checking on the situation of others. Though they didn''t examine the gates closely, from what one of the Rangers said they got to know that the gates seemed to be blasted apart, as if by using explosives.


    They moved back with a brisk pace, and sometimes people walked out of their hiding spots and asked to join the group, seeking safety. They agreed, obviously. On the way back the group wasn''t ambushed except for the time when a sole cultist wandered out of the side alley, only to be immediately turned into a hedgehog of arrows.


    Once the group arrived back at the Town Square, they witnessed many people gathered around the Tower, being let in one by one through a gap in the created barricades. Some other groups were present as well. Some were looking mostly intact, and some were missing multiple members. It didn''t take a genius to figure out what happened.


    The returnees were noticed in turn, some civilians recognizing each other, causing tear-filled reunions, while others desperately searched for familiar faces among new arrivals. Meanwhile, old man Larring whispered something into the ear of one of the Explorers, causing him to go to the Tower hurriedly.


    After a brief wait, the teams that went out gathered together. The goal was to discuss their findings and understand the overall situation of the Town. Joseph counted how many there were, and noticed with a sigh that the number of missing was numerous.


    "...Is everyone gathered? I will start then. On our way to examine the Southern Gate, we discovered many scenes of carnage, with men, women, and children slaughtered indiscriminately. Some were... Cannibalized."


    Taking a deep breath, he continued.


    "We did not reach the Gates themselves, but we verified their condition from a distance. We concluded they were blasted apart using explosives or something with the same effect."


    A leader of another Team of Explorers then added in his own information.


    "Same here, Eastern Gates blasted to pieces."


    "Northern Gates are done for too."


    "The West Gates are mostly fine, but the locking mechanism is busted."


    A discussion then erupted regarding the reports.


    "Explosives?! But where would these... Savages even get such a thing?!"


    "That''s impossible! We all know how hard they are to make nowadays! Only the town''s guard has them here..."


    A realization of horror suddenly dawned on those gathered.


    "Town''s guard... They were severely understaffed lately. Oh no! Has anyone checked their guardhouse?!"


    Those who didn''t realize what was implied previously now paled as well. If the explosives were used, then there was the only place where you could get them, and that was the guardhouse, supposedly the most secure place after the Magic Tower. But with many Explorers resigning in search of opportunities in the Dungeon, it was not as guarded as it should have been.


    Joseph hurriedly gave out various commands, deploying more Explorers to guard the Tower, while taking twenty Explorers together with him to check, or rather verify the situation at the guardhouse which was in the eastern part of Cypress Town.


    The large group quickly moved through the streets with a clear direction in mind. The fact that their numbers were large helped as well. They were still wary of an ambush, but it would seem that either the cultists were not so foolish to attack such a large group deliberately or there were none in their immediate vicinity.


    It didn''t take long to reach their destination thanks to that, an old building made of stone now in front of them, the doors leading in being wide open like a gaping mouth. Fresh blood could be seen pooling not far from the entrance.


    With the eerie silence hanging over them, Joseph made a series of gestures indicating the course of action, not an audible word being exchanged. The group soon reorganized itself, people with shields moving to the front and back, followed by warriors and then ranged combatants.


    One would find this formation similar to the one Marilyn used, but Joseph was its original creator. So the group slowly walked forward in such a manner, advancing with great caution. And such caution paid off.


    A brief whistle of something cutting through the air could be heard before a dull thud. An arrow could be seen sticking out of the shield that a warrior in front held up. The rangers of the group quickly shot multiple arrows in that direction in response.


    The entire group halted for a moment, ready for confrontation, before resuming the advance. Once they did though, an arrow''s whistle sounded once again, followed by a scream as it found its way under the shield and pierced the foot of the shielder in front. The Rangers were ready this time though, a counter-volley of arrows being immediately loosened. This time they found their mark, a dull thud of a body hitting the floor sounding in the distance.


    As the wounded man was being healed, the rest of the building was checked out, but no one other than the lone cultist who seemed to have been left behind, with his leg which was clearly broken explaining why he remained, was among the living. The guards that were supposed to be on duty still had shocked expressions on their faces, most being killed from behind, slit throats and stabbed backs being prevalent causes of death.


    The last room to be checked out, the one furthest from the entrance, was then reached, the words ''arsenal'' carved on the wide open doors.


    The Explorers began to check out the expansive chamber where many weapons from swords to crossbows were previously stored. Most were gone though, others being broken. And what everyone feared came true, the explosives that were supposed to be there weren''t where they were supposed to be.


    Joseph sighed heavily once again before turning back.


    "...There is nothing more to see here. Gather what''s useful and let''s get out of this place."


    His words were heeded, and after scavenging mostly the ammunition for the Rangers, or a Warrior replacing a worn-out sword with one of the few intact ones, the group found themselves back outside, where the air was seeping with the stench of blood.


    On the way back they decided to take a broader route, instead of the thin alleys that they had to cut through in order to shorten their time of arrival, mostly to gather those who could be saved. When they came close to the Eastern Gates though, they witnessed an unexpected sight.


    A group of people with some light pouches or backpacks could be seen trying to sneak along the street and towards the direction of the Gate instead of the Town Square. Joseph quickly called out to them.


    "Hey! You over there! Where are you going!"


    The ragged bunch of people were startled and looked like they were ready to drop everything and run, but after they saw who the shout was coming from, they relaxed a little, recognizing either Joseph or Explorers who soon came close.


    "W-we''re going away! We are not staying in the living hell our town has become!"


    "But why not to the Tower? Everyone gathers there."


    "The Gate is closer! Besides, many already left through there just fine."


    Joseph suddenly furrowed his brows, before gesturing to one of the faster scouts.


    "Go on the wall and check it out. You have a spyglass, right? Report what you see."


    Though the scout wondered how the old man knew of his family treasure, he obeyed. It didn''t take long for him to return though with a rather worried face.


    As everyone looked toward him, he spoke.


    "They are telling the truth. Many people already left through the gate."


    "See! I told you it was fine!"


    "Most or all of them are dead. The fields are now crawling with beasts... And filled with corpses. Bet the beast''s sudden appearance had to do with the attack as well."


    The scout then looked towards the man who wanted to leave, now being silent with a still-open mouth, visibly shocked.


    "If you want to live, I suggest you follow us."

 Chapter 54: Calm Before The Storm

    Lan continued to listen to the story that the ragged receptionist was telling. It was one of the rare opportunities to obtain information from beyond his domain, after all. It also covered the events that he could have otherwise missed during his experiments. But despite all that Lan didn''t like what he was hearing in the slightest.


    "...And after the teams returned to the Tower as the sun was setting, we then had to defend against constant attacks the entire night! If not for..."


    She was telling everyone of the disaster or rather the attack that befell the Town. Masked cannibals wielding weapons made of bone and shouting cultist slogans while killing everything in their way... From the state of the refugees and her tale, Lan could only imagine the devastation despite having never seen the town after his death.


    The Explorers who were gathered in front of her, not bothered by the falling rain in the slightest, had a variety of expressions on their faces. Some were scowling in anger, some paled in fear, and some grit their teeth in silence. No one expected such morbid news, especially those who had families back in town.


    Surprisingly, Lan could be said to be one of the angry ones. He wasn''t grieving for the people he had never met or knew, instead, he was seething at the fact that his hometown was... Defiled and put to fire in such a way. Though he didn''t have that many ''colorful'' human memories anymore, however, most of those that he had mostly took place in Cypress Town.


    He remembered the blurry images of the passing streets and his mother''s hand holding his own. He remembered the broad back of his father as he carried Lan atop his shoulders. He remembered the sunny days, the rainy days, the very happy and the very sad ones. Almost all of them were from the Town.


    If he was honest, he was looking forward to the day he would expand his Domain to it, maybe seeing how it turned out after so long. Perhaps he would find clues as to where his parents or people he could somewhat remember were. And now it was gone. The streets of the Town were now probably full of dead bodies and smoldering ruins.


    ''...Those bastards. If they dare to come even a centimeter into my Domain, I will send upon them every damn Beast living here. If they dare to ruin my former home, then don''t blame me for ruining their life expectancy.''


    While he was contemplating and seething inwardly, he didn''t stop listening to the speech of the receptionist girl, who was apparently called Laura, with another Thought Channel of his, not wanting to miss whatever else she could inform him of.


    "...If not for Mr Larring and his valiant efforts, I fear less than a tenth of us would have made it here..."


    As the speech went on, it became apparent that the girl described mostly what she had heard and not experienced. Quite understandable, as she was clearly not a combatant. But it was made obvious by her constant embellishments and dramatic descriptions.


    "...But then they tried to burn the whole Tower down! Thanks to the..."


    "That''s enough, Laura. I will take it from here. Go get yourselves some dry clothes, you deserve that much."


    Laura got a bit caught up and didn''t notice an old man with a tired look on his face until he was right next to her. Holding an umbrella in his hand, it was obviously Joseph Larring, the main hero who she praised along with her tale.


    "Ah, y-yes, of course!"


    Embarrassed for not noticing that her clothes were soaking under the rain, she quickly retreated away from her spot, disappearing among the many tents of the camp. In her place, Joseph stepped forward and cleared his throat.


    "I''ll ask you to excuse Laura, she experienced much lately. I will take it from here."


    He then started speaking in a much more confident and collected tone than the receptionist did, immediately attracting the attention of all listeners. Though it was apparent that he was exhausted, his voice commanded respect.


    "As you were already told previously, the enemy is cunning and cruel. When their night raid on the fortified Magic Tower did not succeed, they resorted to trying to smoke us out. Thanks to the presence of many Mages though, the enemy did not succeed in their goal, but it rendered us unable to gain proper rest."


    "As the sun rose, our rescue teams continued their efforts of searching for survivors, but unfortunately were met with limited success. Many who remained outside of the Tower were either murdered in the night or attempted to flee, which often proved fatal as well."


    Joseph looked across the crowd, who were listening to him seriously, as if listening to a briefing in a war room, despite being outside.


    "Hence the last issue that we encountered. Outside of the walls, many Beasts started to roam and gather in packs, hunting down any who fled. It was then that we realized that we were trapped with no way out. We spent an entire day in such a state. Until the Tower Master came."


    Everyone''s eyes turned to the woman who quietly stood to the side with closed eyes. Even when doing nothing her very presence remained imposing, yet everyone felt only reverence and gratitude for her. Joseph also smiled.


    "This woman, by her lonesome, slaughtered her way through any Beast that stood in her way, and any cultist brave enough to appear before her, was sent to hell before they could say anything!"


    At this point Joseph raised his voice, speaking of the Tower Master''s feats in a way that pumped up the morale of every listener.


    "With her wisdom, she devised a plan to save every man, woman, and child we could! In essence, it was quite simple. We would organize two groups, the first with most of the Explorers and every civilian, would depart together along with limited food supply, breaking through the blockade."


    Joseph then glanced towards Matilda.


    "It was not easy. We encountered many an ambush along the way, but in front of overwhelming might, the tricks of those cultists didn''t stand a chance! Without even giving them a chance to think, we broke through the blockade of humans and Beasts alike, hence arriving in this camp."


    Cheers and roars erupted in response to his tale, everyone visibly pumped up at the way Joseph was telling it.


    "But the Tower Master stayed behind. You know what she told me? ''I won''t let those bastards have to take even a grain of dust from the Tower!'' And the reason for this was the second part of the plan. This woman right there secured every valuable research paper from the Magic Tower and even some of the valuable resources left behind. All while fending off waves of the cultists by herself, only a small team of volunteers with her."


    "...And she couldn''t be stopped! Not only did our Tower Master secure the years of knowledge that could have been lost, but she also gathered the people that could have been left behind along the way!"


    Larring then lowered his voice.


    "And that''s how we arrive at this point in time. And the crisis is not yet over."


    Suddenly a shout could be heard from the crowd.


    "What crisis are you talking about? We will crush them all as long as we stick together! We will avenge everyone they have killed!"


    Shouts and roars of agreement sounded out amidst the crowd, many agreeing with the young man who said such words. Joseph merely shook his head and stepped back. Tower Master Matilda stepped forward in turn.


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "If you still remember what I have called the enemy, you would remember the reason for this old man''s words. The enemy is Beast Worshippers. Haven''t you wondered why Beasts showed up in droves as soon as the Town was attacked?"


    Silence descended once again, as everyone realized that they truly didn''t.


    "You should have heard of the fall of the two Towns to our north. And the reason for their fall was a Beast Tide. You may wonder how the madmen who attacked our home tie into this. The answer is quite simple. They were preparing our Town for the arrival of their ''masters''."


    Gasps of surprise could be heard at the revelation, and Matilda continued.


    "I have done research on those bastards. They worship Beasts in pursuit of strength. Usually, they end up eaten by those very beasts, but sometimes they instead lead the Beasts towards human settlements."


    Lan frowned mentally as the Tower Master continued describing the foe that the humans faced. It would seem that the enemy had quite the unusual means.


    "Somehow, when they succeed, the Beasts don''t attack them. Thanks to this, these cultists mingle with them and sacrifice their fellow humans in turn. And since they came to us, I guarantee you that they will lead their ''masters'' to this very camp. And soon."


    A somber atmosphere descended on the already glum residents of the camp. Especially the refugees. They had just escaped what might as well have been hell on earth, only to have their lives in danger yet again. Some began to fall into despair along with thoughts of fleeing.


    Matilda narrowed her eyes seeing such a change. It was expected, but still unpleasant to look at.


    "There is no place to run. If we try to do so, we will instead be hunted down one by one."


    With those words, she fell silent for a while. Many were staring at her with pale faces, some even having their legs tremble. No one wanted to die, and yet they couldn''t run or hide. There was only one option left.


    "We will have to fight. Fortify the walls, dig traps, and prepare our weapons. It is do or die. It is us or them, people. If we want to live, then we will have to fight for it!"


    The Tower Master, though she had left the Tower behind, raised her voice, her last sentence breaking into a shout, raising her fist in the air.


    "We will fight for our loved ones! We will fight for our future!"


    The previously gloomy and scared people regained their spirit and shouted out in turn.


    "We will fight for our loved ones! We will fight for our future!"


    A chorus of shouts and chants sounded out, attracting attention from those who were not present to listen to the speech previously. As for the woman who incited such an outcome, only the faintest of smiles appeared on her face before she went away.


    As she was passing Joseph though, he called out to her, causing her to halt.


    "I thought you didn''t have that fire in you. It would seem that ''Archmage Matilda'' is back."


    The usually apathetic woman looked backward and smirked.


    "Pot calling the kettle black. I have heard you resigned to be a peaceful researcher, but it would seem that ''Joseph Smasher'' just can''t sit still, now can he? What''s that I''m hearing about you smacking cultists around like dolls? Old habits acting up?"


    The old man coughed into his hand, clearly embarrassed.


    "...Let''s not bring that up."


    He then regained his composure and said.


    "Instead let''s focus on organizing the defense. I will organize the defense tactics and our strategy. Can I leave arranging our defenses to you? We will need as much as we can get in this calm before the storm."


    Matilda turned serious as well, nodding.


    "Go ahead. I am no good as a tactician, you have always had a better brain about that. Instead, I have some ideas on how to use this new type of Mana defensibly. You can count on me in that aspect."


    As she was going towards her destination, Joseph shouted from the back.


    "Don''t try and do it by yourself like that time, okay? You have many willing hands to help you!"


    Matilda flinched momentarily at the reminder of when she was on a mission along with her team, only to end up finishing it entirely by herself. Nonetheless, she didn''t bother responding to the old man, merely waving a hand at him. As she walked in the rain, an invisible bubble formed around her, causing all water droplets to slide around it.


    Joseph merely sighed.


    "...Where''s that woman''s husband when you need him... Though they didn''t get along that well despite being married. I wonder why..."


    The old man shook his head before heading towards where he needed to be. There was much to do, after all. Shelter for refugees, provisions, regulation of stored supplies, and many other daunting tasks, some more urgent than the other. And the person in charge, his grandson Ian, already had his hands full.


    So, like the kind grandfather he was, Joseph decided to help out, planning the course of action at the same time.


    Lan observed the whole interaction, focusing on the woman whose identity he was pretty sure of. He knew her name, her surname, and she was married. Every single detail matched with the blurry ones in his memories.


    There was only one person who matched all of those. But despite the near-conclusive evidence, Lan was hesitant to reach out to Matilda, as every time he gathered his courage, he faltered in various doubts and hesitations.


    The woman in his memories simply meant too much to him, so he didn''t understand, if that was the case, then why couldn''t he remember her face? Could it be a different person then?


    Various petty excuses and denial held him back from extending his mental strings to her or trying to use Ian as an intermediary to communicate between them. Until he got the surest confirmation, Lan wouldn''t attempt this.


    Because if he was correct... Then Matilda, the Archmage, the symbol of power revered by many... Was his mother.


    ----------------------------------------------------


    A tiger covered in scars that ran across his body and face walked along the street of an abandoned Town steadily. As the stench of blood lingered in the air, he walked, bricks and stones crumbling under his feet, he himself reached the top of the first floors of many of the houses he passed by.


    As he walked, he noticed in passing how... Humans, those filthy pests, barely worthy to be his servants, crept along his side in many streets and buildings.


    ''...Disgusting. Just like the rest of their kind is.''


    It was not the first time he saw such a scene brought by their hands in his name, but the fact that they so easily betrayed their kin disgusted him. Khan once tried attacking a well-fortified human settlement on his own before, and the result was him forced to flee with many wounds, his pack wiped out.


    Back then he used to fear and somewhat admire those sturdy walls built by the seemingly feeble Beasts.


    But when he found these... Worms who crawled to his feet and begged him for power in return for their treachery and tricks, he was reminded of the reason he hated them.


    ''They are all the same.''


    Khan walked into what seemed to be a central gathering spot for this settlement. Humans liked gathering in open spaces, nearly every settlement he burnt to the ground had such a thing.


    In the center of it stood a tall and sturdy building. Khan was surprised, he hadn''t seen such a thing in other settlements before. But, in a way, staring at such a solitary monument, he was reminded of his days as a cub.


    He remembered those days remarkably well. A small pair of hands petting him, the smile of a child, and her laughter. A human child.


    He remembered the cold white powder that often came from the sky. He used to play in it, only for her to laugh, and then swipe away at his fur after he got covered in it. He was happy back then.


    Their settlement also had a tall stone in the middle of it. Adult humans carved various scribbles on it and mumbled strange things he didn''t understand, while also leaving food there. She told him he was not allowed to take it though.


    He remembered the small hut where She lived along with her mother. They fed him warm food and gave him a soft bed to sleep in. They gave him a name. Khan. He still remembered that moment.


    ''Your name is Khan! Mom tells me that a strong tiger used to have that name, and now it''s yours! I believe you will be the strongest and the biggest tiger ever!''


    Khan breathed out. As he did so, a wave of heat along with sparks came out of his mouth. Rain began to evaporate from his claws as they heated up, gradually gaining a reddish hue.


    "Those days came to an end."


    Khan tensed his muscles, leaning backward and staring upward at the stone monument before him.


    "All because of humans!"


    Along with his shout, a wave of fire erupted from within his throat, surging towards the tower before him. The flames, as if even further emboldened by the tiger''s rage, engulfed the building of stone. Wood quickly caught on fire, and stone began to melt too.


    As Khan stared at the tower which looked closer to a burning pyre, memories continued to surge within his mind.


    Flames. Everything around him burning. The stone which the humans carved upon was broken in half. Screams of pain and panic could be heard around him. And laughter. That rapacious laughter.


    Humans covered in furs wielding spears and bows, chasing down every human within the flaming settlement. No one was spared, death came to all.


    He remembered running. He arrived before what was once his house, his home, only to find it on fire too, partially collapsed.


    He remembered seeing the mother, on the ground, with five arrows sticking out of her back. And he saw Her, being dragged away by another laughing human.


    He remembered Rage, as he attacked that human, even as a cub. He succeeded back then, and Khan along with Her, ran. She was in tears, yet She didn''t stop running. Yet they weren''t fated to escape.


    He remembered when She grabbed him and hid him in a small hidden place, where She used to hide from her mother as a child. He remembered her words.


    ''Please, s-stay here.''


    He remembered struggling, not wanting to leave her. Yet she only gave him a tear-filled smile.


    ''Please, Khan... We will see each other again.''


    That was the last time he saw her.


    All that remained of his home was smoldering ruins and bones.


    "Since the humans have taken everything from me, I will take everything from them!"

 Chapter 55: The Flying Arrows

    As our old home in ruins lay,


    The Foe came across the plains.


    Force oh so mighty, a tide of beasts,


    They came to kill, to make a feast.


    Arrows fell like rain their way,


    As we fought to live just one more day.


    -A tale told by a wandering storyteller, Western Eurah, 47 AA


    ----------------------------------------------------


    Though the sky was dark and clouded, being the earliest hours of the morning, the work that started in the evening of the previous day had not stopped for even a second. Sounds of hammers, saws, and various other tools could be heard throughout the whole encampment.


    Motivated by the speeches of their leaders, nearly every resident of the settlement, young or old, as long as they were capable of helping in some way, took up arms. That is not to say that a fear of being devoured was not a good motivator, but thinking otherwise would help one stay optimistic.


    "Hey! Where are you bringing that? Come back!"


    "Shit! Do you want to kill me with that hammer?"


    "Do you fuckers even know what you''re doing? I don''t have time for this!"


    Of course, suddenly trying to make a group of mostly inexperienced strangers together for the purpose of completing a construction project didn''t exactly proceed smoothly, but one would have to make do due to the time constraints caused by the obvious threat looming overhead.


    Despite the occasional conflicts, the work was progressing. It was especially fast in the areas supervised by the Town''s former leaders: Joseph and Matilda. Joseph was in charge of tactics and strategies that may be used during the defense, and having planned things out, he was working with a separate construction team to create various traps and defenses.


    One might remember that Matilda was in charge of defense construction, and wonder what she had done. Well, being the researcher that she was, even a task crucial to the survival of many people was yet another place for her to experiment with Mana. Especially so when she came to know how so-called ''Nature Mana'' was used to barricade the Tower back in Cypress Town.


    As a result, the people who were assigned as a part of her construction team could watch with confusion at the bizarre actions of the Former Tower Master.


    "...What exactly is she doing? How is twiddling with sticks supposed to help?"


    "...Don''t ask me..."


    The sight they were commenting on was Matilda putting down various wooden branches in a row not far from the defensive wall. It looked like something that a child would do, but they knew better than to question her.


    Seemingly finished after putting down the last stick, Matilda went a couple of steps backward, checked out the ''stick formation'', nodded, and then put her hand to the ground.


    A green glow surged from her palms, a signature look of Nature Mana usage, before surging through it, not settling. The target of it soon became obvious, the wooden branches. As the stream of Mana came closer to them, it split, being infused into the dozen or so pieces of wood simultaneously.


    Soon after, the sticks embedded in the ground began to grow. With cracks and snaps, they grew and elongated, rooting themselves in even further, at the same time becoming a row of sharp wooden spikes.


    As gasps of surprise and admiration could be heard Matilda merely nodded as if it was a result within her expectations and continued on with the work. She instructed the few Mages that absorbed Nature Crystals on what they had to do to speed up the process, though their efficiency and the resulting product left much to be desired compared to her.


    The sun continued to rise and the work continued. Some workers went to rest, and some replaced them. The outside of the walls looked much more formidable than before. Rows of sharp, wooden spikes lined the plains west of the camp, a small trench being dug before some of them.


    Within the camp itself, the various craftsmen worked to the best of their ability. Leatherworkers were making various kinds of armor with the leather they had, Blacksmiths forged arrowheads and fixed weapons, and Fletchers created arrows out of wood, attaching the heads and feathers.


    The usually rather joyful and discordant camp now worked together as a grim, determined machine. No one wanted to die, after all.


    Lan quietly observed the entire process too. Aside from Matilda''s display of magical prowess, there weren''t really that many things of interest to look at. Nevertheless, Lan didn''t start another research project and go into seclusion once again during this time.


    Though he wasn''t exactly friendly with the humans, only having a relationship of give-and-take, he didn''t want to abandon them to their fate either. From a practical standpoint, if they were gone then he would lose a massive amount of Mental Mana income, slowing down his progress immensely.


    But among the humans, there was also Matilda: One who was certainly someone important to him in the past, with quite the high possibility of being his mother.


    Because of all that, he silently watched over the camp which was at work.


    When the sun had reached its zenith, a shout could be heard from one of the guards on the western watchtowers.


    "Beasts on the horizon!"


    These four words sent the camp into a frenzy once again, but Matilda, who was near the western walls at the moment, took control of the situation and began giving out orders.


    "Don''t panic! To your positions, prepare for battle!"


    After the scrambling combatants acquired some semblance of order, the woman herself ascended to the top of the four-meter wall that was made out of wood, before staring out to the west, easily finding their foe and the source of this whole ordeal.


    What could at first be easily mistaken as a blur of black dots for someone with deteriorated eyesight such as her, soon turned into countless figures. Beasts. Hundreds, maybe even thousands of them.


    ''It was a wonder that the guard could see them from that far.''


    With such thoughts in mind, Matilda sighed. Hearing footsteps near her, she saw Joseph also observing what they would soon battle with. He then asked.


    "Do you think we will live to see another day?"


    Matilda merely snorted.


    "If all of us put in some effort, then maybe some of us will."


    "Optimistic as always, you old woman."


    "Who are you calling old? Look at yourself. If the Beasts won''t get you, your age will."


    As the old man grumbled something in response, the walls had gone silent, tension enveloping every person standing on them. Crossbows were readied, and swords were sharpened.


    Suddenly Joseph asked.


    "Do you think we will need to use that?"


    "Well, it looks like it. But only when they come close enough. Wouldn''t want to waste it."


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    ----------------------------------------------------


    As the humans prepared for battle, a couple of kilometers to the east a horde of various Beasts, mostly carnivorous, advanced towards the east with an unstoppable pace. They didn''t rush like mad, preserving their strength and stamina. It looked... Unnatural.


    In the center of the entire horde walked the leader of it all, the scarred tiger, Khan. He too saw the settlement in the distance and reacted accordingly.


    He let out a resounding roar that caused the ones near him to cower, and within that sound was a command.


    ''Advance faster!''


    Slowly, the Beasts turned their brisk pace into a run, which soon turned into a sprint. As Khan was among them, albeit with no Beast daring to get closer than a certain distance to him, he could also see some of his human servants on top of some Beasts in the back.


    Khan knew from experience that the Beasts who advanced first would almost certainly die. So any Beast or servant of importance should at least be placed at the back, to help with the later half of an attack, when the enemy was softened up properly.


    As the horde under his command ran, muddy ground somewhat hampered their feet, but they paid it no mind, only having the wooden wall made by humans ever closer in their sight. It was not comparable to the one that was within the Town. This caused Khan to relax his guard a little.


    ''Do they think these little things will hold me back? I could easily jump over them...''


    His thoughts were interrupted by the whistling sound cutting through the air above. Upon raising his gaze to the sky, he noticed dozens, hundreds of objects flying in an arc across it, then falling onto the first rows of Beasts, which were around three hundred meters away from the walls.


    ''Arrows.'' He recognized the object, almost every settlement used such a projectile.


    ''That''s what the disposable Beasts are for.''


    The first volley of arrows slammed into the advancing creatures from above. Yelps of pain could be heard, as many Beasts were sent tumbling to the ground, the ones behind them either tripping over them or simply trampling past.


    Most of the wounded and not-yet-dead Beasts were killed in the stampede from behind.


    By this point Khan had slowed down, retreating from the center and to the rear of the horde. He would observe before landing the devastating blow once the humans ran out of tricks that they liked so much. Just as he always did.


    As the horde advanced forward, most among them didn''t notice the pits the trenches that were dug out sporadically across the field in front of the walls.


    Though a small amount reacted in time, jumping across, most didn''t either tumbling over them or falling in. Those who fell in first were as good as dead, as the trenches too, were filled with spikes carved from wood.


    And those who jumped over could not be considered lucky either, as not far from the trenches, at the spot where they would land, rows of ''grown'' spikes were present. They were camouflaged, and resembled bushes or shrubbery, causing the simple-minded Beasts to disregard them.


    But the deadly truth was revealed as soon as they tried to land and break through the seemingly fragile vegetation.


    Shrieks of pain once again rang out as Beasts impaled themselves onto the human-grown defenses, sinking further on the spikes under their own weight, creating a gruesome scene.


    Khan''s expression contorted at such a sight, not expecting such a trap, but he was unable to do anything about it, with the Beasts being too far gone to receive a complex command, with their instincts mostly taking over.


    As the smell of blood sent them further into the frenzy, another volley of arrows was launched and descended upon the seemingly unending amount of Beasts. More were hit, and more fell, only for an even greater amount to take their place.


    The trenches that were dug were now filled with corpses, making it possible to simply walk over them, posing no threat. Almost every spike after the trenches had a body or two on them, many also breaking under the combined weight, causing one of the Beasts to charge forward with a part of the spike embedded in it.


    It didn''t take long for the first Beasts to reach the moat that was under the walls of the camp. Despite hundreds having died in the pits and spikes, things were not looking good for humans.


    ----------------------------------------------------


    "Damn it! They got past the traps!"


    "Keep calm and keep shooting! It was expected and according to the plan!"


    It was frankly terrifying to see a tide of claws and maws advancing towards oneself, and even when you tried to kill it, only more came. Such a thing was quite devastating for the overall morale, with many trembling in their boots.


    A shout could then be heard. It was Joseph Larring.


    "They''re getting into the moat! Aim the crossbows and prepare to light it up!"


    The crossbowmen that previously stood without shooting, following the order given, now turned their aim toward the Beasts that got close to the rather deep moat. The sharp bolts cut through the air with deadly accuracy, almost each finding its own target.


    Despite the row of Beasts that fell dead to the ground, however, even more, surged past and into the moat, trying to climb up and scratching at the wooden walls.


    Volleys of arrows continued to fly overhead, killing dozens each time, but as more Beasts got under the walls, they tried to climb using each other as steps, getting closer to their prey. A shout of Larring could then be heard.


    "Light up the fuckers!"


    Following his command, a couple of archers on the walls took out arrows that had an end wrapped in cloth instead of an arrowhead, and that cloth was soaking with some kind of substance that caught on fire when it was brought close to a torch near them.


    And those flaming arrows flew down, and into the moat where the bodies of Beasts were gradually piling up. When the arrows were still in midair, an explosive reaction occurred.


    An explosion of fire appeared out of nowhere, which then spread out in a semicircle around the western wall of the camp. The ground ignited in flames, causing the beasts stuck within the moat to writhe in pain, but not getting out in time.


    A smell of charred flesh and hide wafted across the battlefield, some guards with weaker stomachs gagging. Meanwhile, the mastermind behind this, old man Joseph, smiled at the sight.


    "What was the saying? ''Nothing like a good smell of napalm in the morning?''"


    He looked at the burning corpses and still living Beasts, before turning to many empty canisters not far away from the walls.


    "Too bad it''s only gasoline though. Such a waste, but it''s rather good at doing what it''s doing."


    Matilda, who was not far away, spoke out in sarcasm.


    "You better pray that our walls don''t catch on fire."


    The old man sighed heavily in response.


    "Sometimes I miss your stoic persona. Could you bring it back please?"


    "Keep on dreaming."


    Thanks to the fire burning up the corpses in the moat, the makeshift ladder of bodies was gone too. The Beasts were also reluctant to jump into the fire however crazy they may be, remaining growling just at the edge of it, or trying to rush into the direction further along the side walls.


    The human Rangers prioritized such Beasts, as such intelligence was unwelcome, and the last thing the camp needed was to be surrounded from all sides. They were not a castle, which could withstand siege for months. The walls were not that sturdy, and even one breach would quite probably be the end of them.


    Lan observed the battle silently. He contemplated whether he needed to send out his own Beasts or not. The situation was looking up for the camp, with close to half of the Beast tide being wiped out.


    ''Maybe they will be able to handle it on their own?''


    A presence on the very edge of his perception kept worrying him though. The Mental Mana signature surpassed Lorn, and was near that of The Huntress, signifying great intelligence, and even greater threat.


    He wondered why the Beast, no, Mana Beast who was quite probably the leader was just quietly waiting while his force was slaughtered.


    Just then, a loud roar could be heard across the field of battle, causing everyone to fall silent momentarily. Following the sound, the Beasts who were staying at the back joined the rushing tide, and among them, a giant tiger, covered in scars, came into his field of view.


    ''Ah, I jinxed it didn''t I?''


    To add insult to injury so to speak, the fire that was burning brightly in the moat began to fizzle out, the substance fueling it clearly having run out. This caused the humans, whose morale had risen previously, to panic once again.


    "How are we supposed to fight against that?!"


    "We''re doomed!"


    A harsh shout brought them back in line though.


    "Get the fuck back if you truly want to not doom us all! Keep firing like you were and we will be fine!"


    With trembling hands, the Rangers soon got back into the rhythm of shooting arrows and bolts again, thinning out the incoming horde little by little. Joseph, being the one to command, witnessed it too, but he didn''t relax. He wanted to join the battle too, knowing that he could kill dozens by himself, but he conserved his mana for the worst-case scenario.


    Matilda, who was standing near him suddenly spoke out loudly.


    "Be careful! That tiger is preparing something!"


    In the distance the big tiger was easily distinguishable from the rest of the Beasts, his very presence standing out. And what alarmed Matilda was the mana gathering towards him.


    Those not attuned to mana also witnessed the threat, when within its opened jaws a sphere of fire appeared. Though not very big at first, it grew larger... And larger. By this point, one of the veterans of the Dungeon recognized what it was going to do.


    "Shit! It''s going to fire at us! Get away-"


    He wasn''t given a chance to finish, as a sphere of fire left the jaws of the tiger, flying towards the wall far faster than an arrow would. It took mere seconds for it to cross two hundred and fifty meters and slam into the wall where the defenders stood.


    Without a moment for the humans to react, an explosion that deafened those who were close happened. Once the defenders got back on their feet, they witnessed a burning breach in the wall that was their greatest hope.


    The ones who stood on top of that particular section were not present, though, after a moment of observation, burnt body parts could be seen scattered across the ground. Some of the bodies were still burning.


    Matilda was the first to snap out of the stupor that came over the defenders. She spread out her Nature Mana, healing the wood and holding back the growth of fire, before shouting back.


    "What the fuck are you waiting for?! Get back to positions and get ready for melee!"


    Following her command, swords and other weapons were unsheathed, and Rangers continued to shoot into the horde.


    It didn''t take long for the first Beast to arrive through the gap, only to be crushed by a mace wielded by Johann, who was present along with his party. He grumbled quietly.


    "This day can''t get any worse."


    As if to answer him, a shout was heard from the top of the walls to his sides.


    "We''re running out of arrows!"


    "Ah fuck."


    Johann, who didn''t like to curse, couldn''t help but do so.

 Chapter 56: Burning Walls

    Amidst the sounds of battle, a group of people that was defending the western wall was still staring in shock at the new, burning gap in it. But the worst part was that this was no regular section of the wall, but the western gates of the camp.


    Only when a Beast came crashing through, getting its skull smashed by Johann''s mace soon after, did those stunned come back to their senses.


    At the same time, Matilda was pumping mana at her maximum capacity in order to somehow close the breach, albeit having limited success. Any wood that grew under her Nature Mana caught on fire and turned to ashes. The best she could do on her own was to prevent the flames from spreading further.


    "What are you waiting for?! Someone bring the water here!"


    She shouted out, making the rest aware of this fact. Some of the defenders bolted to the camp in response, but whether they were following her order or running away remained to be seen.


    As Matilda kept a part of her focus on dealing with the flames, she didn''t take her eyes off the incoming Beasts either. Now that the wall was breached, the defenders would have to get into melee against the invaders.


    Thankfully, old man Joseph was ready to help, fulfilling his role as a tactician.


    "Form into rows, don''t let any get through! Conserve your stamina! Switch when you need rest!"


    He then turned to Matilda and said.


    "Do we need to bring out those? I think it''s time."


    The woman chuckled.


    "Do you think we will be able to use those bullets when we are dead?"


    She continued in a lower tone of voice.


    "Distribute the guns, but only to the very best. Tell them to shoot in the case that a Beast gets through the defenses. Every bullet shot is a bullet we won''t get back."


    Joseph grunted something in agreement before walking off, to instruct those who would wield the weapons.


    Despite the fact that thirty-six years have passed since the time of the Awakening, shockingly few firearms were preserved in usable condition. Because of the rapid growth of all living things, many military bases in the wilderness were overrun by the Beasts and overgrown by vegetation soon after, and the same fate happened to many places belonging to various military facilities.


    Because of this, and some other factors, although the firearms remained very much effective, even better than bows and arrows, they were hard to find. And ammo production was also difficult without the presence of mineral deposits needed to make gunpowder near Cypress Town.


    As such, guns would only be used in the worst of emergencies, and they would be used in Cypress Town had the attack not been so sudden. Thankfully the weapons didn''t fall into the enemy''s hands, as only Matilda, Joseph, and the absent Lucian Badura, the three leaders of the Town knew where they were stashed.


    Aside from the research documents, this was the second highest priority target for retrieval for Matilda in the Cypress Town, who during her operation in the crumbling Town, retrieved it successfully.


    But the guns alone wouldn''t turn the tide of battle. Those fighting with their swords and holding the line would.


    Currently, in front of the breach, five people stood. Three of them were familiar with each other. Joseph. Stacy. Anna. The last ones were a Warrior and a healer, both being needed to fully cover the gap.


    As yet another Beast leaped over the slowly forming mound of corpses, an arrow flew over and lodged itself into the neck, causing the Beast to tumble to the ground, only for a greatsword to fall down and decapitate it.


    "I missed this shit! Pity our lil'' Mage isn''t here."


    Stacy, in her usual uproarious fashion, fought madly, perhaps even more so than in the past, compensating for her grievances that came with the loss of an arm.


    Blocking an incoming enemy with his shield, and counterattacking with his mace, Johann glanced at her momentarily before asking between his breaths.


    "Worry about yourself. How''s that to fight with just one arm?"


    Stacy, having lost the left arm down from her elbow, didn''t give up on combat, instead training to fight with just the right arm as soon as she recovered. Currently, she was wielding her greatsword having tied it to her arm with ropes and bandages. Being bound together in that way, greatly reduced the chance to lose her weapon mid-battle. The weapon could even be called an extension of her arm at this point.


    The woman responded to her leader''s question by bisecting the torso of an attacking Beast after sidestepping its charge. The sharpness of the weapon combined with her great strength left no chance of survival.


    Time passed very slowly, each second becoming like an hour. Every Beast that came charging through the gap, which was extinguished already, was shot down, cut down, and crushed, no Beast crossed the line.


    But with every Beast they killed, more came. However, those defending had no choice but to hold their lines, as their families and homes stood behind them.


    Johann, his shield has quite a few dents and scratches, and his mace could be said to be painted red to the handle, the paint in question being blood. Feeling his declining stamina, despite only five to ten minutes having passed, he yelled out.


    "Switch! Team 1, retreat, Team 2, cover us!"


    Having heard those words, the five in the front halted their movements momentarily, before beginning to move back slowly. The Beasts didn''t miss the chance, pouring through the gap as they did before, advancing further this time.


    But just then multiple whistling arrows flew out from behind the retreating team of Explorers, each finding a target in a vital point of Beasts: Eyes, ears, necks. Whenever the arrows hit, the Beasts dropped dead.


    Anna glanced back with her healthy eye to see who was this skilled in archery. Her eyes met with a familiar figure waving at her with a grin on his face and a bow in hand. It was Rob, the Ranger of the ''Cloaks'' led by Leo.


    "Don''t worry ladies and gents, Robby here will cover you!"


    As the team retreated sufficiently far away, the Beasts being shot down all the while, the team that previously remained at the back advanced forward instead, taking the first team''s former position at the front.


    Thanks to this, those who just fought gained a brief respite. In fact, Stacy, lacking any sort of modesty, heavily sat down on the ground. She tried to loosen the armor around her collar due to how hot she felt, but she cursed when along with her arm came the sword. And she didn''t want to untie and tie it back again, so she gave up on the action.


    The other members of the team were recuperating too, washing away the blood that made their weapons greasy and slippery, or replacing their damaged armor. Johann had to replace his shield, which was nigh-unusable, and Anna had to replenish her quiver. Everyone knew that this rest would be brief, and made the best of that short amount of time.


    Meanwhile, Matilda stood on a wall not far from the breach. She gave up on fixing it after extinguishing the flames, as all regrown wood was broken through by the charging Beasts, and to continue that endeavor was to waste precious mana.


    So the woman returned to the walls to oversee the battle. Despite the Breach, the defense continued all over the camp. A problem arose, however, in the form of most Rangers on the walls running out of arrows due to the constant volleys they shot out. Arrow-filled corpses were strewn about all across the plains before the walls, where the diminished tide of Beasts continued to attack. To go out would be suicide.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    What unnerved Matilda most was the sole culprit of the breach in the wall. The tiger which stood at the back of the tide, quite possibly being the leader. With a single use of his... Magic, the western gates were burned to timbers. And yet he advanced very slowly, as if on a casual walk.


    "What is your aim..."


    The tiger''s every action seemed to radiate disdain for his opponents. As if their bloodshed and struggles were worth nothing, he stepped on the corpses of Beasts and came ever closer to the walls, arrows bouncing off his hide as if it was made of stone.


    Even if Matilda wasn''t seeing him with her eyes, she would still know that he was coming. The mana radiating off of him was the greatest she felt outside of the depths of the Dungeon. And everyone knew that great mana meant great danger.


    Just then, the Tiger turned his head upward, staring right at her. Their eyes met, one a pair of calm and calculating eyes, one a pair of beastly eyes with deep-seated fury. She sensed him and he sensed her. Their thoughts were the same.


    ''A threat to be eliminated.''


    Mana converged in two locations simultaneously, one being slightly faster than the other. Those who observed could see the tiger tense, fire gathering within its throat, and the woman on the walls moved her hands rapidly while spheres of energy appeared around her rapidly.


    The defenders on the walls ran with all their might, as far away as they could. For they understood that if they were caught up in a clash between two great powers, they would be doomed for sure.


    The Beasts were no better, scattering away from their leader in fear, not daring to be close.


    All this happened in a matter of less than ten seconds.


    Those attuned to mana would feel that the two convergence points stopped absorbing the ambient mana, instead compressing and shaping the already gathered energy.


    The fire in the throat of the tiger grew brighter, it was as if magma was leaking out of his mouth.


    The many spheres of energy around Matilda gathered together and converged into one, pulsing in agitation, being on the verge of eruption.


    Then, suddenly, both of the opponents locked gazes once again. The Tiger opened his mouth wide and Matilda, with her arms stretched out and palms parallel to each other, spoke out.


    A torrent of fire, like the breath of a dragon in myths, erupted upwards from the Tiger''s mouth, scorching the earth, the very air shimmering under the intense heat.


    [Beam of Destruction]


    Just as it was about to reach the walls, the Mage''s words seemed to resonate with the destructive sphere of energy. The vibration of it stopped. And then...


    It erupted.


    What was once a sphere now turned into a beam of pure energy, mana itself. Various colors could be seen within: The green mana of Nature, brownish Earth mana, the black mana of Shadow, and pure Neutral mana.


    Lan, who was observing the battle closely could only marvel at such a beautiful display of power and finesse. Thanks to his capabilities, he was able to see the whole process in detail, as if it were in slow motion.


    ''All of that... Held together by her Mental mana.''


    He witnessed that when she spoke those final words, her intent surged and gave shape to the chaotic energy, before directing it where she wanted.


    And then, the two destructive energies clashed. Fire met with pure energy, triggering an explosion upon collision. Both energies wanted to devour or destroy each other. The tiger continued to breathe fire and the Master Mage kept the output of energy stable, supplying her own mana to the continuous beam of energy. It was now a question of who would give in first.


    A spectacle akin to a movie scene unfolded: Two beams of destruction trying to push each other back, the ground and stone at their point of collision melting into hot sludge, a mist of mana dispersing.


    But this stalemate did not go on for long, only a couple of seconds. And ultimately...


    Matilda furrowed her brows, sweat dripping down her face. The Tiger, however, continued to expel flames. Gradually, the flames overpowered the beam of energy.


    The Mage widened her eyes, hurriedly diverting her energy from the beam, and quickly reinforcing the bubble of mana around her. Meanwhile, the Mana Beast intensified the output of mana instead. The victor has been decided, and both of them knew that.


    The beam of mana narrowed further and further, quickly disappearing under the pressure of flames in a matter of moments. The flames, with the force restricting them gone, washed over the wooden wall and the woman that stood there.


    A thunderous explosion was heard all across the camp that was under the siege.


    ----------------------------------------------------


    Although the western gates had been breached, after the initial assault, the defense was going well. With Joseph Larring in command, only minimal casualties were sustained, with just one team being wiped out due to not switching out until it was too late.


    Johann''s team was once again at the forefront, the man himself once again crushing skulls and bones with his mace, the one-armed swordswoman Stacy bathing in blood and viscera, and Anna proving that having one eye doesn''t mean having reduced accuracy.


    But if he was honest, they were slowly getting tired. Despite the ''switching'', the amount of rest was not enough for everyone to fully recover. The whole battle against the tide began hours ago, and they didn''t know just how long they were battling at the breached gates.


    Nevertheless, this was the one and only line of defense for the entire camp. If they failed, the whole settlement was done for.


    But Johann didn''t let these thoughts overwhelm him, focusing on what was in front of him instead. Yet another Beast, this time a wolf, tried to bite off his arm, biting into his shield instead.


    Though the mace wielder switched it out quite often, it quickly got worn down once again under the relentless and savage assault it sustained.


    The wolf pulled, and the hastily constructed wooden shield with iron rimming snapped in half. Johann tried to step back, but instead of proper footing, he stumbled on some detached body parts, of which there were many on the ground, losing his balance.


    The beast didn''t miss this chance, tackling him to the ground, the jaw of it trying to close around his throat.


    The man could hear his teammates shout in the background but he instead focused on survival. Putting his arm in front of his throat, the wolf tore into it instead. The Beast tried to tear it by swinging its head around. Ultimately, a Beast has more strength than a man. Johann didn''t have the power to resist for long, his arm being violently moved out of the way.


    Ignoring the arrows that found their way into its side, the Beast went in for the kill.


    In what Johann thought was his moment of doom though, he heard a loud and unfamiliar sound. But from the many stories of the old days told by the previous generation, he nevertheless recognized it.


    A gunshot.


    Blood sprayed on his face as the Beast on top of him now had a hole going through its skull. It fell on top of him heavily, dead.


    After a brief struggle to remove the deadweight on him, Johann stood up, panting, adrenaline rushing through his blood, not yet recovered from his brush with death. He turned back to look behind him.


    He witnessed Rob, whose bow was hanging on his back, and who for once had a somewhat serious expression on his face. In his hands was a weapon Johann had never seen before, consisting of a long metal barrel, which had a wooden... Handle on the other end.


    The proficient Ranger''s expression softened quite quickly though, and he shouted out in his usual fashion.


    "Hey, bossman! How do you like my new toy?! It is quite-"


    His words were interrupted by a loud explosion coming from the southwest. From their position everyone witnessed a torrent of flames flying into the sky, engulfing that portion of the wall.


    Joseph Larring''s face turned grim, he began to quickly give out orders.


    "''Cloak'' team, I order you to go and support that location! There is no time to waste, go!"


    Leopold, who stood back with his team, providing support when necessary, nodded in acknowledgment. His four other team members, including Rob and a newly accepted Warrior, quickly followed after him.


    The old man murmured under his nose as he watched the team depart.


    "Matilda... I hope you''re okay."


    He soon returned to commanding the defense, because though the tide was visibly diminishing, there was still ways to go until their victory.


    ----------------------------------------------------


    The fire was roaring all around, engulfing the portion of the camp behind the wall that had just been breached once again. Smoke ascended into the sky, making the clouds above even darker.


    Amidst the charred wooden rubble that the walls turned into, a hand emerged. Followed by that, a figure, a woman, emerged as well. Her robes and skin were singed and burnt, smeared with ashes.


    It was Matilda, who survived the attack. But for that feat, she had to pay the price. She stood up unsteadily, her mana greatly depleted.


    Just then, from the wall of flames that was once a wall of wood, a giant silhouette, which then turned into a scarred tiger, emerged. He walked slowly, just as he did before.


    He stared at the woman, surprised that she was still alive and breathing. Those who had previously attempted to withstand his flames turned into ashes along with that which they tried to protect. And yet here she was. Despite her feeble state, her gaze was defiant still.


    Matilda stared at the monstrous figure in turn, gathering what little mana remained and slowly, covertly healed her wounds using Nature Mana. She needed time to recover. Time which she didn''t have. But there was one possible way to gain it.


    "...Heh." She chuckled.


    "I never encountered a Beast this strong. Never thought I would be the one getting overpowered..."


    The tiger''s steps halted as he stared at the woman briefly. To Matilda''s great surprise, a harsh and deep voice resounded in her ears.


    "Neither have I seen a human of such strength."


    Not minding her reaction, he continued.


    "But ultimately a human is just a human. A pest, an insect."


    His claws reddened, heat gathering on them, as he moved closer.


    "And insects are to be squashed."


    With that, he lunged, his claws becoming bigger in Matilda''s vision.


    She cursed inwardly, as she hoped to buy more time. With no other choice, she jumped backward as much as she could with strength she recovered.


    Thanks to that, she partially avoided the attack. The claws that would bisect her tore four gashes on her torso, instantly cauterizing them at the same time. She grunted in pain, stumbling heavily, but keeping her balance.


    Grasping the wound, she gasped, but the heavy breathing of hers then turned into a light laugh.


    ''Losing her mind already? Whatever.''


    He sensed that the entirety of her mana coalesced, as if for a final attack.


    As her laugh subsided, Matilda said quietly.


    "...Guess this is the end of the road for me huh."


    As she gathered mana for what would be her final experiment, she sighed.


    "See you soon, Lanny."


    However, as she said these words, the very world seemed to rage around her, and a consciousness that was observing the battle turned the entire world against its enemy.

 Chapter 57: The Dungeons Rage

    From the beginning of the monster attack, Lan was as everpresent as ever, dispersing his attention to monitor the situation on multiple fronts, going as far as to dispatch additional thought channels to the task.


    However, he dedicated one thought channel specifically to monitor a single person. Matilda. With the vague feeling of familiarity towards her and the various hints about her identity, he couldn''t help but do so. After all, to cross the line from speculation to confirmation, only a single push was needed, and Lan hoped to gain it in this battle, protecting the woman in the process.


    When Matilda started to ''duel'' with the scarred tiger, Lan tensed up in anxiousness, focusing on her even more. When she lost the exchange and had to reinforce her shields to reduce the incoming damage, Lan almost acted, but he saw that she would be fine. Additionally, he remembered that interfering with mana close to her, to reinforce her shield, for example, would be nigh impossible or extremely taxing to himself.


    Lan''s worry grew evermore when he saw her sorry state afterward, so he tried to help in some way, as it would be too late no matter what her identity was if she died in battle... Though there was an option to attempt to resurrect her, Lan had never tried resurrecting a human before, and neither did he know how ''naming'' would work on them, as all humans already had a name.


    He thought intensely at his full capacity, searching for a solution, arriving at a fairly obvious answer.


    ''I can''t interfere directly with a living being''s mana, but why not indirectly?''


    Lan had unconsciously locked himself into a box by directly crossing out the possibility of interference with human mana due to the result of his initial experiments. But he now realized that he failed to account for two things. One, why not change the environment if you can''t change the individual? And two, he was far more powerful than before, opening the possibility of brute force, albeit with possible side effects on those afflicted.


    Although Lan''s processing speed was far beyond that of a human, the search for a solution had nevertheless taken him a good few seconds. When he returned he paid close attention to the battle once again, he witnessed the moment when the tiger lunged at Matilda with his blazing claws.


    The woman had jumped back with all her might to dodge the attack, but Lan had calculated and predicted that the jump with her meager strength would not be enough, she would be cleaved in half midair if nothing was done.


    So Lan, with his newfound knowledge about mana, did the best thing he could to save her.


    He used Air Mana to propel the air in order to blast the woman further, but with the mere moments that he had, Lan managed to gather enough to barely boost Matilda. He succeeded somewhat.


    The Mage moved backward more than she should have and avoided certain death. Instead, she got a searing wound on her torso, clearly not a pleasant thing either. None of the two combatants seemed to have noticed the interference, instead focusing on each other.


    Matilda, being weakened further, seemed to think that surviving would be near impossible in her current state, and Lan saw the Mana gather around her, circulating rapidly through her circuits. Such a technique seemed familiar to Lan, and it had taken him only a moment since he had seen it before.


    ''...It was used by Ian during the first exploration! Thanks to it he easily repelled Tag back then.''


    But Lan also remembered that such a powerful skill also left him in a crippled state. And though the version that Matilda was using was far more refined, possibly lessening the aftereffects, Lan believed that she would be unable to fight or even stand after using it.


    The Core soon stopped thinking and theorizing about that, however. And this was caused by the four words Matilda spoke as she was overloading her circuits.


    "See you soon, Lanny."


    Once he heard that, Lan felt as if the world had come to a stop. The flow of mana slowed to a snail''s pace, the shouts of the dying and the wounded turned to silence. The snarling wolf, and the shouting Warrior, all came to a halt as the entirety of Lan''s consciousness went into overdrive.


    Every thought channel, even those previously dedicated to the surveillance of the Dungeon, turned to that single word, the five letters. A name. His name.


    The memories that were previously shrouded in fog came flooding back as he remembered the only person who would call him that way.


    A starry sky, a calming night.


    "Look at the stars, Lanny! Aren''t they pretty?"


    Hair the color of a raven''s feather eyes the color of verdant grass.


    "Yes, they are! Just like you!"


    A warm embrace, a calming smile.


    "Oh, you little flatterer! Come to mommy, or else you''ll get a cold!"


    The days, the nights, of joy and happiness. The ever supportive, ever-loving.


    ''Mother.''


    Lan remembered many things that he had seemingly forgotten. He remembered the days when She held his hands as they walked in the streets, the warm smells that came from the kitchen where She cooked her delicious meals. He remembered her face, her smile.


    And now that face stood before him, more aged than he remembered, but there nonetheless.


    In addition to that, blood now flowed down from a cut on her forehead, burns covered her skin, and dust was tangled in her hair.


    And yet she was still smiling. She wore that very smile when she watched as he walked to school, when she went away to work and she waved at him as he got onto the bus that delivered him to college.


    He knew that smile well. This was the smile when she was saying goodbye.


    Along with the memories, the previously forgotten feelings and emotions came crashing back like a tide. Upon looking at the situation, his wounded mother, and the Beast that wanted to kill her, they got even more violent.


    The Blame at the notion of not reaching out to her for so long, the Sadness at what she must have felt during these years... And the burning, seething Rage at the one who drove her to her current state.


    However, Lan was no longer human. His very being, his soul, was interwoven with Mana, the very essence of the world around him. And when he raged, the world was raging alongside him.


    The time gradually returned to its normal flow in Lan''s perception, and along with it, Mana churned and gathered at the target of the Core''s attention. It was such a massive amount that even those not very sensitive to Mana managed to sense it.


    Beasts halted their frenzied assault, and humans felt shivers run down their spines. All fighting came to a stop as each living being turned their head in one direction simultaneously.


    As for those closer to Mana, they could only shiver at the power they felt, understanding that they would be crushed if such a force was directed at them.


    Khan, the scarred tiger, who was previously advancing to finish off his prey, halted as well. He too felt the tide of Mana, and unlike the others, he understood that he was the target.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Matilda, standing opposite of him, was no exception. She realized that she couldn''t gather mana to execute ''Mana Overcharge'', as all mana she tried to gather was instead sucked away by the overwhelming will of the unknown party.


    But she soon recognized the perpetrator, realizing that it was the same invisible observer as the one who watched her during her exploration. This time though, he made no effort to conceal himself.


    If the previous times the attention was like a pinprick on the back of her neck, then this time it was a searing, burning gaze as if the skies themselves were watching.


    Meanwhile Khan, in those mere moments since he felt this pressure, was already in the process of jumping away from his current spot.


    And just then, the gathering of Mana reached a crescendo, and it was as if it had fallen silent. Tranquil.


    It did not last for long though. A wordless shout then rang out within his and Matilda''s mind, like a hammer striking a gong.


    "YOU WILL NOT TOUCH HER!"


    Mana crashed down like a rollercoaster.


    Khan''s decision to jump away proved lifesaving, as the ground where he previously stood cracked. A giant spike made of dirt and stone then emerged, reaching into the sky. Had the tiger been standing there, he would have been skewered like a kebab.


    This was just the beginning, however.


    The ground began to rumble as if it were an earthquake, followed by many more cracks appearing all around.


    As the tiger looked around, it saw no place that was free from them, forcing him to resign himself to his instinct and perception of danger.


    He wasn''t given time to ponder though, as the ground began to split all around him, many more spikes emerging all around him.


    Khan was forced to dash and jump in various directions to avoid getting skewered, all the while cracks and small ravines formed around him as if waiting for him to fall in, eager to bury him underground.


    Despite his efforts, he did not manage to avoid each and every one of them, there were simply too many. Some broke off against his tough hide, some left behind shallow scratches, and some left behind noticeable wounds.


    And while he was fighting for survival, Matilda tried to quickly move away, though strangely every disaster seemed to avoid her, forming a safe zone, while the five words she had heard kept ringing within her head.


    She was not given much time to think though, as Khan noticed the phenomenon, or lack of any, in her vicinity. The result of simple logic caused him to run in her direction, to save himself, maybe killing her in the process.


    Just a few strides were what stood between him and her if only one didn''t count the crumbling ground that wanted to kill him.


    He deftly maneuvered around these obstacles, taking more hits in the process, but ultimately his powerful form was in the range of the leap towards the ''safe zone''...


    ''YOU WILL NOT!''


    The powerful shout once again rang within his mind, which was then followed by a blast of wind that came from seemingly out of nowhere. Khan was sent tumbling backward, rolling across the ground, away from the goal he was about to reach.


    The predator quickly stabilized himself, leaving deep gashes in the ground with his claws as he got back on his feet. He then had to immediately avoid an earthen spike from underneath him, being only partially successful, receiving a deep gash into his side.


    The tiger growled in pain and frustration, searching for the culprit, the invisible threat that kept trying to kill him. A brief glance around the battlefield which now looked nothing like a part of a human camp, instead being like a stone forest that was full of crevices one could fall into, revealed no such opponent.


    Just then, the ground opened its mouth as if to swallow him once again. This time though, due to not being fully recovered from the most recent impalement attempt, he didn''t manage to get away in time.


    Khan''s hind legs slid into the opening, and he desperately scratched and roared against the ground, trying to get out. Just as he was about to succeed, something new happened.


    Various roots and plants emerged from the ground, growing rapidly before beginning to twist around his limbs, constraining and tightening around his body.


    Khan felt that his bones would be squeezed to nothing if he did nothing, so he resorted to using his ability, to manipulate the flames. He would only use this ability to kill his foes, and this was the first time he used it to trim vegetation.


    His claws then reddened and ignited, allowing him to cut away the vines that tightened around his limbs. Despite the plants being strengthened with mana, they were no match for the claws enveloped with flame.


    Khan then crawled out of the crevice he was about to fall and get dragged into and roared out.


    "Now I know where you are, you coward!"


    The tiger turned his head along the faint thread of mana that he felt when he was enveloped by the plants that were enhanced by it. Despite the mana being mainly gathered from the surrounding environment, there was a single point from where the ''command'' was given. And Khan, against all odds, felt that.


    "I''m coming for you!"


    The Tiger then began to charge in a completely different direction than where Matilda went. The Mage went to the north, where the Western Gates were being defended, while the Beast charged with all its might to the east.


    Matilda looked behind her, despite having moved away, she could still see the Beast due to how massive he was. At the same time, she was a bit absentminded, still thinking about the shout that she heard. A shout in a voice that was all too familiar...


    "...Tower Master!.."


    Vague scenes and recollections that she still dearly cherished replayed within her mind.


    "...Tower Master! Snap out of it!"


    The owner of the voice, someone she held dearly, someone she thought gone...


    "Madam Matilda!"


    She was snapped out of her thoughts by a shout that seemed to come from right next to her. As her eyes regained focus, what appeared in front of her was a man with a gun on his back, frantically shaking her shoulder.


    The Mage recognized the man as Rob, the Ranger of the ''Cloaks'' party. The rest of his partymates stood not far away, also looking at her with concern, but not coming close, seemingly being apprehensive.


    It was only then that Matilda realized that she released the hold on her Mana amidst her emotions, thus unconsciously exerting pressure on everyone around her. She then quickly undid this, causing those who stayed away to immediately come closer.


    As a Healer of the party, Beatrice began to treat her burns, Rob let go of her shoulder but still had a worried look on his face.


    "Tower Master, are you alright?"


    Matilda answered this time.


    "Yes... Yes, I am fine."


    "You don''t look fine though... We were worried we came too late."


    Matilda stayed silent, her burns gradually receding as if on an accelerated timelapse, though the Healer that was treating her was sweating and out of breath, soon stumbling away, already exhausted.


    Suddenly Leo, the usually silent leader of the ''Cloaks'' spoke up.


    "We would have been too late. If not for that."


    He gestured towards a forest made of stone spikes stretching upwards, some of them having plants grow from underneath and wrapping around them.


    This comment caused Matilda to turn her head to the East, and speak out, starting to quickly move in that direction at the same time.


    "...Damn it, there''s no time to waste, we have to go!"


    Rob expressed everyone''s confusion.


    "What? Where? Madam, where are you going?"


    Matilda stopped briefly and looked back, saying only a few words before breaking into a sprint once again, at the same time seemingly having the very wind boost her.


    "There''s no time to explain, follow!"


    Leopold, the leader of the party, then disappeared into the shadows, following after the woman without question.


    The bow master who was armed with a gun scratched his head, before quickly following after his leader.


    "...Sometimes I hate this job."


    ----------------------------------------------------


    A minute ago.


    Khan, the scarred tiger who had many bleeding wounds, was frantically sprinting through the camp, ignoring any human he came across. Any tent that stood in his way would get torn to shreds, and any structure before him would get blasted apart. As for any resident that may have been within... He cared even less.


    The tiger seemed to be a walking calamity, which was true given his strength, but this time it was also amplified because wherever he went, the very ground seemed to split and the wind would blast him out of balance.


    Still, such attacks didn''t have as much effect when he was on the move compared to when he could not gather any momentum. Lan, who directed these, and Khan, who avoided them, both knew it.


    Lan eventually gave up on this, as not much effect was achieved compared to the effort expended.


    One may wonder how making a few rock spikes and making a few plants grow could be considered an effort to a Core who could create whole underground miniature worlds with functioning ecosystems. Well, the answer was quite simple.


    Despite influencing only the environment, whenever his newly created mana-influenced objects such as stone spikes came into contact with the tiger, he lost significantly more Mental Mana than he would if he used it for creation purposes. As such, although the workaround existed, it was rather costly.


    And now, after ''venting'' his emotions, Lan was feeling a bit lightheaded. As such, he decided that flinging around and wasting mana would be rather detrimental.


    Meanwhile, Khan had reached the Eastern wall of the camp, not bothering to destroy it, easily jumping over it instead. The tiger then ran across the field to the east of the camp, before entering the dense forest that came after.


    At this point Lan clearly understood the new target, which, to be fair, the tiger declared not long before. Himself, or rather, his Core.


    ''This son of a tiger bi-''


    As he was cursing and thinking of plans to halt the soon-to-be invader, something unexpected happened.


    As Khan got closer to the heart of the forest, which was the entrance to the Dungeon, the various branches that previously whipped at his skin instead seemed to coil around him or try to pierce the Beast.


    Khan continued to charge, breaking away from any restraints. Then, the roots emerged from the ground, causing the Beast to tumble out of balance and roar in anger.


    As the enraged tiger slashed away at the constant obstacles, Lan only stared in wonder. And the reason for this was...


    He did not command for any of this to happen.

 Chapter 58: Bloodthirsty Root and Stone

    Lan stared in wonder as the very forest seemed to come alive to stop the intruding Beast. Despite the Core not spending even the tiniest bit of mana, roots emerged from the ground, trunks twisted and branches coiled.


    It was then that he felt a tug on one of his mental links, which usually meant that one of the lifeforms connected to him wished to speak to him, like a phone call. But such a thing happened only once before, during the forest fire. And it seemed that the ''caller'' this time was the same too.


    It was the Tree. The giant Tree that towered atop the entrance to his Dungeon.


    Lan ''accepted'' the call, though it was more akin to simply ''reading'' the sent contents.


    What he received was... A bit difficult to put into words. The Tree sent a series of feelings and images through the connection and not coherent words. It was like sending emojis in the chat.


    Long story short, the message could be summarized as such: The Tree felt the intensity of Lan''s emotions through their link, and once the target of his animosity entered the forest, it decided to help Lan, to attack the enemy with all its might.


    Understanding this, Lan was kind of touched, as this was the first time someone helped him directly since his ''Awakening''. Plus, the Tree, which he concluded now had the intelligence nearing that of a 10-year-old child, in his opinion, was kind of cute in its way of expression.


    ''I swear I will Name you once we deal with this fuc-, uh, enemy.''


    Lan even unconsciously suppressed his cursing when sending a message back, like an adult in front of a child. But after this short digression, he turned his attention back to the Beast, which was rampaging through the forest, cutting everything in its way to shreds.


    The closer it got to the Dungeon''s entrance, and by extension, The Tree, the fiercer the resistance it encountered. The vegetation grew sturdier and more resilient, roots hardened and branches became sharper.


    As for the reason for such a phenomenon, well, it was all related to The Tree. As it was emitting Life Mana, this Mana seeped into the growing forest, granting the Lifegiver some control over it. One could say that the Tree was developing a domain similar to Lan''s but concentrated only on living things.


    Also, considering that it was in a symbiotic relationship with Lan, it would grow alongside him, expanding its influence evermore. And looking at how the forest was in close proximity to it...


    The Tiger, after avoiding a wall of interwoven branches, could not avoid the next attack in time. A giant root emerged from under the ground, being greater than any he had previously encountered. Like a whip, it whistled through the air before slamming into his side, sending him tumbling across the ground.


    ...Lan could only guess just how frightening it would grow over time, considering it currently had developed for just over a month. He would not be surprised if trees started to come alive and walk with their roots as if they were feet in the future.


    Despite all the obstacles in his path, like a protagonist of a story overcoming adversities, Khan adapted and overcame them one by one. He was forced to slow down his pace, depriving himself of earth-shattering momentum, instead focusing on the incoming attacks. Whenever he saw the ground crack, he dodged beforehand the root that would whip out a second later. And whenever he heard the whistle of the branch slicing through the air, he would duck, jump, or do whatever else to avoid it.


    He gradually realized that he could not brute force through the obstacle this time, taking a cautious approach instead. And it was in this caution and a state of heightened attention that led Khan to notice a curious detail.


    Thanks to the sheer amount of vitality pervading the forest, he felt his wounds recover slightly faster. Such a thing brought a hint of amusement into his mind, as it would seem that the enemy that was trying to kill him was unconsciously healing him too.


    But the wounds could be healed, but the fatigue was a whole different matter. Since Khan discovered such a benefit, he decided that he could afford to be a bit more reckless, speeding up once again.


    Such a small detail such as ambient Life Mana was long since noticed by Lan, but he was helpless to do anything about it. It was like a higher oxygen content, it would be extremely challenging to remove the Mana from the area in a short amount of time, plus such a move would probably cause great damage to the flora and fauna of the area.


    Khan advanced rapidly through the undergrowth, sometimes not even bothering to use his claws to tear away the flora that clung to him, tearing it apart with the force of his momentum instead.


    Under such a pace it did not take long for him to advance towards the treeline standing right before the clearing where the entrance of the Dungeon stood. Khan, feeling the intensifying density of Mana, naturally sped up.


    But The Tree would not make it easy for him, and the trunks of the trees on the edge of the clearing began to twist and intertwine with each other, forming a solid wall of wood. The Tiger was undeterred, however, only speeding up even more, fire beginning to blaze on his claws once again. And then, he leaped.


    Khan''s fiery claws carved through the wood quite easily, Heat Mana burning away Life Mana that was present in the trunks, giving them no chance to regenerate. Just as he carved through and was in the middle of leaping through the newly created gap in the wooden wall, his pupils narrowed as he felt a sudden surge of mana around him.


    The burnt trees suddenly began to grow rapidly, closing up the opened gap... With Khan that was mid-leap through it. The tiger was halted in midair, the front half of him having reached the clearing, and the other half remaining in the forest. Quite an interesting image was created.


    Despite this being quite a serious situation, with each side of the confrontation being determined to utterly destroy each other, Lan couldn''t help but chuckle due to the similarity of the image in front of him to some ''videos'' he vaguely remembered.


    ''How did it go?.. Help me, bro, I''m stuck!''


    Nevertheless, The Tree didn''t seem to get Lan''s (dirty) humor and continued the assault against its foe. Now that the tiger was immobilized, it continued the manipulation of Mana, causing the wooden growth to proliferate further, beginning to envelop the restrained Beast.


    The twigs and branches began to spread from the tiger''s middle section outward, gradually covering his skin in a wooden ''suit''.


    Khan felt a moment of horror as he realized what was happening. At the same time, he felt the vegetation that was enveloping him start to burrow under his skin like roots burrowed into the ground. He understood that if he did nothing, only a wooden statue of a tiger would remain in this place.


    He immediately used his ignited claws to try and tear away the hostile vegetation, but to no avail, whatever he cut away was quickly replaced by new growth. And as he struggled, he was being encased more and more by the encroaching wood.


    It was then that he understood that his usual tricks wouldn''t work, and his fiery breath couldn''t reach the target without harming himself greatly.


    "Damn it! I will not fall here! I, Khan, will not be buried by mere plants!"


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    The mere notion of such a disgraceful end made anger burn within his heart, or rather the Heart Core that was in place of it. The fiery crystal within him pulsed and resonated with his emotion. Mana surged through his Circuits, making him feel as if his entire being was burning.


    Meanwhile, Lan observed the whole situation in surprise and annoyance. Firstly he was annoyed because he couldn''t interfere much without hindering The Tree with his Mental Mana, and also surprised that The Tree could force the tiger to such a state while Lan himself could not.


    Suddenly he noticed the tiger''s mana circulation speed up rapidly, and the mana output of his Heart Core also greatly increased. Such a change was quickly reflected in the material world as well.


    Within moments, the Beast''s entire body was enveloped in flames, burning away the vegetation that was clinging to it. The wooden restraints were set ablaze, freeing the flaming tiger. At such a sight, Lan wanted to curse.


    ''What the hell?! How many times is this tiger going to get lucky?! Am I fighting against a protagonist who has sad flashbacks and sudden power awakenings?!''


    It was truly annoying to be on the verge of victory, only for your enemy to pull out some new move that nullified your progress.


    ''I swear to god if he is later going to suddenly evolve mid-battle...''


    Lan wasn''t given much time to curse or lament the unfairness of this world, as the Beast charged out, still on fire, out of the forest, stepping into the clearing. As grass burned under the tiger''s steps, the Beast continued to charge, its gaze dead-set on the opening among the Tree''s roots, the entrance to the Dungeon.


    And then the ground began to rumble once again. The tiger nearly lost its balance when an enormous root suddenly erupted from under the ground like a burrowing sandworm. The earth tremored as if an explosive was detonated, and the root that emerged was now descending towards the Beast.


    Khan sped up once again, hurriedly evading the threat, trying to ignore the shockwave unleashed by the attack. It would seem that while he was ablaze, he was even faster and stronger than his usual state, somewhat easing such an action.


    As he was getting closer to the entrance, roots erupted from below one after another. Khan twisted and turned as he ran, evading to the best of his ability. The roots, like wrathful serpents, were all intent on vanquishing him, slamming into and cracking the ground, it was as if the tiger was running under an artillery barrage.


    He was rapidly closing in on the entrance though, as the clearing wasn''t really that big, the only reason he hadn''t reached it yet was the need to maneuver to the sides in order to not get turned into a meat patty.


    Just as he was about to reach it, being fixated on the entrance, he lost his concentration for a brief moment, causing a stray root to slam into him.


    Khan felt the breath knocked out of his lungs as he was propelled forward, coincidentally being launched straight towards the entrance. The tiger rolled across the ground before briefly skidding across it with his claws upon regaining his balance.


    He felt mana concentration around him rise rapidly, causing him to take a deep breath. Khan felt his wounds close even faster, at the same time feeling that a couple of his ribs that were cracked from that impact gradually beginning to mend too.


    "Hahahaha! Is that all you''ve got?! Coward! Not daring to show your face before me, throwing such nonsense in an attempt to kill me! And yet here I stand!"


    Khan laughed rapaciously, the exhilaration of survival and the feeling of power permeating his being.


    "You cannot escape me! As I will come into your lair, I will be stronger than I am no-"


    The Tiger was suddenly forced to evade once again, as he witnessed the roots that he had grown to fear and loathe in that short period of time erupt from the ceiling and twist towards him. Rocks fell from above, quickly forcing Khan to begin charging once again. Though his wounds were healing rapidly in such an environment, it would be useless if he died.


    While he was running through the First Floor, causing every living being who heard the commotion to hide, Lan was in the midst of a ''discussion'' with The Tree.


    ''Alright, I told you it is fine as long as we kill this fu-, ahem, our enemy. Don''t worry about it.''


    The reason for this was that The Tree was feeling unwilling and apologetic regarding damaging Lan''s Dungeon with its roots. Lan instead convinced it that he was going to repair everything and that the two of them should focus on getting rid of the intruder.


    At the same time, Lan grew worried because the mana-rich environment benefitted this tiger just as much as it benefitted any residing Beast. If he stayed on the Floors even without advancing downward, he would rapidly grow stronger. Not that Lan would allow such a thing, but dense mana also accelerated the healing of wounds, and fighting this tiger could be said to be a race against time.


    If the Beast were to regain its full strength, Lan would have a hard time killing it all over again.


    As the tiger was close to the end of the First Floor, Lan occasionally tried creating ''environmental hazards'', such as dropping rocks from above or trying to make the Beast fall into a spiked pit, but the tiger seemed to be on guard against such things, often avoiding them in advance.


    The Core felt really annoyed at this point, as every ''trap'' missed meant a waste of Mental Mana.


    ''In the end, it comes down to the Floor Guardians I suppose... There''s a limit to what I can do by myself.''


    He decided that he would try and support his Guardians in their fights instead of futilely trying to ambush the tiger that could see through most of his tricks already.


    Just as Lan was thinking that, Khan arrived at the wall of fog. Such a sight perplexed him for a second, but he felt that more Mana, and the one who was attacking him, was somewhere beyond it. This alone motivated him to move forward into the unknown.


    After taking a few steps, Khan suddenly felt a force of wind blast at him out of nowhere. He quickly crouched to the ground, though he still slid backward, his claws leaving deep grooves in the stone floor of the fog-filled corridor.


    "Petty tricks."


    With a sneer, he advanced once again, being blasted with wind two more times, this time being ready and remaining in place when such a thing happened.


    As for the reason those blasts of wind happened even though Lan explicitly stated that he would not try and attack the tiger with just his own capabilities, the Core himself wasn''t sure either. He certainly didn''t give out any commands, so he was pretty confused.


    After asking The Tree about whether it was its doing, Lan received a negative response as well. In the end, he had no choice but to put it into the back of his mind.


    ''Another mystery to be solved. But certainly not now.''


    The reason for this was that the tiger advanced past the wall of fog, entering the boss room.


    Though Khan saw no opponents, his sensitive nose and perception already knew that he was not alone. He was a predator, and anything weaker than him was prey. Living in the wild taught him that much. And he sensed prey to hunt.


    "I was just getting tired of fighting against a foe with no body... So you came just in time..."


    Khan''s ear twitched at the movement of the wind behind him. A wolf shimmered into existence behind him, lunging to bite into the tiger''s nape.


    "...Little dogs!"


    Khan rapidly turned around, causing the white wolf who realized that he was caught, to try and evade.


    And yet the tiger was simply... Faster.


    Khan''s burning claw slashed into the torso of the attacker, cleaving through the skin like a hot knife through butter. The white wolf that was in mid-air was cleaved cleanly in half without a chance to react or do anything.


    As the scarred tiger was focused on the wolf that was already turning into mist, a black shadow emerged from his blindspot, aiming to tear into his neck, a wrathful glow surging into the shadow''s crimson eyes.


    However just as the shadow, which turned into a black wolf, was about to reach her target, instead of feeling her jaw close around the enemy''s neck, she instead found herself staring into the eyes of the ferocious Beast.


    "Weak."


    Khan felt the wolf even before she attacked. And with only a small movement, he evaded and the tables were turned. The black wolf did not even have time to yelp before the tiger''s jaw closed around her neck instead.


    With an audible *crunch*, Khan''s jaws closed, decapitating the black wolf, and leaving behind a gruesome scene that quickly turned into a mist made of mana.


    Lan, who was observing and ready to assist in battle, could only stare in shock at the battle that concluded in seconds, giving him no opportunity to do so. Due to the pitiful look of the tiger when he could only run from Lan''s and The Tree''s attacks, Lan had briefly forgotten that this tiger was a truly fearsome Beast, one who had gone through many battles, as evidenced by the many scars on its hide.


    As for the tiger in question, it was as if he was not interested in the battle at all, instead moving to the crystals that were left behind, swiftly picking them up and swallowing them. These two wolves were not the first Mana Beasts he had slain.


    Khan felt his mana surge and replenish rapidly, his sore muscles feeling invigorated, his fatigue receding. The wounds that were still bleeding gradually closed, a newfound strength coursing through his veins, the flames on his skin burning even brighter.


    Khan laughed loudly, before shouting out.


    "Do you see this, coward? The paltry minions you send out to stop me only make me stronger! Your efforts are futile!"


    Lan could only look at such a display, making a stone spike try and impale the anger-inducing tiger in his annoyance. It was easily evaded, however.


    Lan mentally massaged his nonexistent temple as he now had to deal with a newly discovered problem.


    "...Is this how bosses feel in video games after the player heals after whatever they throw at them? Ugh..."


    And while Lan was rethinking his plans, the tiger advanced past the other wall of fog, beginning his descent toward the Second Floor. The feeling of power coursed through him, he was looking forward to the prey he would find below.

 Chapter 59: The Madness of the Masks

    While the Dungeon was battling its intruder, the battle of the camp had not yet ended. Although the herd of Beasts had been thinned considerably, the creatures showed no signs of running away.


    Perhaps a leftover effect of the tiger''s manipulation or something else, the Beasts did not relent in their attack.


    However, with the threatening presence of the giant tiger gone, the humans had taken control of the situation rather nicely. Though most of the prepared arrows were spent, forcing the defenders into melee, the defense held firm.


    "Switch!"


    The Western Gate remained unbreached too. Following a cry that the present defenders were all too familiar with, a blood-soaked team of five retreated from the front line, another team immediately moving to replace them.


    The ones who were replacing were the ragged Explorers who had been here from the start: Johanna, Stacy, Anna, and another two made up the numbers needed for a full party.


    Despite switching his gear whenever it got rendered unusable from the fighting, Johann''s armor had many dents and scratches, his skin having been healed many times over by the Healers. Stacy''s greatsword was so slick with blood that it was getting hard to maintain a solid grip, making her glad for her decision to tie it to her arm.


    As for Anna, her fingers were bleeding from how much she had to reload her crossbow despite the fact that she was wearing gloves.


    Although the body could be healed many times over by the magics of the Healers, the mind grew weary from the continuous battle. There was no time to rest, however.


    Johann was swinging a Warhammer, having discarded his shield. His original mace had broken, being snapped in half from intense use. He found himself liking the heavy weapon though.


    "Haa!"


    With an exclamation, another Beast that was sweeping at him with its claws instead had its legs twist unnaturally to the side due to the heavy impact. When it fell upon the ground, howling in pain, the hammer descended upon its skull, adding even more red to the ground that was already painted that color.


    Because the Beasts didn''t give anyone a break, removing the corpses away was nearly impossible, and Mages did not even bother to burn them anymore, conserving their mana. The accumulated bodies instead serve as an additional barricade. Any Beast wanting to get through needed to get past the mound of flesh first.


    Johann breathed heavily, and after looking around for a moment, seeing Anna''s accurate arrows and Stacy''s brutal swings add to the pile, he leaned on his hammer for a moment.


    Had it been an hour ago this would have been impossible, but seeing that the tide was thinning, the influx of attackers was less than before.


    Just as he picked his hammer into his two hands again, already anticipating another Beast, his expectations were rewarded.


    A lynx leaped over the bloody mound agilely, quickly descending upon one of Johann''s party members. The man that was attacked used his shield in a practiced move, ready to deflect and counter just as he did before. He succeded, combining his steps and shield movement to deflect the force of the Beast to the side.


    Just as he was about to thrust his sword as always, a figure that previously blended with the fur of the beast leaped and separated from the Beast.


    Under the widening eyes of those who could see this, a figure wearing a skull mask and a cloak that was very similar to the fur of the Beast it was previously on, descended from its leap. And its target was the shield-using man.


    In a split second others did not react due to surprise, a jagged blade gleamed in the feminine figure''s hand, before deeply embedding itself in the man''s collarbone. It was only then that a shout could be heard.


    "CULTISTS!"


    The man that was pierced with the blade collapsed to the ground as the weapon was ripped out by the cultist on top of him. The female cultist immediately began to move to the next closest person, that being Johann.


    He would not be taken by surprise though. As he saw the bloody blade being thrust at him, he twisted his body, barely avoiding it, and swung his hammer in turn. The masked woman stepped backward, dodging it as well due to how slow it was.


    That, however, made her movement stop for a second. And sometimes a second was crucial in deciding life and death.


    A thunderous *bang* could be heard, followed by which the woman staggered backward even further, blood staining her chest, followed by three arrows piercing into her shoulder, chest, and stomach. As she kneeled, the finishing blow arrived in the form of Johann''s hammer descending upon her skull.


    As he panted heavily, he was forced to once again return his attention to the incoming enemies from beyond the gate, the growls from beyond the mound unceasing.


    Everyone was on edge due to the unexpected attack. They had grown used to unintelligent and predictable Beasts, forgetting the foe that had decimated their former home. It would seem that the bloodthirsty fanatics would not let them go until either side was dead.


    "Fucking hell."


    Johann cursed yet again, focusing on the defense even more than he had before. An intelligent, human enemy was bad enough, but such a fresh enemy when he was on the verge of exhaustion? The worst.


    He had to be ready to defend against one or maybe even two Beasts simultaneously, and now a human factor was added.


    His thoughts were interrupted as the next ''batch'' had nearly arrived. Johann''s expression turned even uglier than it was before. Four Beasts had gotten over the mound this time. And it would seem that each one had a ''passenger''.


    As the Beasts charged at the defenders, the sounds that Johann knew were gunshots rang out immediately afterward. There were only two ''gunners'' at the Western Gate, and they only shot when the situation got critical due to how limited ammo was. Now was one such moment.


    One of the beasts lost its balance as a bullet was shot through its head, tumbling down the hill, its rider hurriedly getting away from it. Another ignored the wound that appeared in its chest, only falling when arriving at the defensive line, additionally having a couple of arrows stuck in it.


    The other two Beasts remained alive as they engaged the defenders in a melee, though they weren''t the main problem: their riders were.


    The cultists moved swiftly with speeds surpassing that of a regular human. Despite that, one of them got shot down before reaching his target. The remaining three fought with their bizarre weapons that were either looted or self-made. Whatever the weapon was, it remained equally deadly though.


    Johann, being at the forefront, had just slain one of the remaining Beasts, turning just in time to block a sickle made of bone with his two-handed hammer''s shaft.


    "Urgh..."


    He groaned at the force that was exerted through the weapon, being thankful that the shaft didn''t snap in half. As he locked eyes with the figure that held the sickle, he exerted all the force within his hands to push the cultist back.


    Within a few seconds of this deadlock, Johann understood, however, that he was a bit inferior in pure strength due to his hands being pushed back. He felt sickened at the eyes in front of him that shone in a maddened light.


    ''This fucker!''


    Remembering what atrocities those who had these masks committed, he roared as he tilted his hammer to the side, the cultist widening his eyes as the sickle slid down, losing his balance as he followed it.


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    Johann didn''t let him recover. With all the force he could exert, he slammed the hammer''s pommel into the cultist''s abdomen, making the masked man cough up whatever was in his stomach and bend over.


    As the cultist staggered, Johann brought the hammer backward before slamming it into the masked man''s jaw with full force. The cultist''s head popped like a watermelon as he fell backward.


    At the same time, he witnessed Stacy impale her own opponent before beheading him. She, being stronger than Johann physically, seemed to have an easier time dealing with the threat.


    ''Wait. Where is the third one?''


    As Johann''s eyes searched the field of battle, he only saw Anna wipe away the blood from her dagger with her sleeve, a figure with numerous cuts and stab wounds at her feet. Johann sighed in momentary relief. He had nearly forgotten that the Ranger was not weak in close combat as well.


    He furrowed his brows despite having overcome the opponents. He heavily doubted that was the last of cultists, so he shouted out his orders to those in the rear.


    "Pull up! We will picked off if we remain in low numbers."


    He saw, however, that most had a grim look on their faces as if it was a death sentence to do so. He found the reason in the form of another dead body not far from him. He had not noticed before, but it would seem that another member of his team had died to the cultists before they were killed by him, Anna, and Stacy.


    Just as he was wondering how to raise the low morale, a familiar armored figure came forward while polishing her dulled sword. It was Marilyn, who was rather renowned and somewhat adored among the Explorers.


    "We must not falter! The night is darkest before the dawn!"


    As she came forward, she raised up her sword and shouted out.


    "We defend our home! We will crush the enemy!"


    Followed by her words, the sword began to glow as if blessed by the gods. The previously dejected crowd cheered at such a display, many of those who had the intention of fleeing found the courage to fight once again.


    Johann couldn''t help but think.


    ''When I try to motivate someone it is taken as an order... Am I that lacking in charm?''


    He focused on the battle soon after, as more Beasts could be heard closely. It was already a miracle that they were given time to regroup, so he couldn''t ask for more rest.


    As he watched the people who joined his side, he felt a little easier as he prepared to fight once again.


    But the next moment he almost took a step back due to the sight he witnessed. Four, Six, Ten, it was as if Beasts had broken through a dam, suddenly starting to arrive one after another, a dozen of them now charging through a mound of bodies.


    Seeing traces of fear appear on those around him, Johann shouted out.


    "This is the last stretch! We will kill them and see tomorrow''s dawn!"


    Under the sounds of gunshots and the roar of Beasts, the defenders shouted in turn as they charged at the incoming enemy.


    Some of the Beasts and their riders fell under the bullets and arrows even before reaching the defenders, but most had charged through the projectiles, ignoring their wounds. A chaotic clash erupted.


    At that moment numerous bones were crushed under weapons and bodies, the flesh was pierced by swords and fangs, cries of pain and howls of agony could be heard at the same time.


    Stacy cleaved her sword downward at the Beast in front of her, crushing through its skull with overwhelming force. As the rider on top of It jumped off the dying mount and on top of her, trying to kill her with the same trick the first cultist used, the swordswoman instead used her greatsword as a metallic baton, swatting down the enemy.


    As the cultist hit the ground, she raised her sword to cleave him in half. Just then the cultist threw his hand in her direction, a hidden dagger catching a gleam of light.


    Stacy noticed it but could do nothing to block it, her only arm wielding the sword. She tilted her body slightly, causing the dagger that would embed itself into her heart to cut her side instead.


    "Grr..."


    As she gritted her teeth in pain, her anger was only amplified, and her sword descended the next second, cleaving the scrambling cultist''s legs off.


    "Aargh! M-my legs!"


    She grinned at the sight of the shrieking man, before swinging her greatsword once again.


    "A life for a wound, you bastard!"


    The man''s misery ended soon after, but the berserk woman would not be appeased with just that. She found the nearest target, wielding her sword yet again.


    Not every defender was as strong as her though. Some were trampled and torn apart by Beasts, and some were overpowered by the cultists on top of those Beasts. Despite the presence of those who could deal with the masked people, the battle turned disadvantageous for the defenders.


    As Marilyn wielded the mana within, her sword shone out brightly, blinding the cultist in front of her, leaving him wide open to the decapitation that the woman then performed. Marilyn shook her sword, shaking off some of the accumulated blood.


    As she scanned the battlefield, she noticed that despite many cultists and Beasts being slain one after another, their numbers didn''t seem to dwindle. It took mere seconds for her to find the answer though, as she saw that more enemies got over the mound of bodies and leaped into the fray.


    Meanwhile, the defender''s numbers dwindled with every fallen Explorer. As Marilyn engaged in battle with yet another enemy, she couldn''t help but think.


    ''Damn you, old Larring. Where are you when everyone needs you?''


    The old Mage went away from the Western Gate not long after the explosion that added another breach to the walls of the camp, the place where Matilda previously was.


    Although it was true that another defense needed to be quickly organized at that place, he also promised to return to the Western Gate with reinforcements. And it had been nearly an hour since he said those words.


    Marilyn deflected a cultist''s weapon, before thrusting at the attacker''s chest that was left wide open. After cleanly piercing the enemy, she slashed once again, sending the enemy to the ground.


    Looking at the ever-increasing numbers of the enemy, she didn''t doubt that this was the last, most concentrated attack. If they could defend against it, they would win, but looking at the defending Explorers falling one by one...


    ''We are just as likely to die here.''


    The woman noticed a fellow defender to her side that was about to get attacked from the back, so she rushed towards him, ambushing the would-be ambusher instead. Cleanly killing the enemy, she turned and saw the ally that she had saved being beheaded by an axe that was wielded by a cultist in front of him.


    "Damn it!"


    Marilyn cried out in frustration, wanting to avenge the one who had fallen, but upon a brief look, she saw that the defenders were pushed back, and if she rushed out, she was likely to be surrounded.


    Although she was trembling in rage at the taunting smile that was visible from under the mask of the cultist, she shouted out a loud order.


    "Retreat! Don''t let them get to our Mages!"


    The Mages were not combatants, as they would have to spend too much mana to kill an enemy with a blast of it. In comparison, they were much better as Healers, even if they didn''t absorb the Nature Crystal, so they were stationed in the rear, protected by another detachment of Explorers along with the gunners.


    And right now due to the defender''s losses, they were about to be reached by the enemy. If the rear fell, then those in front would get surrounded too, ultimately resulting in massacre and total annihilation. So Marilyn had no choice but to give ground to the invaders.


    Despite the chaos of the battlefield, the woman was heard, and those who were able began to steadily retreat from the gate, fending off enemies as they retreated.


    Anna had her crossbow on her back, long having run out of arrows, instead wielding a dagger in a reverse grip. She felt fortunate that she had taken a couple of lessons from Leo back in the day, and thankful to herself for absorbing the crystals in the Dungeon, enhancing her agility and endurance.


    She was currently fighting a cultist who was wielding a jagged dagger, making the battle a contest of agility and reflexes.


    Anna was ultimately at a disadvantage, being only a little slower, but even that was crucial. Additionally, her left side was blind, an eyepatch covering her eye. The cultist took advantage of that, Anna noticing an attack only in her last moment.


    The dagger cut away her eyepatch instead of slashing across her face due to her reaction, but Anna also staggered, losing her balance, and fell to the ground.


    Just as the female cultist was about to stab and finish her, Anna grasped a handful of sand from the ground, throwing it at the attacker, causing the cultists to grasp at her face, tearing off her own mask to rub her eyes.


    Using the opportunity, Anna got back on her feet, preparing to finish the job. Just as she was about to lunge at the enemy, she witnessed something she didn''t expect.


    The cultist that was previously looking at Anna with reddened eyes floated midair as if grasped by an invisible hand, before being slammed into a group of cultists and Beast, turning into a meat patty.


    After that multiple gunshots rang out and a volley of arrows pierced the enemy from above. As Anna turned around she saw a large amount of Explorers charging from the depths of the camp, an old man whose hands looked as if they were grasping something invisible leading them.


    "The reinforcements are here!"


    A shout could be heard from nearby, which was then met with cheers from the defenders. The fresh Warriors charged into the fray, slaying Beasts and cultists, Rangers and gunners rained projectiles upon the enemy.


    As the familiar old man, Joseph Larring, came closer to her, Anna saw some cultists flying in various directions as if hit by an invisible truck, some bursting like balloons under pressure, and some being smashed into the ground, all while the old man swept or clenched his hands.


    As he stood near, he finally spoke out.


    "Sorry for being late, it took some time to gather everyone."


    Anna could only absentmindedly nod at the display of power.


    With the reinforcements having arrived, the tide has turned in favor of the defenders. The newly arrived Explorers teamed up and overwhelmed the enemies, those who were wounded were dragged out by their teammates and healed in the rear, and arrows constantly reaped a bloody toll.


    The stream of cultists gradually thinned out, and finally, only the last four cultists remained.


    Surrounded by corpses of Beasts and their fellows, one of them raised up his sword and charged at the Explorers while shouting.


    "For the Scarred Lord!"


    Johann swung his hammer, crushing his ribs, and then the skull.


    Another two tried to rush soon after, but Stacy decapitated one of those who tried to get past her, and Marilyn blinded and then pierced the heart of the second one.


    Finally, the last cultist lost his nerve and dropped his weapon, then began to run away, screaming. Anna''s newly replenished arrows whistled as they cut through the air before they hit the fleeing cultist''s back.


    As the coward staggered, falling on his knees, Joseph''s invisible palm of mana smashed down from above, crushing him into the ground.


    With that, the last of the cultists was dead. The camp''s battle was over.

 Chapter 60: To Catch a Tiger

    In shadows deep, where whispers call,


    The Architect designs a realm for all.


    With flowing stone and magic''s glow,


    He weaves a world where only brave dare go.


    With just a single flick of a wrist,


    Mana turns to flowing mist.


    A master planner, cunning and wise,


    He reigns supreme beneath the skies.


    So heed the warning, tread with care,


    For the Dungeon Architect''s snare is rare.


    Countless treasures, power''s call,


    But also a place of doom for all.


    -A Poem dedicated to ''The Architect''. Author unknown. Date of creation 38~45 AA.


    <hr>


    Khan was annoyed. To an extreme degree.


    It all started ever since he began descending the small corridor after the brief battle with two wolves. Having somewhat replenished his lost power and healed quite a bit, he was looking forward to the hunt and the abundant prey that surely awaited below.


    And reality often goes against one''s expectations.


    At first, when he was walking through the rather wide tunnel, taking in the scents from below along the way, the walls suddenly began to tremble, startling him.


    Then, with a rumbling noise, the surrounding walls and ceiling quickly began to close in on him, as if trying to suffocate and bury the tiger alive right then and there.


    Khan had been expecting many things from the mysterious and cowardly foe of his, ranging from spikes erupting from the ground to vines appearing out of nowhere to coil around the tiger. For some reason, he didn''t expect the most obvious and simple thing that could be surmised to be within the enemy''s capability.


    The tiger immediately sped up and broke into a sprint; yet, the corridor was becoming tighter and narrower at an alarming speed.


    Maybe because the structure had been destabilized, rocks also began to fall from above, forcing the tiger to evade and slowing him down further. And if that wasn''t enough, various roots and vines also appeared, trying to trip him or tie themselves around his neck.


    Just when he saw the light shining from the end of the twisting corridor, he found himself unable to move. Although the corridor was still wide enough for a human to squeeze through if they made an effort, it was obviously too tight for a tiger of Khan''s proportions.


    This led to the current predicament, where the mighty conqueror of the wild and feared figure of humans now had to... dig.


    Khan ground his teeth in annoyance that bordered on anger as his claws swept away the dirt around him. He cursed and growled along the way, humiliated that he had to do such a thing that only moles would.


    "You cursed coward... You dare not face me in battle, so you resort to such tricks? Just you wait; when I get to you..."


    The tiger''s words were interrupted by another trembling of the ground along with an ominous premonition that ran down the Beast''s spine.


    Just as Khan quickly redoubled his efforts, unnerved by the change, the light coming from the distance disappeared, and the tiger saw the gap in front of him close up completely, cutting off his line of sight toward his goal.


    Khan looked at the scene in disbelief for a moment, before that disbelief turned to simmering rage. He roared in anger.


    "You FU-"


    <hr>


    5 minutes ago


    Lan was deep in thought.


    The reason for that was the overpowered tiger that bulldozed through his entire First Floor. The damn cat had instakilled Tag and Nacht, and if that wasn''t enough, he even recovered as if their Heart Cores were healing potions.


    While focusing completely, time slowed down as his thinking sped up, allowing the Core to watch the smug expression of the tiger in slow motion. The fight obviously presented no challenge to him.


    ''Haa...''


    Sighing mentally, Lan started to review his actions. When the tiger was in the camp, Lan used various kinds of mana along with simple manipulation to attack. Because the tiger was far away and Lan hadn''t yet researched direct means of attack and had to come up with things on the fly, there wasn''t much he could have done better back then.


    But when the enemy reached the forest under the Tree''s control, Lan understood that he could at least supply additional mana to the Tree and the forest to improve their capabilities during their assault.


    Then came the last part. The one where he had objectively done the worst.


    ''...Can I blame it on the suddenness of the situation, or am I just that dumb sometimes?''


    Now that he reviewed it, he understood that he had been a total mess just then.


    Perhaps feeling his irritation, the Tree reached out to him through their connection. It conveyed various feelings of worry and seemed to pose a question.


    ''Yeah, I''m fine; just thinking about what to do.''


    Looking at the situation calmly, the First Floor didn''t stand a chance against the tiger. The Beasts here were simply too weak to fight against the tyrannical predator, and what was worse, they may have even fallen under his control like those that formed the Beast Tide did. Most hid, thankfully, while the rest were ignored.


    The problem was that he had practically left Tag and Nacht to die. Though it was true that there was no time for reinforcements from lower floors to come up, Lan could have ordered the pair of wolves to go down instead, saving them from a useless death.


    ''Maybe I could then collapse the tunnel behind them or something... But that would cut off the flow of mana, crippling me.''


    Lan then remembered that he had a companion ''on the phone'' due to the feeling of confusion conveyed from the connection. He posed a question while continuing to speak to himself, accompanied by various images for better interpretation.


    ''Is there another option? Do I have to just make it narrow for just him? Why not? Let''s do it.''


    Lan acted on the thought, as every second bought would be another second to plan.


    He quickly began to manipulate Earth Mana, pulling it into the empty space of the tunnel. The walls and the ceiling followed after.


    The tiger was obviously displeased, but the Beast began to dig with its sharp claws to widen the path soon after.


    Meanwhile, Lan checked the mana flow.


    ''Hmm... No major change it seems. Good.''


    But looking at the tiger''s progress, he knew it wouldn''t slow him down for long.


    ''Not perfect though...''


    Nevertheless, he bought himself some time. He needed to prepare for the inevitable battle with the Beast.


    Lan wanted to stop the tiger at the Second Floor. He gave out orders through his various connections to all the Beasts present there. After sending various commands, he connected to those on the Third Floor.


    It was obvious that sending Beasts at the tiger one by one would only make the enemy stronger, making him harder to kill. And the intruder wasn''t just an ordinary challenger; he was a threat. There was no reason not to pull out all the stops to deal with him.


    ''If I can''t deal with you normally, let''s see how you like the entirety of the Floor''s population at once, followed by simultaneous attacks from multiple Floor Guardians.''


    Just as Lan finished ordering the Beasts, he felt a tug on his connection with the Tree, and to his surprise, it wasn''t another question but an answer.


    Though the Tree wasn''t that intelligent yet, it understood Lan''s question somehow. It provided an answer to Lan''s concerns about mana flow in a series of images.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Lan saw many branches of a giant tree covered in leaves breathe in and out. Some were bigger, some were smaller, but they all fulfilled their purpose, contributing little by little to a larger goal.


    Lan then saw another image, which was associated with ''him'' as if being his representation in the Tree''s vision. He saw a tree with just a single giant branch, mighty yet fragile.


    The transmission ended there. Though Lan was briefly confused, he suddenly asked,


    ''...so what you are saying is if I have just a single path to the surface, I should just make more?''


    He received a feeling of confirmation.


    ''But it would lead to the dungeon having too many openings...''


    Lan once again received an image of a giant tree, this time focused on many small branches. He suddenly felt thunderstruck.


    ''...I just have to make a ton of small ones to make up for it!''


    Lan then felt yet another feeling of confirmation. He could swear he heard confetti pop.


    ''You are a genius! Genius! I don''t know what I would have done without you.''


    While he was thanking the one who gave him the idea, he was already working on it, as he had no time to waste with an angry overgrown cat wanting to kill him.


    He simultaneously created many small tunnels leading from the Second to the First Floor, all of which were the size of a small finger. To make up for it, there were dozens, maybe even close to a hundred, all connecting to the First Floor in various places.


    Thanks to their narrowness, it took less than a minute to create them all. When Lan decided he had made enough, he ''sat back'' and breathed out mentally.


    ''Alright. A moment of truth.''


    Following those words, he once again manipulated Earth Mana, closing off the entire tunnel in front of the tiger. Lan watched the closing gap with bated breath all the way until it disappeared.


    If he was honest, he was prepared to return to the state he had been in before connecting his Core to the outside world. Fortunately, no such thing happened.


    Mana flowed just as it had before; Lan didn''t go blind, deaf, or numb. He confirmed this due to the reverberating roar he could ''hear'' in his dungeon.


    "...you FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT!"


    ''Oh. He is not happy.''


    Lan watched the tiger thrash around in the tunnel. The Beast even burst into flames yet again, perhaps as a result of intense emotions, his claws leaving burning gashes on the walls where even stone melted.


    ''I wonder why? Huhu.''


    Lan chuckled in schadenfreude; the Tree shared some of his emotion, probably because it did not like the tiger either. Nevertheless, Lan soon focused once more.


    ''Alright, I''ve slowed him down some more. Just what I needed.''


    Lan had to make various preparations to ''welcome the guest'' properly. Lan wouldn''t let the enemy benefit the slightest bit from his domain.


    Various commands were once again issued, though some of the bolder Beasts had to be threatened with images of a certain tiger hunting them down; they mostly obeyed.


    In mere minutes, the entire Dungeon was thrown into motion.


    A stag whose antlers coursed with lightning raised its head towards one of the entrances of a chamber it was currently in.


    A flock of birds whose wings were as sharp as steel stopped their flight and perched on trees, looking as if they were soldiers awaiting an order.


    A mouse emerged from a hidden cave, leaving behind a space that bore traces of intense use of Earth Mana.


    A silent hunter stalking the shadows sprinted soundlessly through the undergrowth; even her breathing was silenced by the sound of the river flowing by her side.


    A pack of wolves followed their leader, whose eyes were crimson-gold.


    Be it herbivore or carnivore, large or tiny, bird or mammal, all followed the will of the very land under their feet. All of them had a common enemy.


    <hr>


    Khan was breathing roughly, and his coat was marred with dust due to his digging. He found his appearance unsightly, but he continued scraping the ground with his claws.


    "I curse you... I will skin you alive; I will tear you apart; I will eat your entrails while you beg for mercy..."


    He, of course, knew who was responsible for his ordeal; hence he constantly vented his frustration. However, in Khan''s mind, these promises were as good as prophecies.


    The only reason the tiger hadn''t given up was due to two reasons. One, the power he could possibly gain was immense due to how much mana he felt. And two, he had come too far to give up.


    So, Khan put up with the disgraceful and monotonous action, continuously digging in the direction he last saw the light.


    A few minutes later, Khan suddenly stiffened before speeding up, as he felt the ground become softer, unlike the walls of the tunnel, and more like the dirt beneath his feet.


    After a few moments, it gave way, and light flooded the dark tunnel yet again. The barrier in front of Khan trembled and fell as he continued. With a mighty leap, the tiger broke through the remaining dirt and rocks, emerging in a clearing illuminated by a magical light.


    Khan roared in delight at finally having freed himself from the confines of the tunnel, mixed with anger at the one who caused him such misery. Of course, he didn''t think of the fact that none of this would have happened if he hadn''t attacked in the first place.


    The scarred tiger then finally examined his surroundings. He saw a forest in front of him, with two obvious paths to the sides. A pillar with a light shining out of it stood in the distance. After a moment of taking in the sight, Khan snorted.


    "You think I will fall into your trap by following your plan? Pathetic."


    It was quite obvious to him that the paths were traps prepared by his cowardly enemy. He also felt the immense mana coming straight ahead, from the towering pillar. In the end, everything would fall under his might anyway, so there was no reason to waste time playing along with someone''s tricks.


    So Khan did the very thing he did best: he charged straight ahead.


    The trees at the edge of the clearing soon snapped under his unstoppable momentum, but Khan himself almost lost balance due to how tough they were. He begrudgingly understood that they were tougher than those on the surface, and blindly breaking everything was not the solution here.


    He quickly began to weave between the annoyingly densely growing vegetation.


    ''I would burn this all to ashes if I could...''


    Khan didn''t say that aloud, as the enemy proved capable of listening to him even when not present. The reason he didn''t use his fiery breath or claws was the ever-increasing lack of mana.


    Although he recovered somewhat after eating those crystals, he was exhausted after digging so much, and using fire could deplete his reserves completely, leaving him nearly defenseless.


    While maneuvering between the trees, he also paid attention to his surroundings, ready to respond to any threat or hunt any nearby prey. However...


    ''Where is the prey?''


    He found none. Though the scent of various Beasts was fresh, and some of the tracks were even warm, he encountered none in his vicinity. This annoyed him to no end yet again, as without prey he couldn''t replenish his strength. So he continued making his way toward the pillar that drew ever closer.


    Despite crossing so much space, Khan wasn''t attacked once. Annoyance then turned to tension and suspicion as the tiger didn''t understand how such a thing could happen. On the first floor of this place, he had constantly evaded attacks; yet now he walked amidst silence.


    The trees soon thinned out, another clearing gradually becoming visible through the gaps. Khan was able to move a bit more freely as there was more open space to walk through, but he wasn''t breaking into a sprint, cautiously walking forward while constantly looking to the sides.


    However, a period without any traps appearing beneath his feet desensitized him to the threats that could arise from below. And he paid the price for it.


    Trying to move one of his front limbs yet again, he found that he couldn''t. It was as if it was stuck to the ground. Khan quickly looked downward, only to see his paw ensnared in some kind of substance.


    "Silk? No... A web?!"


    Just as those words escaped his mouth, he heard multiple things falling through the air. Khan tried to evade, but due to one of his limbs being trapped, he couldn''t avoid it completely.


    Two of the four objects landed on his back, and Khan soon felt two stings followed by a burning pain.


    Twisting his neck, he saw that the ''objects'' were spiders, and two of them were currently on his back, sinking their fangs into him.


    Shock soon turned to rage as he tugged on his stuck limb with all his might, forcibly breaking free from the web on the ground.


    "These vermin dare!"


    Khan slammed his back into a tree, crushing one of the spiders to bits and causing another to fall to the ground, only to be squashed under his feet.


    As he turned, glaring at the remaining two, he found that they were nowhere to be seen, probably having skittered away already.


    Khan then looked around carefully and noticed that nearly every surface to his sides and in front of him was covered in webs. When he turned around to see where he had come from, he saw a dozen spiders fleeing in various directions, a web having been woven between the trees.


    The only open path was the one in front of him.


    "Damn it..."


    Khan leaped over the web on the ground, still remaining unaware of the three-meter-long spider dancing on the branches above him.


    As soon as he landed, however, Khan wasn''t left alone either.


    He felt a rock hit his head and turned to see the perpetrator, a flying squirrel sitting on one of the trees behind him, as if teasing him.


    In the brief moment that he turned around, the ground burst beneath his feet, giving way to multiple pairs of claws that dug into it. The owners of the claws were three giant moles that leaped towards the tiger.


    Khan himself turned around at the last moment, cleaving apart one of the burrowers, but this gave the remaining two an opening. He felt their claws scratch through his skin, creating shallow wounds, but wounds nonetheless.


    "Courting death!"


    Enraged, he slammed another one into the ground, breaking its spine instantly, but the last one returned to the hole from which it came, away from his wrath.


    Khan felt humiliated that such a paltry Beast managed to wound him, causing him to leap forward with a roar, trying to catch it.


    As he did so, a pair of wolverines revealed themselves from between the bushes, ambushing him, one biting into his front limb and one into his hind limb. They scratched as they bit, adding to Khan''s pain and fury.


    He forcefully turned, flinging away the one behind him, while preparing to bite into the one in front of him.


    He was interrupted by a sudden force slamming into his side, sending him tumbling along the ground. A brief look after stabilizing himself revealed the perpetrator to be a large boar.


    "You damned swine-"


    Khan''s words were interrupted again by a roar coming from his side. A great bear came into the clearing as if challenging the intruder. It charged towards the tiger, not even trying to be stealthy.


    The tiger responded to the challenge with a roar of his own, and the two Beasts soon collided. He evaded the bear''s swipe, attacking with his claws in retaliation.


    Khan''s claws drew four red lines across the bear''s face, causing the great Beast to roar in pain and anger. The bear stood on its hind legs, preparing to slam down on the tiger with all its might.


    But Khan would not just stand there and take it. He tensed his legs and prepared to jump backward to evade.


    Just as he was about to do so, a loud crackle rang through the air, and Khan felt a scorching and numbing force slam into his side.


    The bear''s attack landed, slamming the tiger into the ground, which cracked beneath him.


    Khan felt his ribs crack, coughing up blood.


    He murmured something, causing the bear''s ears to twitch. As the great Beast lifted its claws to attack once again, Khan shouted out.


    "...these INSOLENT PESTS DARE!"


    With a sudden force, he stood back up, and flames engulfed his hide. With a burst of speed, he leaped forward, his flaming claws slicing apart the bear''s throat. The great Beast collapsed, confused at what just happened.


    Khan, in his fiery form, looked around him, wanting to see who had caused him to be unable to evade.


    He then locked eyes with a stag, who stood on the side of the clearing opposite him. A purple light shone in one of its eye sockets instead of an eyeball, and vicious energy crackled through its mighty antlers.


    But just as Khan was about to charge forward, he witnessed something that cooled his anger and fervor considerably.


    Numerous Beasts emerged from the forest and into the clearing. Bears, boars, foxes, spiders; there were many species whose names he didn''t even know.


    And the worst part of it all... every pair of eyes was staring at him with bloodlust.

 Chapter 61: The Tyrants Last Stand

    Right in front of Khan''s gaze, one beast after another emerged from his surroundings. Numerous glares filled with animosity stared at him from beyond the treeline surrounding the clearing. Apparently, the forest was not as empty as it previously seemed.


    But despite the commotion, the tiger''s eyes were locked on one beast in particular, for he sensed enormous danger from it, just one single attack causing Khan to be injured. As for his target, a majestic stag with two pairs of antlers crackling with energy, he too watched the tiger in turn, as if appraising the threat.


    And while the two most powerful beings in the clearing were having a staredown, the beasts continued to surround the clearing completely, eventually settling at a certain distance from the tiger, but remaining tense, ready to attack at any moment.


    Despite their individual threat perhaps not being that high to Khan, together the beasts of the forest created a formidable pressure, their bloodlust felt by him; the tiger shuddered as he felt a tremor down his spine.


    At that moment, Khan finally diverted his gaze from the stag, finally noticing the full difficulty of his predicament. Wherever he looked, his eyes always met the gaze of another beast. Nowhere was safe. Whatever path to escape may have existed previously was now cut off.


    Khan felt goosebumps on his skin and the slightest trembles in his limbs. A thought came to his mind.


    ''Am I... afraid?''


    He had perhaps felt this way only once before. Memories of his burning home came to his mind once again.


    ''Is this... fear?''


    Yet, as soon as this thought came, an even bigger wave of anger, surging from his very being, overcame it just as swiftly. He let out a chuckle, which then turned into a roaring laugh.


    "Hahaha... HAHAHAHA!!!"


    The beasts surrounding him seemed momentarily intimidated, some taking a step back; but at that moment, the tall and mighty stag took a step forward, sparks of electricity dancing between his hooves and the grass beneath them. Despite this step being quiet as a breeze, the sound of it seemed to overpower the mad tiger''s laugh.


    Empowered and emboldened by this¡ªas if it were a general''s order to attack¡ªthe beasts responded with roars and shrieks of their own before they too began to advance.


    As Khan felt the ground tremble faintly beneath his feet, he calmed himself down quickly, somewhat regaining his focus.


    With the brief return of his rationality, he understood the severity of his situation, then swept his eyes across anything that might be useful. A faintly glowing, familiar form of a crystal on the ground caught his eye. It was a crystal that granted power, left in place of a bear he had slain.


    Remembering the way it healed him before and gave him additional strength, he saw it as his closest way out.


    The tiger abruptly leaped from his position to the side, his claws sweeping toward his target on the ground. As the beasts were still a couple of dozen meters away to stop or interrupt him, he succeeded, the crystal soon being midair and about to be swallowed by him.


    And yet, just as Khan was about to succeed, the crackling sound that he now recognized rang out once more. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw purple arcs of energy gather on the stag''s horns rapidly. The tiger knew that he now had mere moments to either take the hit and swallow the crystal, or abandon the item and dodge.


    ''I had taken him on before... I will gain more than I lose if I withstand it!''


    With the plan formed during those milliseconds, Khan leaped up, opening his jaws as he jumped towards the crystal.


    The gathered energy then erupted. A beautiful yet dangerous arc of energy, akin to lightning, moved faster than anyone''s eyes could perceive. And then it struck the stag''s target, his precision remarkable.


    Yet at that moment, Khan was confused, for he didn''t feel the numbing pain he was expecting. His confusion turned to horror, though, as he saw the crystal he was leaping towards suddenly become brighter, arcs of electricity enveloping it.


    A loud explosion erupted the next moment, a colorful earthy cloud appearing out of nowhere. Along with it, a tiger''s form could be seen flying away, his entire fur covered with dust and stone, with earth mana clinging to it.


    Khan rolled across the ground, a thing he had experienced much more than he would have liked recently, before once again stabilizing himself, coughing as he stood back up.


    "Cough Damn... Cough You!"


    As he stood up, his face was revealed once more. Having taken on the brunt of the blast, it was the most damaged. It looked as if half the fur on his face had burnt away and then immediately turned to stone, creating a rather curious image.


    And yet there was no rest for the wicked, as the shrieks that were previously distant were now right behind him.


    Sensing danger behind him, Khan rapidly turned around, immediately attacking with his claws even without seeing his foe. His instinct proved true as he drew a bloody line across an insect''s carapace as soon as he turned around, causing it to let out an enraged screech.


    It was not alone, however, being only the front of the swarm that surged out of the forest covered in shadow.


    Various insects and arachnids emerged, their target being one and the same.


    Seeing such a terrifying thing, Khan had no choice but to use his ever-dwindling mana once again.


    Flames surged along his claws, and the tiger attacked just before the tide of skittering legs reached him.


    With his claw''s swipe, he easily cut through the frontmost attackers like a hot knife through butter. The spiderlings died without having a chance to cry out, and smaller insects were set on fire almost instantly.


    As the many-limbed continued surging forward, unperturbed, despite Khan''s struggle, he found himself being overwhelmed.


    Khan tried to retreat swiftly as he saw that, but as he did so, a jumping spider leaped from within the varied crowd, straight onto him. And it was not the only one with such abilities.


    The tiger leaped backward like a cat would when it saw a cucumber. Thanks to this, he avoided most of the ''jumpers.'' The key word being ''most.''


    Khan felt and saw multiple of the disgusting creatures land on him, one even landing on his face.


    As soon as he landed, he frantically began to try and shake them off, but only partially succeeded. Despite three of the five spiders on his body being flung away thanks to his efforts, Khan felt a burning sting on his side soon after. This one hurt much worse than the previous two.


    "Auughh! An insect! A MERE INSECT!"


    While crying out in pain, he finally caught the spider that was struggling on his face between his jaws, clamping down and crushing it. Soon after, he rapidly turned around to see a spider with green markings biting into his side, injecting its foul venom.


    And yet, it was left vulnerable due to this. Khan caught this spider in his jaws as well, tearing it out of his side in anger, ignoring the continuous pain. In his rage, he ignored the fact that bright markings usually meant a highly venomous being in nature, as none of it mattered to him anymore.


    The spider''s brief screech was cut off abruptly, as it met the same fate as its kin, being crushed in Khan''s jaws.


    As for the tiger himself, he felt woozy, his rationality and thinking fading in and out. Due to this, he swallowed the spider he would have spat out in disgust a few minutes before. And yet soon after, he felt a refreshing feeling in his mind, his wounds regenerating by a tiny amount. With his briefly regained mind, he understood what had just happened.


    ''The spider... had a crystal?!''


    The understanding struck him like a thunderbolt, bringing with it hope for survival. Khan now saw the way out, and ironically, it was within those who wanted to kill him.


    The tiger forced out the remaining strength within his muscles, forcing himself to move despite the venom coursing through his blood, or that very blood leaking from his many wounds.


    ''As long as I kill... I will live!''


    During this brief episode, the tide of beasts and insects, birds and arachnids, did not stop their advance, and they were now upon him.


    The spiders and insects of the shadow forest were first, as they were the closest. Khan felt them before he saw them, as many small creatures began crawling up his limbs. But this time was different; Khan was now truly desperate, and he went all out.


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    Flames surged within his throat before surging out with a roaring sound. The small insects were enveloped in the blazing wave of flames that was created, turning to ashes in seconds. As for their larger brethren right behind them, they screeched in pain briefly before curling up as their carapace burnt to charcoal.


    Khan felt a wave of exhaustion enveloping him with that attack, as it took most of what little mana he had. But it all served a purpose, as he prevented himself from being eaten alive. Additionally, he saw multiple crystals glinting amidst the burning ground, calling to him like an oasis in the desert.


    Khan''s target was clear once again, as he rushed into the still-burning flames head-on, away from another wave of beasts who were right on his tail. This reckless action made the attackers behind him hesitate, and he himself felt the fires of his own making scorch his skin.


    Despite the agonizing pain, he soon reached the crystal that was closest to him, grabbing and swallowing it greedily. The soothing feeling of mana could be felt soon after, replenishing his reserves and healing him once again.


    Feeling his strength returning, Khan picked up the pace, moving even faster. But just as he was about to reach the second crystal, a familiar, annoying, and frightening crackle of thunder could be heard once again on this chaotic battlefield.


    Under Khan''s shocked and terrified gaze, the crystals, the crucial things for his recovery, were once again enveloped in arcing energy.


    Already knowing what would happen next, Khan immediately moved away, multiple explosions ringing out behind him.


    As he turned around, the only thing that remained of his hope was a cloud of elemental mana, and even that dissipated under a passing blow of the wind. Khan trembled as he turned his gaze once again to the stag that stood on the other side of the battlefield.


    He trembled not out of fear, but out of sheer rage as he looked towards the proud figure, who hadn''t moved more than ten steps since the start of the battle. Khan swore he saw pure smugness and disdain radiate from that glowing eye of his. Again and again, the bastard had hindered and injured Khan.


    And with this, Khan snapped.


    "Damn you... I WILL TEAR YOU APART!"


    With this roar, Khan abandoned all sorts of plans he had made in the battle. He didn''t care about managing his mana or picking out weak enemies to regain his strength. No, now he just wanted to rip that smug look off of that horse with antlers.


    The tiger broke into a full sprint across the battlefield, his target being obvious. And yet, would everyone just stand aside and let him through? No.


    A towering boar that had already tackled Khan before once again stood in his way, charging at him.


    "Out of my way!"


    Khan had no patience left to deal with him, though. Just before the collision of the two, Khan jumped into the air, leaping above the tusked snout and landing on top of the boar''s face. His claws, fueled by nothing but rage, swept across the beast''s eyes before the tiger himself ran across the boar''s back, landing behind the beast.


    Khan paid no heed to the squealing and living boar, instead continuing to move forward. As various beasts came in front of him, he either dispatched them swiftly or forcibly avoided them, even at the cost of injuries.


    He was getting closer and closer to his target that way, and soon nothing but a couple of beasts stood between him and the stag.


    And yet after evading an attacking fox, Khan was forced to change his trajectory. As for the reason? Well, it was nothing serious, just a continuous beam of crackling energy emanating from the stag''s two pairs of antlers.


    Just as Khan jumped to the side, this beam of death swept across the place he had just been standing, burning a line into the ground, nearly instantly carbonizing the fox that remained and some of the beasts behind it. The charging beasts seemed to be frightened by the display even more than Khan, retreating a short distance and surrounding the tiger and the stag.


    The stag himself seemed to be no longer content with watching over the battle and intervening when needed; his mighty hooves now trampled over the burnt ground as he advanced forward, meeting the challenge of the tiger.


    During the mad dash towards the stag, Khan got lucky and managed to replenish his mana just a little by consuming yet another crystal that the stag didn''t get to destroy. But even so, the pressure and threat that the tiger felt from the herbivore was greater than anything he had faced before. The roles of predator and prey were blurred.


    Despite this, he stepped forward. Khan began circling around the edge of the ''arena'' that the beasts had created, the stag mirroring his moves.


    "I have come this far..."


    With the low growl of his words, his weary body came to a stop, the stag doing the same.


    "I will not die here!"


    With a roar, he charged forward with the greatest strength his body could muster. The stag, meeting his challenge, bellowed and lowered his head, the sharp and twisting antlers now ready to meet Khan''s charge. The stag didn''t remain on the defensive, accelerating towards the tiger.


    Despite Khan''s knowledge of his obvious disadvantage, the tiger didn''t back down, blazing flames enveloping his entire body, an even greater strength surging from his muscles and bones.


    As if to respond to him, energy gathered on the stag''s antlers, this time remaining on them like on a stun baton.


    "RAAGH!"


    After a mere second, a roar and a bellow met, and so did the claws and antlers. A thunderous explosion rang out, forcing every nearby beast backward and raising a cloud of dust.


    A conveniently passing breeze soon blew away the dust, however, revealing the outcome of the clash. As soon as it became visible, it became obvious that the clash had not yet ended.


    The two opponents were locked in somewhat of a stalemate, each side not coming out unscathed.


    Khan had multiple places pierced by the stag''s antlers. It was obvious that many of his ribs were broken, and he was bleeding rather badly. As for his opponent, despite injuring his foe that much, the stag too was rather badly wounded.


    Because the tiger had impaled himself on the stag''s horns rather deeply, he was able to reach the stag''s owner. The stag had many claw wounds on his head and neck; he too was bleeding, and such an injury no doubt would have been fatal had he been a regular beast.


    But he wasn''t. As his blood fell to the ground, it evaporated and turned into mist. The stag''s wound was also gradually shrinking, mana flowing from within to heal it.


    The reason Khan didn''t heal in a similar manner was that his mana reserves were nearly empty, not enough to heal severe wounds. Meanwhile, the stag entered their ''duel'' while having abundant amounts of mana, having used it only for ranged attacks.


    "Gaagh... Cough Cough"


    Khan groaned, coughing up blood. He wanted to continue his attacks, but at that moment, the stag flung him away from his antlers with a snort, the tiger finding himself on the ground once again.


    The previously menacing and mighty lord of the northern forests, destroyer of human cities, now struggled to stand back up. One could only admire his willpower as he managed to do so despite the blood that streamed from his entire body.


    He then roared out with a hoarse voice, but not at his opponent or anyone that was present.


    "You! The coward behind this all! Will you not show yourself until the end?!"


    As Khan looked around him, he didn''t see any movement, causing him to roar out once again.


    "So you will humiliate me until the end?! Not daring to show your face after having driven me to such a state. You truly have no courage!"


    And yet at these words, the atmosphere suddenly changed with a crowd of beasts suddenly parting before something unseen to Khan. But even so, he sensed a threat even greater than the stag that had ultimately bested him.


    Amidst the pressure, a lazy feminine yawn could be heard, and the stretching feline form was revealed amidst the retreating beasts. Curiously enough, a mouse could be seen trailing behind her, a rather peculiar sight.


    The feline, which Khan recognized as a cougar, advanced towards him while incoherent sounds could be heard from her mouth. Suddenly, she stopped, and a mellow female voice echoed.


    "Aahhh... Ieya... Ah. Is that how you do it?"


    While Khan kept his eyes on her without revealing any other expression, he was secretly shocked. It had taken him weeks of observing the cultists that followed him to develop the ability to speak. After all, it required a rather difficult manipulation of vocal cords, only possible due to the Mana Body he possessed. And yet this cougar needed mere seconds of observing him to replicate his success.


    His thoughts were interrupted by her words, though.


    "Master of the Hunt does not have time to adhere to your trivial requests..."


    She yawned once again as if she hadn''t gotten enough sleep.


    "...Besides, we are more than enough, aren''t we?"


    Khan felt the threat from her intensify even more before letting out a question of his own.


    "Enough for what?"


    The female cougar then seemed to chuckle, her eyes meeting his own. Her shadow seemed to move, and water droplets began to hover around her.


    "Why, to end you, of course!"


    Khan''s eyes widened as the cougar seemingly melted into the shadows¡ªnot like the wolf he had previously slain, no, far differently.


    This shadow surged towards him like a raging tide, as quick as a roaring river. This shadow was... liquid.


    Khan tried to evade with what little strength he had left. But...


    "Urgh!"


    He felt the tendons of his front limbs being cut as he toppled forward. He hadn''t even seen the attack. As he tried to move in a direction, the shadow changed course, and in the blink of an eye, it was right in front of him.


    His limbs could no longer hold him, and Khan toppled to the side. It was clear that his throat might have been cut instead of his tendons, but the feline seemingly wanted to toy with him.


    "Broken already? Tsk tsk, the little mouse could take more than you."


    A cougar emerged from the pool of shadows in front of him, staring down at him with undisguised disdain.


    "I expected more of you. The master expected more as well. I guess we overestimated you."


    "...Just finish me already."


    "...Finish you?"


    All of a sudden, the cougar chuckled.


    "No, no, no. This is just the beginning. You see, the Master still has use for you."


    "...What the hell are you talking about?"


    The cougar ignored his question, instead turning behind her and calling out.


    "Remy? Be a dear and restrain him. Wouldn''t want this... cat to do anything stupid while the Master speaks."


    Before Khan could understand what was going on, earth surged from underneath him, coiling around his limbs. He soon found himself completely immobilized, unable to move a muscle. The perpetrator revealed himself as a 1.5-meter-tall mouse, who was wearing rags that looked to be looted from humans. Additionally, he seemed rather fearful of the cougar.


    Khan couldn''t even struggle against the restraints if he wanted to, proving the mouse''s remarkable control over mana.


    And yet, Khan wasn''t allowed to think any further on this topic, as a foreign presence bore down upon him, a voice appearing out of nowhere and reverberating in his mind.


    "YOUR INVASION COMES TO AN END."


    "Who... What are you?!"


    Khan felt as if his mind, his very being, was being ripped apart as his very thoughts seemed suppressed, the intruder bearing ever deeper into his mind... his soul.


    "YOU WILL BRING DESTRUCTION NO LONGER. YOUR CLAWS SHALL NOW PROTECT."


    "AAAURGHH!!!"


    Khan howled in agony as he was now unable to think, feeling that he could hide nowhere, that he would cease to exist if he resisted.


    "YOUR FLAMES WILL SERVE A NEW PURPOSE."


    "STOP IT!!!"


    "I NAME YOU FELMYR. AND YOU WILL GUARD MY DOMAIN."


    Khan then felt as if his very soul was branded, as if an anchor was tied to it. But he could not even utter a single word; his voice became hoarse, his mind scarred with fear and pain. So he didn''t hear what transpired next either.


    All of a sudden, the cougar that had been observing him nodded and spoke out.


    "I hear and obey the Master of the Hunt."


    With those words, her claws slashed out, hacking open Khan''s throat. He felt his remaining life quickly drain away, quickly descending into blissful darkness, free of pain.


    The cougar, whose name was The Huntress, wiped her claws on the grass beneath her before eventually licking it away. While doing so, she turned toward a certain direction and spoke out.


    "Huh. It would seem we have more guests?"


    The mouse, obviously being Remy, stared at the whole scene rather fearfully before following the Huntress''s gaze. An unexpected scene met his eyes.


    A team of humans stood at the edge of the clearing, clearly shocked as they stared at the whole scene that looked like a sacrificial ritual... which was, in essence, what it was.


    A man at the back, who had a firearm in his arms, spoke out in a quiet tone, which was nonetheless heard by everyone due to how quiet it was.


    "What the actual fuck am I looking at here..."

 Chapter 62: Descent beyond Understanding

    Two separate parties found themselves facing off against each other. And one completely overwhelmed the numbers of the others. One of the parties in question was obviously the gathered Beasts of the dungeon, surrounding the corpse of a tiger that was gradually turning into the familiar mist of mana.


    And opposite of them, on the edge of the clearing that was scarred by the intense battle, was a party of five humans. Four of them were the members of the ''Cloaks'' party, shown by similar emblems that were sewn on their clothes.


    Their Ranger, Rob, was currently holding his rifle aimed in front of him, though his hands were trembling slightly at the unnerving scene in front of them.


    And in the center of the formation was their fifth member, the former Tower Master Matilda, who was equally shocked at what she was seeing. She came here expecting a desperate battle, a struggle, but what she witnessed... It was an execution.


    And just as this thought passed through her mind, she heard Rob near her mutter under his breath.


    "What the fuck am I looking at here?"


    The next moment her heart skipped a beat, as the gazes of every Beast present turned to the newcomers one by one. Apparently, Rob was heard loud and clear.


    Because of this, Matilda tensed, and mana began to gather around her in preparation for a fight. And as she prepared to manipulate it, she wondered at the same time.


    ''Curses... Why exactly did I rush to get here?''


    <hr>


    20 minutes ago.


    Five humans rushed out of the camp that remained embroiled in battle. Their destination was the great forest to the east of it, as they pursued the Beast that brought this devastation upon their home.


    At the forefront ran a woman in burnt robes, easily recognizable as the former Tower Master of Cypress Town. She seemed hurried as she rushed forward, boosting herself with the recently acquired Air Mana. The other four trailed behind her, keeping up the best they could.


    "Damn, what''s gotten into her?!"


    "I don''t know, and keep your breath steady!"


    No one among them really understood the reason why the woman left behind the defense of the camp, instead following the seemingly escaping Beast. When they tried to ask her for an explanation, the only answer they got was this:


    "No time to explain, just follow me!"


    It didn''t take the group long to reach the forest, as it was not that far either. What surprised the five, however, was the trail of devastation that carved through it. Knowing what they were pursuing, the culprit was obvious.


    Matilda furrowed her brows further at this sight and the ominous feeling she felt intensified. Considering that she had started this chase because of that very same feeling, she sped up even more. Yes, however dumb it may have been, Matilda decidedly rushed after the Beast who nearly killed her because she felt something bad would happen if she didn''t.


    Thankfully it was easy enough to follow the trail. Numerous trees were snapped as if run over by a tank, and occasionally giant claw marks and pawprints on the wet ground could be seen. And the deeper they went the more severe the damage to the flora became.


    Still, it seemed that they neared the target of their pursuit as loud crashing noises and roars came from the depths they headed into. The ground trembled occasionally under their feet. Consequently, the group slowed down. Matilda wanted to keep moving at their previous pace but was held back, by, unexpectedly, Leo.


    "With all due respect, madam, I''d rather stumble upon a dying tiger than be caught up in a fight with... Whatever it is battling."


    In the end, Matilda agreed reluctantly.


    Only when the crashing sounds died down did the group speed up once again.


    As the group of five neared the location they knew belonged to the clearing beneath the giant tree, the sights grew bizarre. Some trees seemed to be unnaturally intertwined with each other, and familiar scorched marks began appearing.


    "Just what kind of fight went down here..."


    A Warrior of the ''Cloaks'', Emily, spoke up as the five stopped in front of what seemed like a solid wall made of trees that were twisted together, a still smoldering hole being burnt through it. As the group cautiously crossed it, the clearing came into view.


    It too, bore traces of a battle. One that the human party couldn''t even begin to visualize. Deep ravines were carved in the ground, as if long serpents emerged from it, and in many places, the ground was shattered. Strangely enough, only the towering tree stood in the clearing, no trace of whatever opponent the tiger could have battled.


    "...Let''s keep moving."


    After taking a deep breath, Matilda kept moving forward. Others followed after her, though somewhat apprehensively. After carefully avoiding the gashes in the ground, the group found themselves in front of the entrance to the Dungeon, the place where the tiger supposedly went, evidenced by the echoing roars from within.


    No further words were exchanged as the group delved into the underground domain that they were more or less familiar with. Their bodies tensed, as they either clutched their weapons or gathered their mana in preparation for any battle they might encounter.


    Despite the group''s silent objections, Matilda came in front once again, feeling the flow of mana around them as they moved down the path that led into the depths of the Dungeon.


    Yet the group didn''t encounter the slightest resistance, no Beast attacked them during their walk. Some amongst the group looked confused at this turn of events, only Leo and Matilda seeming confident in their knowledge. The master Mage spoke out soon after.


    "The Beasts of the Dungeon are probably fighting the tiger..."


    Leopold finished her thought.


    "...Or they ran away from it."


    Matilda merely furrowed her brows at his words, not stopping her advance for a second. The previously unsure members sped up, walking with a bit more confidence since they didn''t need to expect a fight at any second.


    Eventually, the group stood before the entrance of the corridor that they knew led into a ''Boss Room'', where two wolves who claimed numerous lives dwelled. The most recent reports of the ''Dungeon delvers'' before the beast tide told of a wall of fog that covered it. And yet what they saw was a light mist in the corridor...


    As if something scattered the fog that was supposed to be there. The culprit was, once again, obvious.


    Once the group moved through the fading mist, they entered the ''boss room''. Following the trend, they were once again greeted by no one. The two fearsome wolves were not there.


    "...Guess even they didn''t manage to stop it."


    Matilda muttered quietly under her nose. She had fought the wolven duo before, and she knew that the tiger was probably stronger than the two of them. Still, she had expected them to put up a fight.


    But the lack of signs and marks of battle, contrary to the surface, suggested otherwise.


    Just then, a resounding roar echoed through the tunnel that led into the depths of the Dungeon.


    "You fucking piece of shit!.."


    The party of five froze at that moment, momentarily not daring to move a muscle.


    "...It is far enough from us, probably close to the second floor. We are safe here."


    Matilda''s words let the group relax, but Rob then loudly whisper-shouted at her.


    Stolen story; please report.


    "It speaks?! Since when do tigers speak?! Why weren''t we told anything about this?!"


    Matilda opened her mouth as if to say something, but only then did she realize that truly, only she heard it talk in person, and the others were ignorant of this matter entirely. And they were right to be shocked, as no Beast was known to learn to speak human language. At least not to their knowledge.


    "Sigh... I am sorry, but I don''t think mentioning it would have changed much back then."


    Rob then stayed silent for a moment before he grumbled.


    "...Would have been nice to know what we were dealing with at least."


    Minutes passed as the group stayed within the ''boss room'' as crashing noises resounded from below. Breaking the relative silence, Emily spoke out the thoughts that the majority of the group had in their mind.


    "Excuse me, Madam, but I wonder why are we even chasing this tiger in the first place if we are constantly staying away from it?"


    Matilda thought for a second before answering.


    "...We are here to assist in battle."


    "Assist? Assist who?"


    "The Dungeon. Or rather, the one that created it."


    This revelation sent another wave of shock through the group, with members having starkly different reactions. Leo remained indifferent, Beatrice, the healer, and Rob was visibly shocked, and Emily looked conflicted.


    Just then an even louder noise could be heard, followed by the tiger''s roars and boasts.


    "Save the questions for later, let''s move."


    As soon as she said those words, Matilda moved towards the darkness of the tunnel that led to the Dungeon''s second floor. Her speed was not that fast, however, as she remained cautious, no one needing to slow her down. The rest followed after, the tunnel swallowing the entire group.


    This time the group didn''t dare be as relaxed as on the first floor, the tension being palpable. The familiar claw marks soon appeared on the earthen walls around them, yet another curious detail catching the Ranger''s eye.


    "...Have I gotten fat, or is the passage tighter than last time?"


    This caught Matilda''s attention, as she reexamined the walls and compared them to her memory of her last visit.


    "Yes. Yes, it did."


    The walls around them were no longer smooth and artificial, but now looked roughly carved out, as if someone, for example, a certain tiger, had just dug them out with its claws.


    Followed by the ''change of aesthetic'', the literal light from the end of the tunnel came into view, and the group soon emerged into the clearing that was the start of the second floor, the familiar forest and the pillar behind it becoming visible.


    Sounds of a massive battle could be once again heard from the distance, a group of birds circling around the pillar, like crows over a battlefield.


    "...Guess that''s where we are going."


    The Ranger''s words were unneeded, as Matilda was already moving in that direction even without them.


    "Ah, I swear, if not for my respect for the elderly..."


    The Ranger and his teammates followed after her. Rob didn''t even try reminding her that what she was doing was walking into a forest that lacked a path and was probably teeming with numerous deadly threats. He knew his words would fall on deaf ears anyway.


    Still, he couldn''t even begin to understand why in the nine hells would someone rush into the unknown this recklessly.


    Nevertheless, the four partymates followed the Mage. They weaved between the dense trees, with the trail not being that obvious anymore. Only occasional clawmarks could be found along the way, forcing the humans to rely on sound rather than sight. It didn''t help that the leaves and branches of the trees above them blocked out most of the light that shone down form above.


    Thankfully the forest wasn''t that big, and the sounds of battle grew ever louder. Roars, shrieks, and squeals became even more distinct. An unexpected obstacle appeared in their path, however.


    "Webs?.."


    They encountered giant spiderwebs woven between the trees. But through those very webs, the group could see glimpses of the battlefield on the other side. Still not enough to understand the situation though.


    Matilda quickly turned around and spoke.


    "Cut it, quickly."


    Emily, who was spoken to, shared a glance with Rob and pulled out her sword after shrugging. The spiderwebs proved resilient, sticking onto her weapon, but she removed them soon enough.


    This allowed the group to pass, though they then had to avoid the webs on the ground as well. And after all that, they finally emerged from between the trees, already tensing their muscles in preparation for battle.


    But the sight that greeted them was a stark contrast to their expectations.


    The tiger, the foe that was supposed to be the grand nemesis, was elevated on a small platform made of dirt, and earthy cuffs surrounding every limb. The bloodied fierce Beast howled in agony and the Beasts around it crouched down, seemingly in reverence.


    And then, abruptly, a large feline flashed her claw, tearing open the tiger''s throat, the blood staining the ''altar'' beneath it.


    And soon after, the group found themselves locked on by every presence in the clearing. Just as the humans were preparing for a battle, a mellow female voice rang out in their ears.


    "Huh. It would seem we have more guests?"


    Although the group had learned that the tiger could speak, opening the possibility for other Beasts to possess such an ability as well, it was shocking nonetheless to experience it firsthand, as feline eyes shining with intelligence locked onto them.


    Following those words, the feline, the cougar, began walking toward the group at a leisurely pace, not being hurried at all. On the contrary, the five humans faced overwhelming pressure as she came closer.


    Even Leopold had sweat form on his face. He, after being on the verge of death, understood best, that he was the closest to it than ever before.


    Beatrice, being the most recent addition to The Cloaks, was shaking with her whole body. It was a wonder she hadn''t collapsed. As if to add to her plight, the countless Beasts that were in the clearing soon began moving in the group''s direction as well.


    But then, to the shock of the humans, the cougar stopped around 5 meters from them. It-, no, she spoke out once again.


    "The Master welcomes you this time, but as you can see, your aid is unnecessary."


    The five humans breathed out sighs of relief, and Beatrice straight up collapsed to the ground, her legs betraying her. The feline continued speaking though.


    "But do not overstay your welcome, for you ultimately do not belong here."


    "...Who is the Master you are talk-"


    "She, however, is invited deeper."


    Rob tried to speak out, but the cougar did not pay him any heed, instead locking her eyes on Matilda. This caused the other group members to gasp and stare at the woman in surprise, not expecting such a thing.


    Matilda herself was shocked, remaining silent for a good minute.


    This hesitation seemed to gradually irritate the cougar though, as she spoke out in a lower tone, sending a threatening glare at Matilda.


    "The Master might be patient, but I am not. Answer."


    Just then the cougar visibly flinched, lowering herself to the ground and speaking out rapidly.


    "Yes, Master, forgive me, Master."


    This only caused the humans to get even more confused, though Matilda finally gave her answer.


    "...Very well. I accept the... Invitation."


    "But Madam!"


    "What if it is a trap?! Think about it!"


    This decision perplexed her fellow Explorers, but she merely shook her head, gesturing to the many Beasts behind the cougar.


    "I have made my decision. Besides, if this ''Master'' wanted to harm us, those Beasts in front of us would have long torn us apart."


    As for the feline herself, she had regained her stature, as if that brief episode didn''t happen.


    "A truly wise choice. Follow me."


    Having said her part, the cougar turned around, walking into the parting crowd of Beasts. Matilda immediately followed after her. The crowd then closed between them, cutting away the woman''s line of sight with her teammates.


    Despite moving at a brisk pace, the cougar was quite fast, and the duo soon arrived at the edge of the clearing. Matilda followed, while curiously studying the unknown territory she was now stepping into, where no expedition had reached yet.


    She was led on a path that didn''t belong to either part of the forest, going right down the middle. Matilda noted multiple large trees that stood to either side of it, similar to those that were growing on the other paths of the second floor. But no Beast was present to guard them, probably still remaining in the clearing.


    The duo of human and beast advanced in rather awkward silence, which Matilda decided to break.


    "So... Do you have a name?"


    The cougar didn''t seem to expect this, turning to Matilda.


    "A name?"


    "Yes, like a way to refer to yourself. I can call you just a cougar if you like but..."


    "No, I know what a name is. This one is called The Huntress. Though I don''t know what this ''cougar'' you speak of."


    The conversation was rather brief and awkward, as the Huntress didn''t seem to have much of an interest in keeping it up. Too bad for her though, Matilda''s innate curiosity of the unknown awakened.


    "Alright then, can you tell me about your ''Master''? Did he create this Dun- this place? Was he the one who named you? How did you learn to speak? Were you taught by him as well?"


    An unending barrage of questions was unleashed on the poor cat. She nearly stumbled because of the suddenness of it. She looked as if she wanted nothing more to lash out and roar at the woman, but as if remembering something, she held herself back, instead answering the questions in a rather reserved manner.


    "The Master... Is The Master of the Hunt. He is the one who created these hunting grounds, and he is the one who gave me this name."


    As she spoke, the duo walked through a wall of fog, though Matilda didn''t notice until she walked into it. They then emerged in a vast chamber with a shallow pond with many leaves floating in the center of it, a vast tree hanging over it. A green light shone from above their heads.


    Matilda momentarily forgot her questions, instead admiring the view for a good moment. The Huntress paid her no heed though, continuing to walk forward, towards the roots where another wall of fog was visible.


    The Mage hurriedly followed, though inwardly Matilda wanted to be given more time to look around.


    ''Sigh... I suppose I should be thankful I am allowed here without a fight.''


    As the duo emerged within a dark tunnel that was leading to the next floor, Matilda asked the next question.


    "So the Master can speak to you in some way, can he not? Why won''t he speak to us in the same way?"


    The Huntress answered without even turning her head this time.


    "He could. But doing so would probably shatter your mind and soul, for his radiant presence is far beyond your comprehension."


    Matilda briefly thought back to the tiger''s cries of agony, though the wounds it had didn''t seem that bad to scream that much. She shuddered as she linked the knowledge together.


    "But you can hear him, right? And you look fine."


    "We have... made an agreement. It now links us together."


    As she said her part, the light gradually enveloped the two once again, and Matilda unexpectedly felt a wave of heat wash over her.


    What then stood before her eyes was... A rainforest, for lack of a better word. She once again couldn''t help but admire the view, the impossible wonder in front of her. As she gazed upward she saw what she could only describe as the sun shining out of an intricate cage on the ceiling, radiating warmth and heat.


    The cougar walked in front of her and looked back at the woman with a feline smirk.


    "The Master wields many powers. If just this much surprises you, then you are too easily surprised."


    Waving her tail, she continued onward.


    "Come, The Master eagerly awaits our arrival, and we still have ways to go."

 Chapter 63: A Reunion?

    The Huntress seemed to be already somewhat used to Matilda''s reactions, intentionally no longer stopping for long periods of time, and instead being smug about it as if she was the one who created the wonders of the Dungeon.


    Nevertheless, the woman didn''t seem to mind the big cat''s antics, absentmindedly continuing to follow her all while continuing to admire and examine her surroundings. She wasn''t completely oblivious to possible dangers though.


    Vegetation around the two rustled, signaling a foreign presence nearby. Matilda, hearing the disturbance, snapped out of her reverie and subconsciously began preparing for battle once again.


    But as she glanced at The Huntress, who remained completely relaxed, Matilda reconsidered the need for caution, as the feline would have surely detected any threat even earlier than her. Following the obvious line of thinking, the Mage followed the feline''s example. Right now Matilda was a guest, after all.


    Still, she couldn''t help but tense a little bit as the source of the disturbance revealed itself. A pack of wolves emerged from hiding, their leader being a wolf with uniquely colored eyes. The rest of the pack had rather normal appearances, though Matilda swore some of them resembled the pair of wolves on the First Floor.


    As the dozen wolves emerged, they didn''t attack, remaining at a certain distance from the duo of Beast and human. As for The Huntress, she was even less perturbed, continuing to lead Matilda between the various ferns and trees that cast cooling shadows from above. As if sensing the woman''s unease, the feline spoke yet again.


    "You need not worry, no Beast would attack the Master''s guest. And certainly not him."


    Though she made no extra moves, it was obvious that she was talking about the pack''s leader. The... person in question followed them along with his kin, like the bodyguard of a pre-Awakening celebrity.


    Matilda glanced back at the Beast, and couldn''t help but notice the intelligent glint in his eyes.


    "Does he also have a name?"


    To her surprise, the answer was not what she was expecting.


    "No, he does not."


    "Why so?"


    The Huntress merely narrowed her eyes slightly.


    "He has not earned one yet."


    Yet another silence soon found itself between the two, and Matilda continued to follow her guide, resorting to just looking around without speaking. But this did not go on for long, as she soon yet again sensed something that she did not expect to encounter, though maybe she should have gotten used to expecting the unexpected by now.


    "...Is there a river up ahead?"


    Although she did not receive an answer, soon enough she didn''t need it anymore as yet another beautiful sight unfolded beyond the parting vegetation.


    Her hearing did not deceive her earlier, as now she was standing at the shore of a lazily flowing river. It was remarkably clear, the riverbed being visible. It curved and twisted like a watery snake as far as Matilda could see, flowing from somewhere beyond the bend up ahead and down the lake that she could see far in the opposite direction.


    This time the Huntress stopped, though she soon revealed her purpose was not to let Matilda look around. As the feline came closer to the river, Matilda thought the Huntress would drink the flowing water, but the woman''s expectations were once again betrayed, as the cat dipped herself into the river briefly, before returning, earning herself a look of confusion from the Mage.


    The Huntress explained herself briefly after shaking off the water.


    "...What? Can''t you feel that the heat over here is somewhat unbearable?"


    Matilda remained silent on that one.


    Having refreshed herself, The Huntress continued her role as a guide, leading the woman along the riverbank. Matilda noted this detail to herself, adding the river as a major point of navigation for future expeditions. Though the former Tower Master was here right now as a guest, the other delvers would have to fight tooth and nail to get here in the future. Numerous lives would no doubt be lost in the exploration, so she did her best to prevent future casualties.


    Amidst her musings, she also noted many strange-looking birds being perched on the trees and tall ferns along the entire Floor. Their eyes followed the group of a woman and many Beasts, tracking their every move. Such a sight sent shudders down Matilda''s spine.


    ''Yet another probably deadly creature to remember...''


    "We''re here."


    The Huntress''s voice rang out in her ears once again, calling her attention back to what was in front of her rather than above her. The duo had reached what seemed like the edge of the rainforest, A cavernous mouth being right in front of them. The river that the two had followed was flowing out of it, the origin point probably being within the cave ahead.


    The Huntress continued to move forward after saying her words, and though Matilda thought she was about to dive and swim through the water near her, she instead seemed to disappear after crossing the corner of the cavern. The Mage came closer and understood that there was a narrow path just at the edge of the entrance to the cavern, feeling relieved that she didn''t need to swim.


    She walked onto the path, steeping rather cautiously while looking at the flowing water beyond the edge that was less than a meter from her, and yet another pleasant surprise revealed itself in the form of the path thickening as one went further into the cavern. She then looked back, curious about whether the wolf pack continued following her as they did along the entire floor.


    She soon saw, or rather noted the absence of the Beasts. Matilda wasn''t sure if she was relieved or disappointed. Nevertheless, as she walked on the thickening path, her eyes adjusted to the darkness, and she finally saw the entirety of the cavernous space.


    "Woah..."


    Despite having seen many impossible sights and wonders in the last two hours, she couldn''t help but gasp in admiration once more.


    A pillar of water flowed downwards like a waterfall was falling from the ceiling, crashing down and creating the starting point of the river. And the watery mist that was floating around as a result of it resonated with her mana senses. The whole thing contained large amounts of mana, the kind of which she hadn''t felt before, though it didn''t take a genius to figure out that it was Water Mana.


    "Are you ever going to be done gawking at everything you see? Hurry up... I beg of you."


    A rather annoyed voice could then be heard by Matilda, and she saw The Huntress looking at her with a rather annoyed glare while sitting on a stone platform that protruded out of the wall opposite the cavern''s entrance. A second glance revealed that an empty space, an alcove of sorts, lay beyond it, creating a natural lair for the cougar.


    Matilda heeded the Huntress''s plea, speeding up her pace, soon arriving near that platform, her next destination being signified by the familiar wall of fog.


    And yet, to her surprise, the feline didn''t go down to continue guiding her, instead seemingly getting more comfortable in her spot above Matilda, laying down and closing her eyes. At such a sight Matilda blinked as she waited for a dozen seconds. As if seeing the sheer refusal of the cat to move forward, she asked.


    "Uhh... Huntress? Have we arrived already? There seems to be a way forward though..."


    She received an annoyed grumble in response.


    "That''s as far as I go, I don''t really like the parts ahead."


    "But... Who is going to guide me then?"


    To this question, the feline opened a single eye before speaking out two words.


    "Remy will."


    Matilda furrowed her brows in confusion.


    "But who is-"


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    Just as she was about to ask, Matilda felt a tugging on her robe from below. When she looked down she saw what she at first thought was a child dressed in rags. But a closer look revealed that it wasn''t a child at all, claws and fur adorning the tiny hands, beady black eyes meeting her gaze.


    ''A rat!''


    Matilda barely held back her urge to scream, as she was caught off guard by the creature that appeared out of nowhere. She gulped audibly, before asking in a rather quiet voice.


    "...I uh- Is this Remy?"


    The one who answered was not the Huntress, the creature she had identified as a mouse, not a rat, nodded its head in response to her question. It then quickly began moving in the direction of the fog wall in a remarkable pace on all fours, before stopping to look back at Matilda, as if beckoning her to follow. She reluctantly did as she was asked. She then followed the mouse beyond the fog that it disappeared into, soon finding herself on the other side.


    As soon as she did so, she heard someone breathe out heavily, followed by rather quiet chatter.


    "Finally got away... The claw-huntress didn''t touch me this time. Why must I be subject to her pain-torment almost every time?"


    At first, Matilda thought that by some miracle another human found their way down here, but the weird speech patterns and the fact that she heard Beasts speak made her aware of another possibility.


    "You... You can talk too?!"


    Sure enough, the speaker was right in front of her, muttering as he cleaned his face with his paws, which seemed to have ill-fitted human gloves on them. The mouse, whose name was Remy, turned to Matilda after her exclamation.


    "Why of course, guest-visitor. If that vile br-, uh, honored huntress can, then why wouldn''t I?"


    "...Then why didn''t you speak back there?"


    Matilda then saw Remy visibly shudder, as if recalling some horrific event.


    "There are... time-places where silence-quiet is better."


    His nervousness seemed to be reflected in his speech, as it became slightly less clear. But the mouse then shook his head before he looked up at Matilda once again.


    "Let us forget this. I am now your guide-protector, respected visitor. Please walk-follow behind me."


    As he said so, his tiny form turned around once again, facing the dark environment ahead of them. Matilda, familiar with the descending tunnels that lay beyond the walls of fog, followed without hesitation.


    This time, however, the walk seemed remarkably short before light once again found its way to her sight. But, contrary to her previous experiences, it was rather dim, like an old lamp on the verge of burning out. And when she reached the tunnel''s end, the expected grand view did not appear yet again.


    "Are we... In the right place?"


    She found herself in a relatively small chamber, with nothing of note present in it except for five different openings that lead into a passage, including the one she came from, being present in it. A small, semicircular sphere of dimly glowing crystal was embedded in the ceiling, providing what little light was illuminating the chamber.


    As for her guide, as if to add to the unexpected situation, was not in front of any openings, instead being in front of one of the walls, tapping and scratching on it, before moving on to another section. It didn''t take him long to settle on a particular segment of it, as he then began tapping and seemingly examining the floor near that wall as well, only making Matilda even more confused.


    "May I ask... What are you doing, exactly."


    The mouse sniffed the location a couple more times before he turned to Matilda once again.


    "The Creator-Master grows impatient. And the normal path is twisted-long and winded. I am preparing to make a... shortcut, I believe Creator calls it."


    This statement caused Matilda''s curiosity to perk up once more.


    "Wait, is he talking to you right now? Can I ask him something?"


    In response Remy looked at the woman thoughtfully for a moment, remaining silent for a while. He then spoke.


    "Creator-Master wants to talk to you personally. It is a great honor-reward and it would be disrespectful for me to serve as his voice."


    Matilda could only nod at that, being rather disappointed. Nevertheless, she calmed herself down.


    ''Let''s be patient for just a little longer, soon I will get all the answers I want...''


    The Mage suddenly felt mana twist in a rather familiar manner, and she soon found herself watching a rather interesting scene.


    Mana burst out of Remy''s hands, seeping into the ground of the spot he had chosen. And where the dirt and stone were touched, they crumbled and retreated like sand, a new, rather cramped path gradually beginning to appear. The reason this scene was interesting to Matilda was not because the mouse-beast was wielding mana, as she knew it was probably capable of it, but because the control of the mana was quite refined, being only a tiny bit worse than her own. Were Remy a human, Matilda would have called him a genius, probably designating him as one of the top Mages.


    As for the mouse Mage himself, he was wholly concentrated on his task, a tunnel soon being created. When Matilda came near it though, it became apparent that even though he deliberately made it larger, he was not very used to constructing with human proportions in mind, making the new passage rather cramped. But Matilda did not let it deter her as she followed him down the path he was paving. She couldn''t help but ask another question along the way.


    "...I am sure your master knows that we humans know how to wield mana too, right? Then why won''t he make this ground impervious to manipulation? I''m sure he can do that somehow."


    Remy did not respond for a moment, only turning to her after momentarily stopping his mana channeling.


    "If you do not know the way-path, the thing I am doing would only bring you final doom."


    Having said the part, he continued digging forward, leaving Matilda to her thoughts once again. She glanced back towards the other end of the tunnel, the way they came from. To her surprise and slight shock, the faint light was no longer visible, as if the entrance to the tunnel was sealed up sometime after they went in.


    "...I can see why that would be the case."


    The only reason the duo wasn''t trudging through this tunnel in pitch darkness was because of the slight glow that Remy''s patterns that were engraved on his fur gave off. They were like yellow glowing tattoos, though the ones on his arms glowed brightly compared to the rest that lined his body. If it was an unprepared party digging, they would be disoriented, lacking direction, and gradually running out of oxygen after being sealed off. This morbid thought also gave rise to a concern in Matilda''s mind.


    ''Surely we are not going to suffocate in here. The Creator would not kill his guest in such a way, right? Right?''


    Matilda''s breathing sped up slightly at the thought, but she then tried breathing in deeply as a way to calm herself down. But just then she seemed to have heard a weird echo.


    ''...meet...say..?''


    This startled her, as she quickly turned around, searching for the source of the noise. But there was nothing except for Remy and her in the tunnel. In the end, she decided to dismiss it as a figment of her nervous imagination. Still, she asked Remy just to be sure.


    "Did you hear anything?"


    "No. Did you?"


    "Nevermind..."


    The minutes continued to pass as the mouse guide worked hard on his task, leaving Matilda in wonder at his Mana capacity. The woman was also rather tired of walking with her head bent, but there was no other option. Just as she was floating amidst her thoughts, she felt something ripple through her, a rather distinct voice of unclear gender echoing in her hearing.


    ''She... soon. What... I...''


    Matilda was sure this was not just her imagination, yet the undisturbed stature of Remy was saying otherwise. She asked just to make sure whether she was going crazy.


    "I heard something again... Are you sure you can''t hear it? This... voice."


    At the mention of a voice, Remy turned around once again, and looked at her with what seemed like respect.


    "Your skill-might is truly great. To hear the Creator''s Whispers already, your abilities are greater than mine."


    The enigmatic answer did not answer much to Matilda, so she continued her query.


    "Creator''s... whispers? Are you talking about this echo?"


    "Yes, the Great Burrow was made by him, and sometimes his thought-whispers remain and echo amidst the rock-stone. I hear them very rarely, only when the Creator-Master creates something new near me."


    At such an explanation, Matilda didn''t really know what to say. She didn''t expect such a thing that''s for sure. No other questions came to her mind, so she remained silent. Minutes continued to pass, she was sure of it, but the absence of means to discern time made it quite hard to know how long of a time exactly passed.


    All of a sudden though, Remy stopped of his own accord and turned to face her before he spoke out, reverence being audible in his voice.


    "You will soon stand before Creator-Master! Prepare yourself, for this is a great honor! Even I, who was name-ascended never saw Creator''s form."


    His words caused Matilda''s eyes to refocus, and now that she focused on her senses, she felt that the mana around her was incomparable to when Remy had just started digging his tunnel. And she doubted the increase could be attributed only to an increase in depth or something. She knew that the master of this Dungeon, the great creator was right beyond the layer of rock and stone that separated the duo from... him.


    The Mage took a deep breath and spoke.


    "Alright. I''m ready."


    Remy nodded in response, before he twisted the mana in his arms, causing the dirt to once again move away. But this time what lay beyond was not more stone, but an opening, which revealed a corridor filled with light below it. Matilda shielded her eyes briefly as she adjusted to the sudden brightness, and when she opened her eyes once again she saw Remy standing near it, probably waiting for her to go first.


    "...Let''s meet the hand behind the scenes then."


    Matilda murmured as she moved towards the opening and jumped down. She landed successfully on a paved floor, her knees in pain from being strained for so long. Nevertheless, she ignored the pain to examine her surroundings.


    First, the opening above her quickly sealed up as if it was never there. Remy didn''t come down in the end.


    She then looked around the corridor she was in. On one end of it there was a wall of fog, looking far denser than the ones she saw before. It was probably the exit.


    Finally, she turned to the opposite direction of the exit, teal light shining over her. She felt mana as if she was swimming in it, and it flowed beyond her, to the exit behind her. Because of the glow, she couldn''t quite make out the details of what she was seeing, so she did the logical thing to do: she moved forward.


    Step after step, the mana around her intensified, and she was feeling a foreign... presence ever clearer as she moved closer. The corridor was quite short though, and she soon came out of it, finally understanding what was in front of her eyes.


    She stood on a platform that hung over a deep gap, and in front of her hovered a large... Crystal, suspended by an unseen force. It spun slowly as a deep hum of mana resonated from within.


    Just staring at it hurt her, and not because it was bright. When she looked at it, she felt as if her mind grew heavy, static, and countless overlapping words ringing within her head. She frowned in pain and grabbed her head, wanting to speak something. But just as she wanted to do so, silence fell just abruptly as the voices came.


    The mana itself seemed to grow still, falling silent as well.


    Just as Matilda was wondering whether or not to speak though, a clear word was spoken by the voice she had heard in her head before.


    <strong style="font-style: italic">"...MOTHER..."


    And when the androgynous voice had spoken, Matilda''s mind grew hazy, and she fell to her knees and slumped on the floor, unconscious. The crystal in front of her seemed to spin slower than it did before.

 Chapter 64: After 36 Years

    "...hey!"


    Lan felt groggy. The warm sun shining from above didn''t help, instead making him feel hot and sleepy.


    "...Lan? Lan!"


    ''Who is it... Just leave me alone...''


    "Wake up already! It''s your turn soon!"


    Lan felt his shoulder being shaken, finally getting him out of his dreamy state. His half-closed eyes suddenly opened, a disoriented look present in them. A brief look around himself reminded Lan where he was though.


    All around him fellow students stood, some holding diplomas and some looking somewhere ahead in anticipation. A hot summer sun shone from above their heads, not a single shadow providing reprieve to the miserable crowd. It then clicked, recognition appearing within his mind.


    ''Ah yes... It''s the final day of school, isn''t it?''


    It was the hot summer day of June, June 22nd of 2026 to be exact.


    He then turned to look at the person who awoke him. It was a normal-looking guy with ***-colored eyes, and the usual *** face. The one you could find just about everywhere in any school you go to. It was the only classmate Lan knew relatively well, his name was ***. There was no way Lan would forget that at least.


    "Yeah, I''m awake, you can stop shaking me!"


    Lan forcibly took away the foreign hand from his shoulder, earning him a laugh from the hand''s owner.


    "Weird... It isn''t like me to doze off like this..."


    He wasn''t given much time to think though, as the school director''s voice spoke through the speakers yet again.


    "NEXT, CLASS ***''S STUDENT, LAN***** *****, PLEASE COME FORWARD."


    The booming voice echoed, Lan only managing to pick his name out of the whole sentence due to how unclear the sound was. Nevertheless, it was indeed his turn.


    Lan walked forward, pushing through the students ahead of him, not wanting to be listed as absent, as taking the diploma later would be a pain. Thankfully the *** school''s staff were known to be rather lenient, so despite it taking quite a while to appear before their eyes, they didn''t call the next person.


    Finally, he walked across the plaza where the ceremony was taking place, taking a step onto the wooden stage that stood in the middle of it. There the director, as well as the many teachers, including Lan''s homeroom teacher, Mrs ***, were standing. She had a *** expression on her face.


    The director, a rather tall man, held up a diploma before handing it to him while speaking into a microphone.


    "TAKING SECOND PLACE IN THE TOWN-WIDE ART COMPETITION, AND FIRST PLACE REGION-WIDE, OUR SCHOOL IS PROUD TO HAVE YOU AS A STUDENT!"


    With that, he was handed the diploma, followed by a handshake from the director, who then handed him the mic.


    "Please say a few words to everyone."


    Lan wasn''t that well-versed in speeches, so he spoke the first thing that came to mind.


    "I AM GLAD TO HAVE BEEN A PART OF THIS SCHOOL FOR THESE YEARS. THANK YOU ALL!"


    His words were met with a round of rather unenthusiastic clapping, as those present already had their hands sore from applauding every person who came up on the stage. Lan didn''t take it to heart though, as he knew he was not that popular to elicit any reaction.


    He then handed the mic back and walked back to his place, then continued to stand under the scorching sun while the next person was called up. He never really liked such grand and usually long ceremonies, as they were simply useless formalities, wasting everyone''s time. Not that he could do anything about it though, so he sucked it up and stood still as part of the crowd.


    Person after person came and went, and as time ticked at an excruciating rate, the ceremony eventually finished. To Lan''s relief, the clouds gathered in the sky, thunder rumbling in the distance, a sure sign it would rain soon. The students were dispersing out of the school like a river that broke past a dam, Lan being a part of them.


    Once he walked out of the facility''s confines, he took a deep breath.


    ''Finally, it''s over.''


    With a bag on his back, he walked out without any particular destination in mind. Just then, he heard his name being called from behind him.


    "Lan, wait! Slow down for a second!"


    Lan turned around and saw ***, the friend who had woken him up earlier. Panting, the guy finally caught up to him, before trying to ask something in between his breaths.


    Seeing that his friend wanted to tell him something, Lan waited patiently for him to regain his breath.


    "So, heh, are you going anywhere for the summer?"


    Lan raised his eyebrow at the question, wondering why *** would want to know that. Still, he answered ***''s question.


    " Well, my mom and are probably going to visit Dad in Ukraine now that the war''s over. Why do you ask?"


    *** had a disappointed expression on his face, answering Lan''s query.


    "Well... You see, I was going to visit my family in Britain, so I was wondering whether you wanted to come with..."


    As if feeling the suspicious gaze from Lan, *** explained quickly added.


    "Hey, don''t get me wrong, I''m not gay or anything! It''s just that it gets hella boring out there, plus you''ve never been to Britain, right? C''mon man, help me out on this..."


    Seeing the rather hesitant look on Lan''s face, *** added another detail.


    "...And if you agree, I will introduce you to my hot cousin?"


    "Deal. I will ask my mother about our plans when I get home."


    Seeing Lan instantly appear in front of him, *** barely held back his urge to chuckle.


    "A deal''s a deal then. Let me know what she tells you, ok? See ya later!"


    *** then waved his hand and disappeared amidst the torrent of students, leaving Lan to his thoughts again.


    Lan shook his head and walked away as well, sighing heavily. He mumbled.


    "...He knows me better than I do."


    Gradually the school disappeared behind him, familiar old-looking buildings passing by as he walked forward. The town he lived in, Cypress Town, was not modern, but it was not rural either. The town center still had that old architectural style from the 20th century, with an even older town citadel in the middle of it. But as one went further away from it, more modern homes appeared, with some being rather new, adorned with solar panels and fancy outdoor structures. His home was one of those.


    But Lan was living in a dormitory on his own insistence, as he wanted to get away from his mother''s gaze, like all teens do. Plus it would be a pain to commute due to long public transportation routes. He also wanted to have a taste of independent life, which his mother fully supported. Now that school was over, he also wanted to get a part-time gig until the trip.


    "...can''t leech off of my parents forever after all. Still, where exactly? I am only seventeen, and none of my neighbors would need me to trim their lawns or something... Maybe I''m just being lazy as always."


    Lan shook his head before a smile crept onto his face.


    "...Should I enjoy my freedom a little longer? Nothing beats being free after all!"


    Lan kept on smiling, in a rather good mood as he walked around the festive-looking town. Because today was the final school day, the town was flooded with many students seeking entertainment. As for Lan, he only stopped at a bakery and bought a snack which he happily munched on as he enjoyed the sights and the breeze that was now sweeping across the streets.


    "Wait... Today''s day is special, right? Why should I return to the smelly dormitory where three other guys are doing weird shit? I can visit home!"


    An idea began gradually forming in his mind, growing ever clearer and plausible the more Lan thought about it.


    "Yeah! And I can give Mom a surprise too! What would be a good gift though?.."


    Because of the suddenness of the idea, Lan had no time to make a gift with his own hands, so he would have to buy one. His mom had peculiar tastes, however.


    "...She does not particularly love sweets, and though she might appreciate flowers, I bet she has had enough of them because of her hobby..."


    Lan stopped mid-walk as an idea popped into his mind.


    "How about a cactus? Mom is crazy about plants, but I don''t think she has any cacti. Let''s do it!"


    Lan already had his wallet in his backpack, so he did not need to make a detour to get it. Taking out his phone, Lan checked the route to the closest botanic shop, of which there were several, and he soon picked a route, following it.


    Somewhere along the way, he also took out his headphones and put on some music on his phone. Hearing his favorite track on the playlist start, he gradually immersed himself in it, singing along rather awfully.


    As he walked, however, he was suddenly struck with a bad premonition, causing him to stop all of a sudden.


    Lan furrowed his brows, stopping the song and looking around. He was near a construction site, right beside it in fact. He was on a protected sidewalk, the one where a roof was constructed over.


    "It looks rather shoddily made though..."


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    Just as he was saying those words, Lan heard something snap, unconsciously taking a few steps back.


    CRASH!


    And then, right in front of him, the roof was broken with a resounding noise, and a metal beam now stood where Lan previously was a second ago.


    Lan felt shivers run down his spine and his hands twitched uncontrollably. He had nearly died just now.


    He quickly walked backward, feeling a shortness of breath in his chest. Without stopping, he swiftly left the scene, where onlookers were already snapping pictures.


    Suddenly, he leaned on the wall, throwing up heavily. His legs were trembling under him, barely holding Lan up.


    "Shit... Fu-u-u-ck."


    Gradually recovering from the shock, he wiped his mouth and began walking once again. He was no longer in the mood to buy presents. Right now he just wanted to go home. Absentmindedly, he found his way toward the closest bus stop near him, a heavy sense of unreality and incongruity assaulting him along the way.


    He didn''t know when he had reached the stop, and he got onto the first bus that went in the needed direction. Lan didn''t pay attention to his stained clothes either, looking out the window with an empty gaze, an image of a pillar crashing right in front of him playing through his head again and again.


    ''If I had not stepped back... I would have... I...''


    Though Lan had somewhat calmed down along the two-hour-long ride, he was still somewhat shaken by the experience. Never had he brushed hands with Death like this before. He was still feeling that what happened wasn''t real, but he quickly dismissed the thought as a part of trauma.


    But as Lan was struggling within his mind, he didn''t notice that beyond the window of the bus was a completely empty city, the bus itself was completely empty too. And no one was in the driver''s seat.


    He was only snapped out of his musings by the automated announcer of the vehicle.


    *Arriving to. Third of May St.*


    Lan got up out of his seat, not wanting to miss his stop, quickly exiting the bus. He stepped on the sidewalk, looking around him as the bus sped away from his view.


    "...Mom sure knew where to pick a home."


    Lan found himself observing a rather opulent private sector. Big, often two-storied houses lined both sides of the streets, each having a large yard in front of them. Some had custom-made gates, and some had their own pools and playgrounds. A far cry from a cramped apartment or dorm.


    With these thoughts briefly overshadowing those of the recent event, he walked along the street, soon stopping in front of one house in particular. He looked towards the mailbox near the gate of it.


    ''S__in Household''


    The surname was scratched off, a work of some vandals, which Lan and his Mom hadn''t yet managed to fix.


    "...People have nothing to do, huh..."


    As Lan grumbled, he took out the keys from his bag, unlocked the door, and walked through it. What greeted his sight was a vast garden, an artificial pond housing a couple of fishes to the side. A couple of young trees were growing around the path that led to the large house beyond it.


    Lan walked along, admiring the neatly cut bushes, and well-maintained flowers that were present. His mother always loved such things. And she had money for them.


    Standing in front of the two-storied house, he took a deep breath and unlocked the door. This would be his first visit in nearly three months. His return was supposed to be a surprise, so he opened the door as quietly as he could.


    After closing it behind him, Lan looked around the first floor. What greeted his sight was a vast living room and an entrance to the kitchen being to the side of it. Directly opposite the entrance, there was a set of glass doors leading to the backyard. Opposite the kitchen, there was a spiral staircase leading upwards to the second floor.


    "Phew... Thankfully she is not in the kitchen. Otherwise, the plan would have completely failed."


    His mother loved taking afternoon naps, especially in the summer, so this was probably one of those times. Lan quietly redressed into casual clothes, before entering the kitchen.


    "Since I didn''t buy anything... However, I did have a good reason for it... I will make something else to surprise her."


    Lan had two hobbies. Painting and baking. He could make a portrait for his mom, but she already had a couple of those, and he would need to see her to make it. On the other hand...


    "Cookies. I summon thee..."


    He deftly took out the ingredients he knew he would need. With practiced moves he mixed them in the correct order, the result finding itself in an oven soon enough.


    But when Lan was making his gift, he didn''t notice that the mirror that was hanging on the wall nearby didn''t have his reflection...


    After fifteen minutes of waiting, he put on mittens and took the tray out of the oven, a nice smell wafting throughout the entire house.


    Just as he was turning around to place it down on the table, he heard the footsteps and creaking stairs from behind him.


    "Ah... Guess I''m busted."


    He didn''t take the smell into account. Still, the gift was done, so...


    Lan turned around, a smile finding its way onto his face.


    But when he turned around he didn''t find the woman that was wearing casual light clothes that he expected.


    He saw a woman with a tired look in her green, wizened eyes. A white, charred coat adorned her form, and dust marred her raven-black hair. Still, despite the weird look, it was still undoubtedly his mother.


    Lan put down the tray with the baked sweets and put away the mittens as he prepared to greet her.


    "Hi mom... It was supposed to be a surp-"


    He didn''t get to finish his words though, as she ran up to him at a speed he didn''t think possible, and embraced him deeply.


    "M-mom?"


    Just then he heard sobbing. He felt something wet, undoubtedly tears, fall down his back.


    "Lanny!"


    His mother broke down crying out of nowhere, tears flowing down endlessly. Lan couldn''t even begin to understand the reason for this. It was just a slightly special visit.


    "Come on Mom, what''s wrong? It''s not like I..."


    Lan suddenly saw a thing that wasn''t there before, a teal, tear-shaped crystal hovering over the coffee table in the middle of the living room.


    "...Died."


    A surge of memories came flooding into his mind. What he had forgotten was remembered. The school, the ceremony, the walk back, he remembered most of it exactly as it was.


    With the exception of one detail. When he was near the construction site, he never took those few steps back, too engrossed in the song he was listening to.


    His hands hugged his mother back, tightening as if to never let go. As understanding returned to his mind, a figure materialized where there was previously an empty spot in the mirror.


    A humanoid shape condensed, before turning to a seventeen-year-old boy with brown hair, gray eyes, and a small scar on his chin. He too soon began crying, only the sound of a tearful reunion filling the empty house. Nobody was there to listen in, as the entire neighborhood was empty, not a single vehicle crossing it the entire time.


    Gradually the pair calmed down though, but neither let go of the embrace. The moment seemed to stretch on forever, but eventually, Matilda stepped back, still tightly holding Lan by the shoulders.


    "...you are back."


    Matilda whispered and Lan answered in an equally quiet voice.


    "I am. But..."


    "None of this is real, right?"


    Lan nodded quietly. He had regained his memories, and he knew what had happened in ''the original timeline''


    "It doesn''t matter."


    Lan stared into his mother''s, Matilda''s, reddened eyes, a happy smile adorning her face.


    "We are back together and this is all that matters..."


    Lan''s eyes began to tremble violently at her sad expression, an overwhelming sense of guilt flooding him.


    His eyes wettened yet again before he hugged his mother yet again. He cried out through the tears.


    "I-I''m sorry! I''m sorry for leaving you for so long!"


    Matilda seemed surprised by the sudden outburst of emotion before an even gentler smile appeared on her face.


    She gently returned the embrace, patting Lan''s head. She whispered.


    "You are late by so many years... But welcome home, Lancelot Stein."


    The mother and son stayed still just like this, together, for an indeterminate amount of time. Although there wasn''t a way to tell how much of it had passed, due to the nature of the space they found themselves in, it didn''t matter. They have separated abruptly for a long time, so it was only appropriate for the bottled-up emotions to emerge even in the most stoic of persons.


    Especially if the matters concerned family.


    The blissful silence was interrupted by Matilda''s quiet murmur.


    "...Have you calmed down already? It seems you didn''t miss me as much as I thought."


    Lancelot abruptly released his hug and stared her in the eyes with as serious a look as he could muster at the moment.


    "...you know that''s not true, mom."


    Matilda only smiled in response.


    "I know... I just can''t help it. It''s been so long... And you haven''t changed a day since then."


    Lancelot stayed silent for a while before asking something.


    "...How long has it been exactly?"


    Matilda seemed a bit surprised at such a question but answered nonetheless.


    "It''s been 36 years since the Awakening... And the day of your... death."


    The boy was shaken. Although he expected maybe a decade to have passed because of the deterioration and overgrowth he witnessed, he largely attributed it to the influence mana. However now that he heard the exact amount of time that transpired, he couldn''t help it.


    "So you... For so long?"


    Matilda nodded sadly at Lancelot''s incomplete question.


    At the time of his death, he was nearly 18 years old, so it could be said that his mother lived twice as long without him as she did with him. To him, who had experienced merely a third of the time, he couldn''t imagine how she felt throughout those times. He looked downward, the sense of guilt from earlier returning yet again. Matilda kept speaking, however.


    "...On that day I was sure you would visit. I know you too well, after all."


    Lancelot looked up to her yet again and saw a bitter and sad smile this time.


    "I... waited. I even prepared a gift for you as well." She gestured towards the corner of the room, where a package lay. Though Lancelot was sure it wasn''t there previously.


    "It was the graphic tablet you always wanted... And yet... You didn''t return no matter how long I waited."


    Matilda took a deep breath, her voice trembling as she recalled those particular details.


    "At first... I thought you were out with your classmates. But as the sun set, you didn''t even give me a phone call. And you didn''t answer any either. So I went out to search for you."


    Lancelot only listened without saying anything, while Matilda struggled to keep her calm, forcing out words.


    "I searched. And... searched. And I found a... Scene near a construction site."


    Her eyes wettened yet again, but Matilda kept on speaking.


    "The police were there... At first, I didn''t pay attention, I had a more important thing to do than gossip, but then I saw them... Showing your photo, asking about you."


    Lancelot knew what she would likely tell next, so he merely hugged her yet again without saying anything.


    "Then... And then... They said that they were searching... The relatives of the deceased."


    Lancelot felt his mother tremble as she continued speaking.


    "I... I... didn''t know what to feel back then. I thought it wasn''t real. That it was a bad joke, a prank, a bad dream... But..."


    "It''s okay. I''m here, I''m back. That''s in the past, Mom."


    Matilda didn''t answer but took deep breaths for the next minute. She then continued her story with a slightly more stable voice.


    "Soon after though, as if the very world wanted to mock me, that happened."


    Lancelot continued listening without saying anything.


    "At first... The grass by the side of the road just started growing very quickly. I... wasn''t really paying attention back then, but that was rather bizarre now that I remember."


    "Then... I felt something new flow through me amidst the emptiness I felt at that moment."


    Lancelot''s curiosity was rather piqued, causing him to ask a question that was on the tip of his tongue.


    "...Was it mana?"


    "Yes... Back then I didn''t know, but now I do. Mana just... Appeared. As if water filling out an empty bottle that was me."


    "After it, chaos broke out. While I was just standing there, so many common birds and animals that got very big, even bigger than the ones that you have in your... Playground."


    Matilda seemed to be more at ease retelling the beginning of an apocalypse rather than the circumstances of his death, even bits of humor finding a way into her speech.


    "At first I didn''t react to any of that... But soon after I just wanted to lash out at everything. I wanted to scream at the unfairness and cruelty of the world... And I managed to do so in a way I didn''t expect."


    Matilda then gradually told Lan of the events that transpired shortly after his death. After Mana returned, all living organisms, with the strange exception of humans, were suddenly enhanced and evolved, wreaking havoc upon human society.


    His mother, however, perhaps due to her emotional turmoil at that moment, seemed to be particularly attuned to mana''s destructive potential. Lancelot learned that she, with her newfound power, massacred any Beast or human that tried to attack her, and when she returned to her senses, she was surrounded by ruins, and the humans that remained feared and somewhat admired her, though fear was prevalent back then.


    "...I just went along with the flow. I didn''t really have any ambition anymore, so I just took care of the survivors like I would take care of the plants in the garden. I would remove the harmful pests and prevent them from dying, but didn''t care particularly care about them."


    Out of nowhere, she chuckled softly.


    "One thing led to another... And I became somewhat of a leader of our town."


    Lancelot remained speechless at such a chain of events. After he had heard how she rampaged, he thought she would be persecuted by other surviving humans, but it would seem that they were more desperate than he previously thought, clinging to anyone who offered any kind of hope.


    "...What about Dad then?"


    Lancelot''s father stayed near the western borders of Ukraine at the moment of the magical apocalypse, so he wondered whether his parents managed to contact each other after the initial chaos.


    "...He is sitting on the Eastern Shore, busy with his own things. We did meet up later but..."


    Matilda sighed. Lancelot caught the notion that something may have happened between his parents, maybe causing them to drift apart, and this seemed to be another sore topic of his mother, so he didn''t press her.


    One thing puzzled him though.


    "What is this Eastern Shore though?"


    Matilda suddenly turned her gaze to him, looking surprised for a moment before speaking.


    "Ah right, you wouldn''t know about this just yet. I keep forgetting about this."


    Lancelot merely tilted his head, awaiting an answer.


    "Well... How can I say this properly..."


    Matilda then said something he couldn''t comprehend when he heard it.


    "I''ll just tell this as is then... There is now a new ocean to our East, causing most of Ukraine and probably Asia to no longer exist?"


    End of Volume 1

 Chapter 65: A Snowy Prelude

    Sun was hidden behind the clouds and swift winds howled across the sky. They were cold, freezing even, their temperature being far from what it was supposed to be during the late summer or early autumn. But, as if to accentuate the bizarre phenomenon, if one looked downwards at the ground below the cold sky, one would see white.


    It was snow. The ground was entirely covered in the freezing, white powder, some of it occasionally being picked up by the passing winds, causing it to swirl before settling once more.


    And yet, amidst such an unpleasant place, one could find warmth. An encampment stood like an unshakeable bulwark, a beacon of life. A faint song could be heard through the howling winds, thin trails of smoke rising up before being dispersed.


    The encampment was by no means small, however. Dozens and hundreds of tents that could simultaneously house multiple people were scattered around seemingly chaotically, yet they had a certain kind of order to them. And within one of the larger tents that stood closer to the center of the camp, a woman sat on her knees. She had her eyes closed, as if dreaming, or being deep in meditation.


    Her hair was starkly white like the snow that covered the land, and her skin was as pale as ice. She wasn''t wearing furs, however, she was wearing what one would recognize as a sleeved shirt and jeans, far removed from the tribalistic and warm look one might expect.


    The interior of a tent wasn''t lacking either, a portable, visibly handmade, furnace exuded warmth as a fire burning within. A sleeping bag, various rugs, and even some small furniture were also present, adding a rather homely feel to the tent.


    In the next moment, however, the atmosphere changed instantly, all due to a single action. The tent''s resident opened her eyes.


    They were of a frigid-blue color, complimenting her other features. She would be called pretty, cute even, if not for a single other detail. Her very eyes seemed to emanate cold and frost, and if anyone had been standing before the woman, they surely would have been shivering in the cold.


    As if to make this worse, as soon as the woman awoke from whatever trance she was in, the entire tent got quite literally colder, the temperature dropping by a good few degrees. Frost could be seen materializing on the woman''s clothes, also creeping on the rug beneath her.


    All of it ended in a similar fashion to how it started, though.


    "Haa..."


    The woman exhaled, cold mist flowing out instead of warm air, before standing up. The frost that began forming instantly receded as if it was never there, not even leaving a trace of moisture behind. At the same time, the temperature of the dwelling returned to normal too.


    As for the perpetrator of the whole phenomenon, she shook her head lightly in apparent dissatisfaction. She then spoke quietly.


    "The Spirits of Ice are getting active yet again."


    The woman then looked beyond the flap that led into her tent, as if seeing the howling winds and snow beyond it.


    "...There''s not much time until the next Dragon Wind."


    The white-haired woman then went up to the small wardrobe that was present, quickly changing into clothes more suited to the harsh temperature outside. In the brief moment that her body was visible, however, many scars that sliced across her body could be seen. The woman herself avoided looking at them, but the single glance she gave them bore deep-seated anger and bloodlust. Whoever was the cause of these scars was clearly not liked by the woman.


    After a few moments, she was adorned in a robe made of furs, now closer resembling a typical image of a settler of the far North.


    With that being done, the pale woman walked out of her tent with a confident gait.


    What greeted her sight was a rather cheerful scene, a giant campfire surrounded by makeshift benches made out of tree logs. Near the benches were tables made in similar fashion, and most were covered with a ''roof'' made of cloth, preventing any rain or snow from covering them. And all of this was filled with people.


    Men and women dressed in warm clothes were singing together as they sat around the fire, some of them also being visibly drunk. At the same time a giant, cow-like animal was being roasted on a rotisserie, a pleasant smell wafting out as it was slowly being cooked.


    The woman raised her eyebrow at the sight. The place was rather quiet when she began her meditation. She turned towards one of the older men and shouted.


    "Oi, Kelman! What''s going on and why was I not invited?"


    The frigid image around the woman shattered as everyone suddenly turned their heads to the loud voice that overshadowed the whole celebration. It was not because her voice was ethereal or enchanting, not at all.


    It was just that fucking loud.


    The man that was called, Kelman, cowered momentarily, before smiling and responding in turn.


    "...Ingrid! Nice of you to join us! We were setting up bets on whether you will sit this one through or not."


    True to his words, several of the members of the crowd suddenly had downcast looks, and others were instead unusually excited.


    Kelman though had Ingrid''s intense gaze bore into him, making him cough awkwardly before continuing.


    "Ahem! Well, the hunters caught a big one, so..."


    As the woman''s gaze grew ever more frightening, causing him to sweat in cold weather, he gave in and shouted.


    "Agh, fine! No one has the guts to disturb your meditation anymore! You nearly froze the last guy who tried to!"


    Ingrid''s pressure lessened, allowing him to breathe freely yet again. And while he was desperately gasping for breath, she walked past him amidst the silent crowd. She talked as she walked.


    "...He would have been fine if he tried to do so with a purpose other than to peek on me."


    Amidst the silence, she walked up to the Beast that was being cooked and took a knife out of her robe. With a swift motion, a slice of meat soon found itself in her mouth. She then looked back and spoke loudly as she chewed.


    "Why so silent, you oafs? Eat up, I will cover your drinks today!"


    This statement instantly caused the crowd to break out in cheers, the previously oppressive atmosphere nowhere to be found. She smiled lightly, as this was a frequent occurrence. The people knew that she didn''t like to be venerated, so they did the whole ''fearful silence'' thing to coax drinks out of her.


    Nevertheless, she had things more important than celebrating to do.


    Ingrid walked out of the very center of the camp, where the gathering spot was situated. Her destination was the periphery of the encampment, as maintaining the things there was the major part of her duty. She walked past the trampled snow, which was more familiar to her than dirt at this point.


    She passed tents of various sizes, though they tended to get smaller and smaller as she neared the camp''s edge. Almost every single one was unique though, having personal touches. Some had pictures woven into them, some had ''chimneys'' made specifically for making a fire inside of them. Hell, she even saw one that had a second floor. She knew the woman that made it though, and this tent was one of her less bizarre creations.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Still, this was not the time for friendly visits, Ingrid had work to do.


    Finally, she reached the part where the last, the smallest tents stood. Beyond those single-person dwellings rather bizarre structures stood. At first glance, they looked like simple pylons made of ice, but on a closer look, it became apparent that they were carvings of various things. Some were birds, others Beasts. Some even depicted human visages, often depicting some deity or the other.


    Most interestingly, sweeping winds and whirling clusters of snow could be seen beyond them, but none made it past the icy statues. It was as if some invisible wall separated the outside from the inside.


    Ingrid didn''t pay any attention to their design or the storm beyond the pylons though, instead searching for something else as she ran her hand across one of the statues.


    "...This one''s not too bad. Still, some cracks are already setting in."


    She found what she was seeking, a multitude of small cracks running through the pylon she was touching. As soon as she did, a pale-blue glow appeared briefly beneath her fingers, and the cracks swiftly began to disappear. It all happened in less than 10 seconds.


    "Alright, onto the next."


    Ingrid repeated the set of actions on the next icy pylon statue that stood a couple dozen meters away. Cracks were found and sealed, followed by her moving to the next statue. Again and again.


    This was the most tedious part of her job in Ingrid''s opinion, but there was no one else to do it otherwise.


    As she was walking towards another structure, her brows furrowed, as it was covered in cracks, looking on the verge of collapse. Additionally, winds occasionally blew into the camp through the space near the pylon. Several of the tents already looked insecure, their residents watching Ingrid from a distance as if waiting for her.


    "...What caused this Ward to get damaged so badly? This doesn''t look like Spirit Depletion. I swear... If someone hit it while drunk..."


    While Ingrid grumbled, she nonetheless continued on with the routine, but this time she had to spend more time and effort to repair the Ward.


    As soon as she was finished, the storm was once again sealed off beyond the barrier, calm and relative warmth returning to this part of the encampment. Under the grateful gazes of the residents, Ingrid moved on once more.


    Ward after Ward got restored to their prime state, and soon she was fixing the last one. With yet another glimmer of light, the ice became whole once more. Ingrid wiped her sweat as she leaned on the Ward momentarily, ignoring the cold of it completely.


    As she was resting though, a distant rumble caught her ear.


    At first, she tensed, thinking it was the sound of a herd of Beasts, but as she listened further she relaxed once more. This was a familiar, artificial rumble.


    It grew closer and closer, and by that point, it was clearly recognizable. It was the roaring of engines. A sound that was all the more pleasant amidst the unending screams of the winds.


    As seconds passed, the source of the sound soon revealed itself. A column of vehicles appeared from beyond the hill on the horizon. It was a mix of jeeps, pickup trucks, and a couple of other, smaller vehicles.


    Seeing them, Ingrid walked toward a particularly big pair of Wards. When the column was about a hundred meters away from her, she waved her hand. Invisible something disappeared, and the raging winds immediately rushed through the gap.


    The vehicles arrived mere seconds after, being covered in frost and snow. People, that were for any reason on their exterior, all wore much heavier clothing, scarves and goggles covering their faces.


    Once the last vehicle rolled past Ward''s barrier, Ingrid swept her hand once again, and the winds stopped as the invisible barrier reappeared. Ingrid soon turned around and saw people jumping down or climbing out of the cars, and a crowd, which was attracted by the commotion, was greeting them in turn.


    The welcome... Was quite loud, as was the nature of the people that lived here.


    They gathered around the returnees, some looking at what the convoy brought with them. Most things were covered, but Beastly bodies could be seen here and there, and the Spirits told Ingrid that some of the convoy''s cargo was rather valuable.


    "Haha! You bastards are alive!"


    "Alsey, don''t think I forgot that you owe me!"


    "Come, let us show you a proper welcome!"


    Though words and intentions were mixed, they were mostly joyful. But not everyone was like this. Some members among the gathered desperately looked and searched the returnees'' faces, and some stood solemnly or broke down in tears.


    Not everyone had come back.


    As for Ingrid herself, she came up to a man who had ashen hair, but similarly colored blue eyes and angular facial features. As she languidly came up to him, he also noticed her. Ingrid greeted him with a smile.


    "Welcome back, brother. Are you well?"


    "I am, Ing, I am."


    He too smiled in turn, but it didn''t escape Ingrid''s notice that he had a rather tired look on his face.


    "...Have you encountered anything worrisome on the way?"


    Her brother stared in the distance, seemingly deep in thought, not responding.


    "Brother? Brother."


    Seeing that he didn''t respond, Ingrid came up to him and grabbed him by the ear, speaking in a higher voice.


    "Emil, answer properly when your sister asks you something!"


    This quickly snapped Emil out of his thoughts, as he spoke while in pain.


    "Ow, ow, ow! Please stop!"


    Only then did Ingrid let him go, causing Emil to sigh. This was far from the first time she had done this. He quickly recovered and put a rather serious look on his face.


    "...We encountered the Outriders."


    As soon as he spoke the last word, Ingrid''s aura suddenly flared. Freezing cold and bloodlust began to spread with her as a center, and Emil himself soon found frost forming on his clothes. He quickly tapped her shoulder.


    "Calm down, Ingrid! Snap out of it!"


    Just as quickly as Ingrid''s emotions burst out, they were calmed down. The scowl that found its way onto her face was nowhere to be seen as she now seemed aloof.


    "...I''m sorry, please continue."


    Emil merely sighed deeply at the sight. He knew the reasons behind her hatred, he shared them even, but she never seemed to get her emotions under control. Not that he could blame her, not after what happened to them.


    "They ambushed the convoy when we searched the ruins... Eric and Mark didn''t make it. They also tried to kidnap Fari, but we killed the bastards before they succeded."


    As he was speaking, he felt the pressure around his sister become colder and heavier yet again. Nevertheless, he continued his report.


    "I think they are a part of a larger band of looters. Some of them got away so... We will need to move soon."


    Ingrid remained silent for a good minute. In the meantime, the welcoming celebrations seemed to tune down as other people either noticed Ingrid''s expression or received information from other members of the convoy. Ingrid then turned her gaze towards her brother yet again, as she muttered just a few words.


    "...The Dragon''s Wind is coming soon."


    Although the words were pretty quiet, they seemed to be louder than anything else. Ingrid didn''t particularly try to hide what she was saying, but those gathered near immediately had their expressions turn nervous and sour.


    "The Dragon''s Wind? We will be buried under the snow if we remain!"


    "Shame... I thought this spot was quite nice."


    "Does it mean we are moving again?"


    Ingrid then seemed to want to add something else, but she suddenly fell to her knees as she clutched her head.


    "Auugh!"


    She screamed out, as she seemed to be in pain. Emil immediately rushed towards her, catching her before she could fall to the ground. He immediately asked her in worry.


    "Ingrid?! What''s the matter, talk to me!"


    Yet he found no answer as his sister convulsed in his arms, her eyes rolled back in her skull. She seemed to be in great agony with no apparent cause, his worries and anxiousness growing with each passing moment. The onlookers and other worried people also sent worried looks, but none dared to come close. All were staring at the Halberd that was on Emil''s back. They had a premonition that if they dared to near the vulnerable woman, they would be cut down where they stood.


    Seconds felt like hours to Emil, and eventually, his sister calmed down in his arms. She seemed to be unconscious, but tears streamed down her face. Despite waiting for another good minute, she showed no sign of waking up. So Emil picked her up in his hands, before walking into the camp. None dared follow.


    He soon came to their tent, and gently laid her down on her sleeping bag. After that, he sat down... And waited. He did not do anything else. He waited, while his halberd rested on his knees.


    Hours passed, but to him, they felt like days. He continued waiting, saying only a single sentence under his breath.


    "Don''t leave me, sister... You are all that I have left."


    And after that, he waited. The sun that was in its zenith had now descended beyond the horizon, only the night of darkness and the howling winds remaining outside. Most of the camp was sleeping at this point, but Emil waited with bloodshot eyes. He was tired from the long journey, but there were things more important than mere sleep.


    Suddenly, a change he was waiting for happened. His sister''s eyelids shivered before her eyes slowly opened.


    "....Brother...?"


    Her voice was weak as if her entire strength was sapped from her. Despite resting for so long she seemed... Tired. Even more so than Emil.


    "I''m here Ing, I''m here."


    He clasped her hands, and she grasped him in a vice-grip.


    Ingrid remained like this for a while, lying down, while looking at the tent''s ceiling. She then broke the silence with a voice as quiet as a mouse.


    "Khan... Khan is dead..."


    "What?"


    These words confused Emil and for a good reason.


    "You mean that Khan? But he died back.... back then."


    Ingrid didn''t answer for a moment. All of a sudden, she sat up, and a frigid look, far colder than what Emil had seen before, found itself in her eyes.


    "They... Murdered him..."


    Emil didn''t say anything, being somewhat afraid of his own sister, even though he didn''t want to, his body was fearing her instinctually.


    "I... Felt it. I saw it... They sliced his throat... They tortured him..."


    Emil finally forced himself to speak up despite feeling the bloodlust that almost materialized around Ingrid.


    "..Who? Who did it, sister?"


    Ingrid fell silent for a moment.


    "I don''t know."


    But her murderous look was unabated.


    "But I know where they are."


    She then stood up, an aura of frost had long since turned her sleeping bag to ice.


    "I will find them..."


    Her gaze turned south as if piercing through the tent, the camp, the snowy hills, staring at the distant lands where she had never been before.


    "...And I will make them regret being born."

 Chapter 66: Back in The Dungeon

    Sun''s rays descended upon the ground, but they didn''t bring much warmth with them. The reason for this was made apparent once one looked at the forest below. It bore traces of a fire, with some trees being slightly charred, or being entirely burnt. Most, however, had long regained their vigor, new leaves long since adorning them. And yet, the previously lush green leaves were turning yellow, orange, and red. The season of autumn had silently arrived.


    And yet, if one looked further towards the place where mountains and plains surrounded the forest, one would notice that a particular patch of the forest seemed unyielding to the passage of time.


    It was still green, and the trees showed no signs of preparing for the regular slumber. And at the center of this somewhat circular patch there stood a giant, nearly 115-meter-tall tree, towering above all others, its branches casting a large shadow on the land below. It stood serenely, akin to a mother bird overseeing her chicks.


    And yet the calm of the surface was a stark contrast to the strife that one would find if one were to search below the Great Tree''s roots. Below lay the Dungeon, a place where the law of the jungle prevailed, the strong would devour and get stronger, while the weak would be devoured and die.


    And such a place bore traces of a great battle, the ''boss room'' of the First Floor having its ground mangled with traces of swords and claws and stained with blood, mana still being a little agitated. The tracks of the victors did not end here though, the path of conquest extending down onto the Second Floor.


    There, along the Path that led through the treacherous woods, corpses of Beasts were occasionally strewn about, some bore slash wounds, some bore piercing ones. They were still warm.


    Finally, advancing past the clearing that had a pillar towering in the middle of it, one could finally hear the sound of battle. Shouts throwing about various commands, roars of raging beasts, and battle cries of charging warriors.


    And there, on the wide path, along which four lush birch trees stood, the battle could be found. Two dozen men and women were battling four mighty Beasts, somewhat struggling, but overall having the situation under control.


    At the back of the formation stood a rugged-looking Ranger, an eyepatch covering her left eye. She wielded a bow that was pulled taut as she notched yet another arrow.


    "The nature around me tells a story..."


    The bow began crackling with green energy, a few small leaves sprouting along the wooden parts of it.


    "About the whispering breeze and flowing wind!"


    Air currents seemed disturbed around the weapon, converging around the arrow. And then, she released the arrow that seemed eager to fly.


    With a speed akin to a bullet, it flew out, crossing the distance to its target in less than a second. The canine Beast only saw a brief shadow before the projectile pierced through its vulnerable eye. But the arrow didn''t stop there, piercing even the skull of the Beast.


    The Beast stiffened before collapsing to the ground, causing a crashing noise to reverberate through the battlefield. Although no one among the fighters stopped to take a look, the humans fought with even greater enthusiasm and fervor now that the pressure on them had lessened, the freed party members joining the battle against the remaining three Beasts.


    "Nice one, Anna! It could be a bit better if you didn''t play the poet every time you do this though!"


    Anna, who was already notching another arrow after briefly catching her breath, responded briefly.


    "If you''ve got time to yap, better spend it fighting!"


    A chuckle was what she had gotten in response. The female Ranger did not dwell on it though, instead assisting in battle with all her might.


    During this brief exchange of words the battle did not stop for a moment, and at the forefront fought a woman clad in armor made of boiled leather. She swung her sword with strength far beyond that of a regular human.


    Her adversary was what seemed to be a giant hawk. It annoyingly attacked from a distance, forcing her to be on the back foot. At least it looked like this on the surface, for she had a plan to bring it down.


    "Screech!"


    The air currents seemed to twist near her, several shallow slashing wounds appearing on her armor, only one of them drawing blood. But the warrior-maiden did not let herself get distracted by the pain, instead preparing for the next attack she knew would follow.


    And then, with a sound the loudness of which would stun the likes of normal humans, the avian swooped down, its gnarly claws outstretched and ready to pierce into the woman''s flesh.


    She, however, was prepared, and she put the shield that was attached to her arm in front, just like she did when the bird attacked this way before. This time was different though. In mere moments light gathered on the metal parts of it, before erupting outwards in a blinding flash.


    The bird, disoriented, missed its dive by a noticeable margin, and the woman, Marilyn, did not miss the chance she had so painstakingly created.


    "Hyeah!"


    She once again swung the sword in her hand, and this time her foe did not have the slightest of opportunities to evade. The blade cleaved through the wing''s underside, nearly severing the thing whole. Less than a second later the hawk crashed into the ground, and Marilyn, along with her teammates, immediately attacked yet again.


    "Let''s see you fly away now!"


    Her sword pierced into the chest of the bird with little to no resistance, and other attacks landed on the fallen enemy soon after. With a miserable cry, the avian body soon turned to mist.


    Marilyn flicked the blood away from her sword, preparing to switch her attention to the next target, but a glance across the battlefield revealed that her concern was unnecessary.


    On one side of the battlefield, she witnessed a person nimbly stand atop a giant bear''s spine, delivering quick slashes and piercing weak points with his shortsword at every given opportunity. The Beast was rather helpless, as, despite its efforts to throw away the threat, the man shifted and clung to the bear like a flea.


    The great Beast occasionally manipulated Earth Mana, erratically creating plates of solid armor across its hide, or summoning spikes from the ground, trying to pierce the attacker. And yet the agile Rogue danced across its back, striking the vulnerabilities and evading the piercing attacks, bending his body in various ways.


    "Leopold is as weird as always..."


    Marilyn murmured, then looking towards the last Beast on the field. Nearly ten Explorers were circling a giant spider, preventing it from retreating into the forest, but they were having a hard time handling it, as it was very agile.


    One of the men tried to attack it, but his curved sword left a shallow mark on the carapace of the Beast''s limb. In turn, it turned its attention to him. Seeing its grotesque form turn to him, he hesitated briefly, which gave the Beast an opening. It tensed its limbs momentarily... and jumped.


    As its massive form sailed through the air briefly, the man frantically tried to evade, but it was in vain. The arachnoid was just too fast. Just as it seemed that he would meet his end, however, he felt a hand filled with strength shove him out of the way.


    A man wielding a weapon that looked like a modified sledgehammer took his place, his hammer already mid-swing toward the rapidly approaching spider.


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    Finally, the two collided.


    "Johann, careful!"


    Ignoring the call from behind him, Johann strained his muscles as the Beast''s momentum transferred through the weapon. He felt his arm go numb, and he nearly dropped his hammer, but Johann instead focused his strength on the feet beneath him, not allowing himself to be pushed back.


    "...Oh ground beneath my feet..."


    All of a sudden he started chanting in a manner similar to Anna...


    "...Pierce this piece of shit!"


    ...though his version of the chant was far less elegant.


    Dust surged from beneath his feet, clinging to them. As soon it appeared, Johann stopped, his arms pushing the hammer forward, slowly overpowering the ugly Beast in front of his face.


    Under the disbelieving gaze of the spider, this dust swiftly traveled through his body, settling on the tip of his hammer. The carapace the weapon collided with was already cracked, however it was already healing, the Beast having abnormal vitality, a signature of one that had a Nature Crystal within. But under this surge of strength, the hammer sank further, getting past the regeneration and making abnormally colored blood seep out of the Beast.


    "Haaah!"


    Finally, the dust filled with Mana settled, and a sharp spike formed on it rapidly. As soon as it solidified, the spider screeched as it felt the piercing pain.


    While the Beast was out of it, Johann jerked his hammer out, wrestling it out of the spider''s side, before immediately raising it above his head and slamming it down on the spider''s, the earthen spike piercing through the natural armor of the Beast.


    The spider twitched and tried to free itself for a few brief seconds, but it soon grew still and turned into a mist made of mana.


    Johann''s hammer, having lost its target, landed on the ground, the wielder himself leaning on it.


    "Hey! That was a nice one!"


    He heard rather cheerful words from behind him, and he saw Anna coming up to him. Johann asked.


    "...What exactly are you talking about?"


    "Your uh... Poem? Chant? I still don''t really know what to call it... Still, the second half could use some work."


    Johann knew what Anna referred to. The ''chants'' that the two of them were using were kind of a mental assist. Saying them out loud helped to form an image, which they learned was crucial when using ''magic''.


    "I wanted a spike to pierce it from below... Not this."


    Johann pointed towards the dissolving growth on his weapon.


    "Uh... Maybe you need to practice more then? It helped, didn''t it?"


    Johann nodded somewhat reluctantly. Anna was the one who invented this ''exercise'', and it was endorsed by the former Tower Master not long after. Still, he was having a bit of a hard time with it. Nevertheless, he agreed that it helped quite a bit.


    "Yes, it di-"


    As he was answering her, Johann heard a crack. Upon looking to the source of it, he saw a fissure spreading across the wooden handle of his weapon. A moment later his two-handed weapon turned into two... weapons.


    "..."


    "Uh..."


    "...This is the third time I''m changing the handle this month..."


    And while Johann sighed deeply, Marilyn took charge of the post-battle recovery. She summarized the gains, which were four rather large Crystals, and losses, which were damaged equipment, wounded... and the dead.


    "Gary and Clay didn''t make it... Shit."


    Despite the victory, Marilyn did not feel happy. This expedition into the Dungeon was supposed to finally reach the end of the Second Floor, but they suffered losses before even making it to the boss.


    "...It was already a miracle to get this far... Was I too hopeful?"


    From the pragmatic standpoint, they had the strength and numbers to conquer the Floor, all it would cost was a few more lives at most. But from a more humane standpoint, each life lost was a tragedy, it meant an orphaned child, a grieving mother or a widowed spouse. Marilyn was the major decision maker in whether they moved on or tried to get stronger before going further. She felt a heavy weight upon her shoulders.


    ''No. If we let ourselves be consumed by fear it will take years to achieve anything meaningful. This world is full of danger and if a threat like the Beast Tide comes knocking on our door yet again and we aren''t strong enough...''


    Marilyn reaffirmed her resolve and spoke loudly.


    "Distribute the Crystals, we are going further down. The boss is going down today!"


    Some Explorers cheered and some remained silent. Her orders were, nevertheless, obeyed.


    The earthen Crystal that was glowing with dim yellow light was given to Johann, given his feat of near-singlehandedly slaying the giant spider. Throughout the entire expedition, the man refrained from taking the other crystals of such kind, instead letting others absorb them. The first reason for this was rather simple though. Firstly he wanted everyone else to be strong too, and not rely on him and a few other elites.


    And the second reason was also simple.


    In the last two months that had passed since the Beast Tide, he delved into the Dungeon nearly every day, with and without his usual party. After the siege he gained awareness of the meaning of strength, not wanting to just defend against worldly threats. It was for this very reason that he had given up the shield and mace, instead taking up the hammer. During this time he had absorbed quite a few Crystals, which also led to him finding out that he had an affinity to the Earthen element.


    And now, as he held the crystal that was the size of his fist, he felt the Mana within. He pulled on it with his will, absorbing the energy into his body.


    Johann felt the firm warmth of it spread throughout his entire body, quickly replenishing the missing reserves and then continuing to further saturate them. Just when he had absorbed half of it, Johann felt full. It was as if he had overeaten, but the sensation that would usually come from the stomach now came from his every muscle.


    Alarmed, he tried to hurriedly put a stop to the absorption, and yet, in an unpleasant surprise, the earthen Mana ignored his will, instead continuing to be drawn inside.


    At this point, the Mana was no longer like a pleasant, warm feeling. Instead, it gradually transformed into a scorching sensation that filled his every nerve, with no sign of stopping. As it continued, Johann felt that the armor on his torso stifled and suffocated him. His chestplate strangled him and his sleeves trapped him.


    So Johann did the most rational thing he could do in his current state. With trembling hands he hurriedly unclasped his armor, throwing it to the ground. He did not even notice that the Crystal was long since emptied as it rolled across the ground, out of his grasp. The worried and questioning voices around him seemed muffled, as he could only concentrate on the burning feeling within.


    It gradually converged from all around his body into a single point. His solar plexus.


    Amidst the numbing senses, Johann, already lying on the ground, tore off his shirt, trying to get even a single gasp of air, which seemed ever so elusive.


    However the Mana seemed to numb his lungs as well, he couldn''t feel them beneath the scorching sensation, which grew ever more intense. By now it felt as if a miniature sun had appeared within his chest. Johann felt helpless as his vision darkened, not even understanding why all of this had happened in the first place. He desperately held onto the last vestiges of his consciousness, concentrating on the ever-burning feeling, like a drowning man hanging onto a lifebuoy.


    And then, just as suddenly as it appeared... the feeling stopped.


    "Gasp!"


    Johann drew in a large breath, his mind returning from the verge of oblivion. He grasped his chest, ignoring the shouts around him or the hands that were holding him.


    However, as he did so, he felt an unfamiliar hardness under his fingers. It was in the middle of his chest, above his solar plexus. Where the Mana ''burnt'' mere seconds before.


    As he gazed down, he saw it. A crystal, just two centimeters in size, was there, embedded in his chest. It pulsed weakly, like a second heart, glowing with a faint yellow light. Upon concentrating on it, Johann felt the pulses spread outward, resonating through his entire being.


    "...Johann! Can you hear me? Johann!"


    As the pounding in his ears calmed down along with his heartbeat, the sounds came flooding back. He finally heard the worried voices around him, and the loudest of them all came from the person who was right in front of him, shaking him by the shoulders. Marilyn.


    Finally, he grasped one of her hands and brought it down from his shoulder, causing her to stiffen and fall silent. Along with the feeling of a pounding headache, Johann finally answered.


    "...I... am. Somewhat. A little silence, please? I... need to gather my thoughts."


    Thankfully his wish was followed, and the commotion gradually died down. Nevertheless, the people surrounded Johann in a circle, some curious and some worried about what happened to him. As for the man himself, he was sitting on the ground, a little absentmindedly, a hand resting on the Crystal that was embedded in his chest.


    Suddenly he stood up, but he put up a hand to stop Marilyn for the moment, walking forward and out of the crowd that encircled him, the people parting the way in front of him. After a brief walk, he stood facing the empty field, other Explorers eyeing him with confused looks.


    Johann then took a stance, one of his legs stepping forward. He closed his eyes and stood still for a second, forming an image within his mind.


    "Rise." He growled in low tone.


    Following the word, he brought the other foot forward and stomped on the ground. Blocky, previously invisible, patterns lit up across his chest, originating from the crystal that was in the center of it. The Crystal''s yellow glow intensified and spread through the patterns.


    And as Johann''s foot landed on the ground, a burst of Mana left his body. A second later the ground trembled and a sharp, diagonal pillar erupted in front of Johann. Its power was incomparable to the meager spike that he previously attached to his hammer.


    Johann, stared in wonder before another idea came to his head, and he wanted to try it out.


    The shirtless man pulled his right hand backward, again forming a mental image. He thought of resonance and vibration, the moment a sledgehammer crushes a pebble to dust.


    "Crumble!"


    Speaking the word loudly, Johann moved with his entire body, the patterns glowing yet again. He brought down his bare fist on the pillar that he had formed, striking it.


    He struck and nothing happened for a moment. But then...


    *Crack*


    A loud cracking noise could be heard, as fissures spread from the point of impact, the entire pillar soon crumbling away into smaller rocks.


    Johann turned around, feeling a bit exhausted, at the same time staring in wonder at his fist.


    He was met with frankly shocked gazes of other Explorers, Marilyn standing at the forefront.


    "Alright... Seems you are well enough."


    She narrowed her eyes.


    "But... You... have some explaining to do."

 Chapter 67: The Stag of the Lake

    10 Minutes ago.


    Lan-, no, Lancelot was watching the human exploration party. It was quite entertaining, at least for him. Whether it be because of the detachment from humanity or the lack of care about strangers, he viewed their life-and-death struggle like one would view a DnD campaign with commentary to boot.


    ''Leopold encounters the enemy, but he has not been detected. Roll for initiative!''


    Lancelot took a liking to watch humans battle in his Dungeon, but it was the first major expedition in these two months, ever since the Beast Tide led by the tiger was quelled. And, after the reunion with his mother, he had slowed down the frantic development of the Dungeon, being a bit more laid back.


    He had only dug out half the planned space for the Fifth Floor, only dedicating a single Thought Channel, which he gained due to expanding after absorbing all of the souls, to the task. But compared to the intense rate of expansion before the Beast Tide, it was much more restrained. Instead, thanks to Matilda''s advice, he focused on consolidating his foundations.


    Overall, Lancelot''s Core was slightly more than 19 meters in size, and correspondingly his domain was more than 19 kilometers in length. Still, most of that space was being wasted, to put it mildly. But Lancelot had not yet fully discovered the full potential of the ''tools at his disposal'', plus the population of Beasts was not yet sufficient to expand the existing Floor before.


    Just as half of his Thought Channels were about to sink back into research, while the other half watched the expedition, a familiar voice spoke across one of his mental connections.


    ''Lanny, how''re they doing?''


    It was his mother, Matilda, who was also one of the leaders of the human settlement. Though Lancelot was a bit startled due to still being unused to it, but he then responded, treating it like a phone call.


    ''Mom... It is the third time this day you have asked about their progress.''


    ''I can''t help it since I have a way to check on them without going with them myself.''


    Lancelot and Matilda had established a much stronger mental connection than those that Lancelot had with his Beasts and Guardians. Perhaps it was because of their familial bond, but Matilda did not need to risk being overwhelmed by Lancelot''s mind when ''speaking'' with him. And while she did not stay in the Dungeon, contrary to Lancelot''s wishes, she could contact and speak with him anytime.


    ''Why wouldn''t you come with them then?''


    ''Lan... Do not tell me you forgot the promise we made already?''


    ''Uh...''


    It was only then that Lancelot remembered what she was talking about. Ultimately Lancelot and Matilda were (somewhat) on opposing sides. The Dungeon was not exactly a place you could call ''friendly'' to the humans. However, Matilda valued her son more than she did the settlers of the camp. As helping the expeditions, with the knowledge she gained while being escorted through the entire Dungeon, was kind of detrimental to Lancelot, she did not participate in any of them.


    But Lancelot did not want her to completely abandon all other attachments, so he did not insist on his mother turning her back on the humans who relied on her.


    ''No! I totally remember it! I would not dare to forget such an important thing.''


    ''Uh huh.''


    Hearing her unconvinced tone, Lancelot quickly checked the human''s situation, which he was already observing.


    ''Well, they just got past the four mini-bosses and should be on their way to Lorn, the Guardian of the Second Floor.''


    ''...Were there any casualties?''


    ''Just two...''


    Lancelot heard a deep sigh over the connection. Though Matilda did not condemn his actions in creating a place of death, the deaths that came as a consequence did not make her happy in any way.


    ''Alright. Tell me the result of the next battle when they are done.''


    With that, Lancelot felt the link become inactive. She had ''hung up'', leaving him with his own thoughts and observations.


    ''This is a bit troubling...''


    Lancelot genuinely did not feel anything about the human fatalities, the same way he would feel about the death of a random bird or animal. Maybe he would feel a trace of pity, but nothing extreme. In the end, though his mother did not particularly like his ways, he would not be changing them.


    ''In the end, what makes humans so different from the Beasts they are fighting? Intelligence? My Guardians have an intellect comparable to that of a human. Emotions? Tag grieved when Nacht died for the first time, not knowing that I could resurrect her. A human is just a differently shaped Beast...''


    His philosophical musings were interrupted by an unexpected sight unfolding in his view, however.


    ''Oh?''


    One of the humans in the expeditionary group was convulsing on the ground as mana rampaged throughout his body. Lancelot recognized him as Johann, one of the members of the party that first discovered him.


    ''He did come by quite often, didn''t he? Now that I think about it, with how saturated his body was with mana, I was worried that he might blow up.''


    Lancelot briefly browsed through the accumulated memories, recalling the necessary details. This Johann had a pure Earth Affinity, which Lancelot hadn''t seen among other Explorers. During these two months, he had absorbed quite a few Earth Heart Cores, or as the humans called it, Earth Crystals. It would seem that the one he took just now had pushed him over the edge.


    ''Well... It''s not like I will do anything about it, so let''s see how it goes. Worst case scenario - he dies.''


    So, the Dungeon''s Core, true to his thoughts, remained an observer, not interrupting the change that was happening to the man in any way.


    As Lancelot observed, he found similarities with the process of Core Formation that Beasts went through to become Magic Beasts, though with a few stark differences. First and most major of all, the internal organs were not broken down into pure Life Mana. Instead, the mana that resided in the Magic Circuit throughout the muscles and bones circulated rapidly around his body, before converging in a spot around his chest, concentrating and condensing.


    This was an apparently agonizing process, and under Lancelot''s acute observation, he also noticed that it also put quite a strain on Johann''s entire body. If he was any weaker, or his Mana Circuit was damaged, he would most certainly die.


    Fortunately for the human, he managed to endure and pull through. Lancelot then saw a structure similar to the Heart Core form above the man''s solar plexus.


    ''But it is not a Heart Core... It is different.''


    The thing that Johann had formed was like a... reactor or mana storage for his magic circulatory system, refining his body and mana control by a large degree. A Magic Beast''s Heart Core was instead a vital part of their body, which allowed them to live off of pure mana, making it the biggest weakness of a Magic Beast.


    Johann would live if he lost his... Mana Heart. A Magic Beast would die if they lost their Heart Core. In exchange, any Magic Beast had vastly bigger mana reserves compared to Johann, and Lancelot would bet they would be physically stronger too.


    Lancelot continued to watch as the man then stood up and tested his mana control, reinforcing Lancelot''s thoughts and guesses. And while he was then pulled back by the woman who the Dungeon''s Core knew as Marilyn, Lancelot was once again in thought.


    ''What makes a human different from a Beast, huh? While I was just thinking about it on a psychological level, now I think from a physical perspective...''


    Lancelot then briefly compared the measurements and characteristics of Johann and some weaker Magic Beasts.


    ''...No matter how I look at it...''


    Lancelot had gotten a conclusion and a question.


    ''The humans are inferior in all things except for intellect, but even that is rectified as the Beasts continue to evolve... But why? If humanity is an evolved form of an ape, which is also a Beast, why don''t they go through the traditional Core Formation? What is the fundamental difference?''


    Lancelot continued to ponder with most of his mind, while only a single Thought Channel continued to observe the human Explorers.


    "...okay I may have overreacted, but consider how it looked like! You just fell on the ground out of nowhere!"


    "Alright, I heard you say that a dozen times already, but let''s put it behind us."


    The group was slowly advancing forward, though the majority of their attention was focused on their de facto leader, Marilyn, berating Johann... Which was what they never expected to see from the commanding woman. Even Anna, who was known for being quite expressive, though this trait was somewhat dampened ever since losing her eye, was a bit uncomfortable.


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    "Hey uh, Rob?"


    "Yeah?"


    "Is Marilyn... usually like this?"


    As the Ranger with an eyepatch walked near the Ranger of the Cloaks, she couldn''t help but ask the thing on her mind.


    "Her? Oh no, no way. To be fair, if I knew her any less than I do, I would say she fell for him. But Nah, I think she is just a bit twitchy from the stress. The administrative work might have been getting to her."


    Hearing that, Anna made a comically exaggerated expression of disgust.


    "Fall for Johann? The ''rock face'' Johann? You sure have a vivid imagination..."


    Rob acted as if he didn''t hear her, whistling a tune as the group walked amidst the unknown territories of the Dungeon. The bickering at the front also died down and no Beast attacked them after their most recent battle, causing the expedition to move forward in relative quiet. But such peace did not last for long, as a familiar yet unnerving sight soon appeared before the humans.


    As Marilyn stared at the thing before her, someone spoke out what everyone was thinking.


    "A gate of fog!"


    These words alone sent goosebumps down the spines of some, making others gulp heavily. It was because of the meaning that the name held. The term itself was not that new, as these ''gates'' began appearing in the Dungeon shortly before the Beast Tide, but seeing it on an expedition at the end of a Floor...


    A Fog Gate meant a boss room. And to make it worse, an unknown one.


    Marilyn quickly began organizing everyone, preparing for the battle ahead. Thankfully, no one chickened out and wanted to go back to the last step. Everyone held the resolve to overcome the foe that waited for them.


    The twenty or so people stood in rows of five, holding onto the shoulder of the person in front of them, all in an effort to regroup on the other side as quickly as possible.


    "Alright people, here goes nothing! Forward!"


    With Marilyn''s command, the first row, which included her, Johann, Leopold, and two other party leaders, moved. They stepped into the dense fog, which then surrounded them. The people who held onto them followed promptly. In such a manner the whole expeditionary group moved forward, no one daring to make a sound, only their footsteps being heard for a while.


    Gradually though, the fog took on a green hue, and the first row sped up a little after seeing this. The room was close. Their expectations were not betrayed, as a wide chamber soon came into view of those who were freed from the fog''s grasp.


    A massive tree sprawled across the wall opposite of them, its branches hanging above them, a green light shining down from that direction as well.


    But the leaders of the group did not have time to appreciate the view, as they saw their target. And to make it worse, the target saw them.


    A giant stag, whose hide was adorned with purplish patterns, who only a few among them who ventured into the Dungeon during the day of the Beast Tide remembered. It stood amidst the shallow lake which covered a good part of the Chamber''s ground. But this time it did not seem as peaceful.


    Just as the third row of people was coming through, the majestic Beast had run out of patience.


    Marilyn saw vicious energy gather around its antlers, having only a brief moment to shout as she put her shield up.


    "EVERYONE WATCH O-"


    Faster than the humans could perceive, a lightning bolt connected the Stag''s antlers and Marilyn''s shield. She did not even have a chance to shout, being blasted back to the wall of fog, before being repelled by it and bouncing back, falling on the ground. She groaned, alive but stunned.


    The fourth row of people, who had just come through, were panicked because of the sight, scattering away from the leader''s flight trajectory. This caused further disorder as the fifth, and final, row which was hanging onto them was pulled along, any semblance of a formation being lost.


    Just as panic was about to set in, Johann''s shout could be heard.


    "Calm down and put up your defenses! Focus on the bastard ahead!"


    Although this did not completely create order, it reduced the chaos, with Rangers taking positions and notching projectiles and Warriors gathering to cover the Healers.


    The Stag would not just wait for them to come and kill him though, as mana swirled around him, lightning once again gathering. Johann belatedly noticed it, not even bothering to warn everyone, acting half on instinct.


    "Rise!"


    The man did the same thing as when he was trying out his powers, but he did not have time to focus and make a complete mental image this time. A slight yellow glow could be seen beneath his armor as the earth rumbled briefly. A thing resembling a pillar appeared from the ground, but alas it took time for it to be created. Time Johann did not have.


    Another bolt of energy sailed through space. It grazed the thin upper part of the earthen structure, blowing it apart before slamming into Johann''s shield. Maybe because the charge was depleted by a previous impact, he was not sent flying away like Marilyn was. The man felt numb as his entire left arm felt shocked and scorched by electricity. Still, he was thankful to his past self.


    ''Good thing I switched to a shield and a mace after losing the hammer... Would have lost an arm if I hadn''t...''


    As Johann was recovering from taking the hit, other Explorers did not miss the chance that was given to them. Leopold was at the forefront, his feet rapidly sprinting across the shallow water. The Warriors were following right behind him, and Rangers were already aiming their weapons at their foe.


    The Stag seemed to narrow its eyes, though those who have seen it dismissed it as a trick of their sight. Just then the Rangers loosened their arrows.


    The majestic Beastec kicked away from the water beneath it with its hooves, briefly sailing through the air in a great leap, landing a distance away from its previous position. The projectiles were missed, as no one expected such agility from the Beast. This maneuver caused the Guardian to land near some Warriors, with four of them being a few steps away from the striking range.


    Marilyn, who was just getting up after having her whole body shocked, saw this scene, and her eyes widened. She shouted.


    "GET AWAY FROM THE WATER!"


    Alas, it was too late. Mana filled with the element of lightning crackled as purple patterns lit up across the Stag''s hide, converging around its hooves. And then, just when the four Warriors were about to swing their weapons at it, the Stag stomped with its front leg.


    The crackling energy spread from the Guardian''s limb and across the water. It weakened when it reached a certain distance away from the Stag, but the Warriors were right in front of it, completely in range of the attack.


    Four men and women began spasming and convulsing, their weapons dropping out of their grasp. They then fell into the water one after another, a small amount of smoke rising from their bodies, their life or death unknown.


    Johann, who was just a step too late to warn them, had also connected the dots between the Beast''s power and the rarely-seen element. One couldn''t really blame the people who did not grow up among electric appliances for not immediately recognizing the power of lightning.


    Still, he couldn''t do anything to save them while they were alive, not when the Beast was right near them and capable of doing this attack again. So he commanded the best thing he could.


    "Rangers! Shoot the target, don''t let it stay in place!"


    The arrows soon flew through the air once again, as the dextrous fighters never really stopped the attack. The Stag made use of the same trick, but this time the humans were prepared, as some were aimed to meet with the Guardian mid-air, one of the arrows being enhanced with Air Mana, courtesy of Anna''s.


    However, the Stag''s Mana crackled yet again, before shooting out in small bursts to meet the projectiles. Some arrows were shot down, but not all of them. Multiple arrows scratched the Beast''s hide, some embedding themselves in its skin. Anna''s arrow though was lodged deeply into the Beast''s side.


    Before the Guardian even landed though, Johann''s orders were already ringing throughout the cave.


    "Warriors! Don''t get too close! Watch out for the water, try to force it onto land!"


    Although how such a thing could be achieved was uncertain, the melee fighters listened nonetheless. They had witnessed the fate that befallen their four predecessors, and they didn''t want to repeat it.


    Like this, they tried to encircle the Stag, leaving the only way out to be the land. But the Stag was no brainless Beast, he wouldn''t let the enemy succeed so easily.


    The energy around his antlers charged once again, much to the alarm of the humans. A beam of lightning then shot out, a continuous one this time.


    It drew a line across the water, leaving wherever it passed electrified and dangerous. Two humans did not manage to avoid the attack. When the beam of lightning crossed their bodies, they screamed as their armor burnt and melted under the temperature, scalding and charring the skin underneath. The victims then fell into the water, one of them falling face-down and already drowning.


    This attack also caused the encircling humans to scatter, opening up a path for the Stag. However while it stood still during the moment of preparation and execution of the beam attack, the Explorers did not stand idly like in a turn-based game. Most were frightened by the brutal display, yes, but others exploited the opening. Like Leopold.


    Before the Rogue even reached the Guardian, two throwing daggers were already crossing the gap between the two adversaries. The Stag noticed them at the last moment, an arc of electricity impacting the weapons. But the daggers were made entirely out of metal, and they would not be destroyed as easily as a wooden shaft of an arrow.


    Alas, the trajectory of one of the weapons was altered, causing it to miss, but the other still struck true, even while being electrified. It cut deep into the Stag''s shoulder, eliciting a bellow of pain.


    Although the Stag was somewhat resistant to lightning and electricity thanks to his affinity, he was not immune, and the charged dagger caused its own movements to slow down thanks to its numbing effect.


    And thanks to the gap in attention that was created due to this, Leopold was already right in front of the Guardian. Seeing him, the Stag swung his head at the last moment, trying to impale the human with his antlers. But Leopold was too close and too fast.


    Dodging the attack that would have eviscerated him by a thin margin, Leopold held his shortsword in a reverse grip and jumped. He then slashed a line across the throat of the tall Beast, before rolling in the water upon landing.


    The Guardian staggered, due to the heavy blow, but he did not collapse and die like a normal animal would. Although his neck bled severely, he kept standing and the wound was slowly closing already.


    The Stag then let out an enraged bellow, his front hoof once again being raised, crackling with the energy and Mana of lightning.


    "Everyone, get back!"


    But this time the humans were prepared for the attack, retreating as soon as they noticed this action. Only a single person was caught in the AOE attack, but even they were pulled back with a rope that was promptly thrown over them.


    And then it was the Rangers'' time to shine. The Guardian was now tired and not moving, what better opportunity could there be?


    Projectiles whistled across the air, with one arrow, Anna''s, being ahead of them all. The swift arrow pierced right into the open wound on the neck, and the dozen others found their mark on various other parts of the Guardian''s body.


    The already weakened Guardian was wounded even further, and this gave the courage for the Warriors to attack.


    "Attack!"


    "DIE, you bastard!"


    "Kill it!"


    The explorers that previously stood back, afraid of getting scorched and electrocuted, were now like sharks smelling blood. One of them soon slashed his sword across the Stag''s side, causing it to sharply turn and try to attack the man, but it was distracted by a spear piercing it from the opposite side. And then another slash from the back. And another. And another.


    The emboldened humans frenziedly attacked the Beast that seemed slower and slower, attacking it even quicker. Becoming more reckless.


    Just then, a woman who previously stood at the back with her longsword charged boldly at the Guardian''s front while laughing, intent on either beheading or piercing the Stag''s head.


    "Hahaha! Die under my sword!"


    However, just at that moment, a fierce glint filled with cunning flashed through the Stag''s dimming eyes, and he surged with a burst of speed others thought him incapable of.


    The woman did not even have a chance to react, being impaled on the Guardian''s antlers the next moment.


    "I-Iaaaaah!!!"


    She cried in agony, as her entire torso was pierced and shredded by the sharp and curved antlers of the Stag. Just as everyone stepped back and got ready to fight once again, the majestic Beast fell to the side, falling down onto the shallow water. Its large body turned gradually turned to mist under everyone''s gazes, and soon only a purple Crystal lay under a thin layer of water, electrifying it just a bit.


    And near the beautiful crystal lay the body of a woman who would have lived had she not succumbed to recklessness.


    For only in death does the Guardian''s battle end.

 Chapter 68: The Will to Go Down

    ''Sigh...''


    Lancelot let out a sound of disappointment as he watched Lorn fall. He was honest with himself and knew that the Stag would not fare too well against such a large and well-prepared group. Add that to the lack of combat experience against human tactics, defeat was pretty much inevitable.


    ''I gotta work harder on the number-limiters. Still, that was quite the fight that he put up.''


    Nevertheless, Lorn did not succumb to encirclement tactics, cleverly using the environment to his advantage. Lancelot didn''t even know where he learned the interactions of electricity and water, but a battlefield conducted atop a watery field was hella advantageous to the Stag.


    Another part of Lancelot was disappointed in the behavior of humans at the end. When they presumed Lorn to be incapable of resistance they got reckless. And the woman that got torn in half paid the price.


    ''Seriously, that was a pointless death... Oh well.''


    As Lancelot left that line of musings behind, he turned his attention to an object, a Heart Core left behind by Lorn. The first Lightning Crystal that appeared in his Dungeon. It was an understatement to say that Lancelot was eager to attune to the new element. No, he was downright drooling at the thought. Because of this he did not waste any time, all of his senses beginning to probe the vessel holding concentrated mana while the humans were still recovering from the battle''s end.


    And yet, he did not expect what he felt the next moment. He expected many things, from not understanding the feeling of mana to the crystal blowing up because of one reason or another. But neither of those things happened.


    Once Lancelot''s mental tendrils covered the Heart Core, he felt the mana within. But he was not happy, as he felt sheer unadulterated violence. The lightning mana, as if sensing his attempts at control, lashed out. Lancelot felt the mana grow agitated mere moments before he felt pain.


    He did the mental equivalent of jerking back one''s hand after touching something hot. As he checked on the mental tendrils that retreated along with his will, to his shock he found them damaged. The previously stable structure of mental mana was thrown into disarray, it was as if a solid got torn into gas.


    Once Lancelot tried gathering the scattered mental mana, he found some difficulty in doing so, finding the particles of mental mana partially numb and unresponsive. Electrified.


    However, the sheer quantity of Mental Mana at his disposal outgunned the entirety of Lightning Mana inside of the Heart Core, not to mention mere remnants after a shock. With just a bit more effort the foreign mana was purged, order replacing chaos once more. By then Lancelot''s attention was back on the Purple Crystal that lay under a thin layer of water.


    ''...What the hell? Lightning Mana can influence Mental Mana?''


    Still a little shocked, the Dungeon''s Core got serious soon after. By activating the full processing capacity of every available Thought Channel, Lancelot''s vision slowed down, and his perception of time was distorted. He resisted the urge to groan, as this state was not particularly pleasurable, putting a strain on Lancelot''s mind, and overloading it with information. It was not existentially threatening for him to use it, but he didn''t use it often.


    ''Seriously, I might go mad or get lost in thought if I keep it up for too long.'' ''Seriously, it''s like I have multiple people talking in my head.'' ''Seriously, this Lightning Mana smells like trouble later on.''


    And this was one of the side effects of this ''mode''. A single thought spiraled into a multitude of derivative thoughts. It took some effort not to stray off the topic.


    ''Right! Lightning Mana.'' ''Right! Another thing that I need to research.''


    Having put a bit of a rein on his consciousness, Lancelot probed the Lightning Crystal a couple more times in a short period. In human perception, this happened in less than a second. But for Lancelot, this second stretched out into several minutes, the entirety of which he spent seeking answers to his questions. And soon, having exited the super-processing state after two more real-time seconds, came up with a worrying conclusion.


    ''Soul is a Mental Mana construct... Doesn''t this mean that Lightning Mana can obliterate a soul?''


    Lancelot shuddered inwardly at the implication. Mental Mana was his greatest strength, yes, but it could also prove to be his greatest weakness if someone came up with a way to counter it. Still, it would take a far larger amount of Lightning Mana to destroy him than what was contained within Lorn''s Heart Core.


    ''Nevermind... It would be nice if I could attune to this new kind of Mana, but it may take time with how... vicious it is.''


    He then watched Lorn''s soul, which was already orbiting the Dungeon''s Core. Quite an obvious idea appeared within his mind.


    ''Maybe I can ask for his help later... Why didn''t I do this earlier? I keep forgetting that the Guardians are pretty much on a level of a human with their intellect.''


    *


    While Lancelot spent his time amidst various deliberations, he also kept an eye on the human group, who had finally acknowledged the fact that they''d won.


    Rob was amongst the first to relax his grip on his weapon. He then spoke quietly.


    "We''ve won?.." But that didn''t last long.


    "We''ve won! We got him, guys!"


    As he shouted out loudly, Rob could only hear the echo of his words spread throughout the boss chamber, followed by someone clearing his throat behind him. When he turned around he saw Anna rubbing her eyepatch in embarrassment.


    "Read the mood please..." The female Ranger mumbled while pointing to a somber-looking crowd around them. It was then that Rob also smelt the stench of charred flesh, wafting from the scorched bodies that lay in the shallow waters. It was more of a tragedy, not a grand victory to be celebrated.


    Just then Marilyn''s loud shout could be heard.


    "What the fuck are you doing just standing there?! They are fucking drowning!"


    With these curse-filled words, she sprinted from the back of the crowd despite her somewhat rugged state, being flung around and such, immediately tending to one of those who was paralyzed by the Stag''s discharge and left face-down in the water. She cursed once more when she saw that the man she flipped over was no longer breathing.


    After belatedly hearing her, the rest of the Explorers went around tending to the wounded, or trying to rescue the few that could yet be saved. Johann was among them, performing resuscitation on one of those who had been knocked down last.


    "One, two, three! One, two, three!"


    In the next moment the woman, half of whose face was charred, coughed out multiple times and breathed in deeply. Johann then helped her up, not minding the fact that his boots were soaked in water. He and Marilyn went around checking up on the rest of the group, tallying up the casualties.


    "Three drowned in the end... One got torn in half and one died from the electric shock. And a couple more people are either too scared or too injured to go on. Fuck."


    The armored woman breathed out in frustration, holding a hand to her forehead. Despite all their preparations, they were not ready. It was a pyrrhic victory at best.


    "...And the fucking deer will just come back to life next time like nobody''s business. Just to fight us while knowing our tricks. Great, just bloody great!"


    Her shoulders were trembling slightly, the normally composed woman was far too emotional compared to her usual state. Several people gave her worried glances, but none approached except for one.


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    Marilyn felt something touch her shoulder, startling her. She nearly turned around while unsheathing her sword, but she caught sight of the one who was behind her.


    "Oh, it''s you, Johann..."


    His heavy palm landed on her shoulder. Marilyn saw him shake his head while he spoke.


    "It''s not your fault, Marilyn."


    "But I''m the leader-" The woman tried to say something but she heard him interrupt her.


    "Don''t blame yourself, we were not ready. None of us were."


    As he came to her side, he let go of her shoulder and instead pointed to the untouched purple crystal that was right in front of them. He picked it up, frowning when the electric arcs numbed his hand a little, before turning around to face her.


    "You may think that we gained nothing from this battle, but we learned as well."


    He stared at her confused face before finally pointing out the fact that she overlooked.


    "We knew nothing about the boss while going into this battle, but now we know something."


    "Now that we have fought, we know the possible weaknesses of our foe, we can prepare and create tactics and strategies. It may have learned, but so did we."


    The man then focused on Marilyn''s expression, awaiting her response. She was the leader in the end. But he didn''t expect the answer that he received.


    "...Heh."


    Marilyn chuckled briefly, contrary to Johann''s expectations.


    "That''s unlike you, Johann."


    "...?" The Warrior tilted his head slightly.


    "I''m not used to seeing you talk this much. I took you for the stoic, silent type." Marilyn then gave a small smile.


    "And yet here you are, trying to cheer me up."


    The man, slightly flustered, was caught off guard. Johann awkwardly scratched his cheek, not knowing how to respond to such a statement. Thankfully the culprit of the predicament didn''t linger, walking past him while patting him on the shoulder just like he did a moment ago.


    The leader of the Expedition regained her spirit, and her voice that commanded respect could once again be heard as she faced the scattered and dispirited Explorers.


    "Listen up you thrill-seekers and treasure-finders!"


    Her call was not met with as much enthusiasm as before, but the gazes of the Explorers nevertheless found their way to her.


    "We have just won a difficult battle." She paused, making sure everyone listened before continuing.


    "Because of it we lost multiple brave souls, may they rest in peace."


    ''"But we will continue our journey, for only in the depths may we find the answers to our plights and strength against our foes!"


    The last words of this sentence caused a spark to light in the previously blank eyes of some, but most didn''t have the will to go on. Some among them voiced their opinions.


    "Go on? You crazy woman, do you want to get us all killed?!" A man shouted in a rather hysterical tone.


    "In just a single battle we have lost this many! Just look at Grisha!" He pointed at a charred body.


    "He had a pregnant wife back home, and yet here he is, a pile of coal! Do you want to make more of our children orphans, and our wives widows?! All for your own ambitions?!"


    The man''s accusations continued without a stop, some others also joining in along the way, creating a commotion of discontent.


    "I want to live, Daisy is waiting for me..."


    "Fuck you! I will not follow a tyrant who can''t even see the state of the people!"


    "Are you going to use us as cannon fodder?!"


    Marilyn was shocked quite a bit seeing her supposedly motivational speech turn into... this. She knew that they were grieving and injured, and she was about to send them back to the surface just when she was interrupted. Still, she did not expect things to escalate this much. The harsh accusations stung harshly, especially so considering that she did her best to save the people under her care, only to get called a tyrant.


    "I... But I didn''t-"


    Her weak voice was not heard at this point though, the insults and criticisms growing ever louder, those who were previously silent occasionally joining in, and some other Explorers looking rather hesitant. Only a single group remained unwavering amidst the ''storm''. Leopold and his team stood silent, with Anna staying by their side, looking at those who were shouting with anger in her eye.


    "You ignorant bast-"


    "QUIET."


    But the Ranger''s outcry and the rebelling group''s shouts were both overshadowed by a word, no, a command spoken in a low yet loud voice.


    Surprisingly, everyone heard and obeyed, turning to the voice''s source. And there, coming in front of Marilyn was Johann''s sturdy figure. His brows were slightly furrowed, showing his displeasure. And those who knew him for not showing emotions on his face knew that he meant business by this.


    Still, there would always be a fool amongst the crowd. The voice of the man who had started this whole charade could be heard once again.


    "Johann? Why are you standing up for that bitch? Could it be that she-"


    "Leave."


    "What? Did I-"


    "LEAVE."


    He didn''t let a word of opposition be voiced. He then continued after a short pause, all while glaring at the man who was now cowering amidst the crowd.


    "If you don''t want to go on, leave."


    Johann then glanced across the other like-minded ''rebels''. A neutral expression returned to Johann''s face.


    "You would only be a burden anyway."


    Those that were called out shifted uncomfortably, whispering amidst themselves, all while remaining under the Warrior''s scrutiny. The instigator then spoke out while hiding behind the others.


    "F-fine! I will do just that then! I will make sure that the entire camp hears that the reason you don''t return is because of our ''leader''s'' foolishness!"


    While spouting various threats, he retreated slowly to the tunnel that led to the Second Floor. Suddenly he stopped, realizing that there might be some Beasts remaining to pose a threat, so he called out to the hesitant ones.


    "Come! Don''t listen to the bullshit they are spouting! Your lives will be in danger if you remain here!"


    Having somewhat regained his courage, one after another the other Explorers retreated as well.


    "Y-yeah! Let''s go!"


    "I won''t leave my life in the hands of an idiot!"


    The instigator, reassured by the numbers that joined him, disappeared in the tunnel, the demoralized Explorers joining him one after another. In just a few minutes, only a handful was left from the original Expeditionary Group.


    Marilyn still looked in shock at the dark tunnel. She muttered.


    "You guys..."


    Seeing such a scene, memories appeared in her mind. A battle against a giant wolf, the desperation at the realization of being left behind to die. All of it came crashing back.


    "...traitors, all of them. I... trusted them, and yet..."


    Marilyn''s hand shook yet again, the knuckles that held the hilt of her sword turning white. The woman felt her emotions go out of control, a feeling of anger and betrayal threatening to consume her. Just then, several human figures moved within her eyesight, causing her eyes to gain focus yet again.


    "You... Stayed?"


    She saw Leopold, Rob, Beatrice, Anna, Johann, and several other Explorers facing her. Marilyn noticed that most of the Explorers who were wounded stayed behind, those who were resuscitated being at the forefront.


    "Of course we did. After all, we know you do care. And we are not foolish enough to be swayed by some words." A woman who was rescued by Johann spoke.


    "D-don''t you worry, we won''t leave you behind, Mary!" A timid voice that came from Beatrice followed soon after. However, the healer became embarrassed after she realized she had spoken to Marilyn informally.


    Nevertheless, that was enough to lighten the mood. A smile once again found its way on Marilyn''s face as anger gave way to a heartwarming feeling.


    "The Expedition must go on."


    "Those fuckers are going to regret missing out on what loot we''re gonna find!"


    "...Let''s get a move-on."


    Johann, Anna, and Leopold then spoke one after another, lighting the fires of Marilyn''s will once more.


    "...Alright then." Marilyn cleared her throat and called out to the much smaller crowd, which nevertheless looked towards her with fire in their eyes.


    "Listen up, you undeterred stubborn assholes! I am not going to do the whole speech yet again, so just listen to me this once."


    "You better get healed up before we for down, because I am not going to haul your asses back up if you can''t walk once we''re done!"


    This time the response was much different.


    "Yeah!"


    "Let''s kick some Beast ass!"


    "Tis but a scratch!"


    Even the healers seemed to regain their spirit, their healing becoming more vigorous along with their mood.


    Lancelot, who was observing this, gave a mental thumbs up, as a good mood led to a change in Mental Mana, which positively influenced the group''s state. Because of this, in under half an hour everyone was ready to go, with the exception of slightly worn-out healers, and even they were ready to go regardless.


    As Marilyn stood in front of the patched-up group, she turned to the mist under the tree''s roots, which led to yet another unknown territory. The woman waved her hand.


    "Down into the abyss we go!"


    Her cry was then repeated among the group.


    "DOWN INTO THE ABYSS WE GO!!!"


    Marilyn smiled as she heard the group''s high morale, then stepped into the mist in front of her. After a couple of seconds, she walked into a tunnel that she recognized as a buffer between floors. Other Explorers advanced behind her, their march steady and unwavering, not a hint of fear or hesitation being present.


    After a couple of minutes that consisted entirely of trudging through a dark tunnel, Marilyn felt the air heat up around her, a warm wind occasionally blowing around her face. She soon saw the light come into view, and the view beyond the tunnel appeared not long after.


    The woman saw a lush jungle full of ferns appear in front of her as she emerged in a rather small clearing, smaller than the one on the Second Floor. As she looked up, she saw a bright light that hurt to look at. Feeling the searing heat that was spread across her skin as she stood under its light, she could only think of one thing.


    "Is that a sun..?"


    As the rest of the group emerged from behind her, they too stopped to admire the view for a moment.


    From among them, the one-eyed Ranger Anna came forward to answer that Marilyn asked to no one in particular.


    "Nah, don''t think so. It seems more like a lamp. I swear I can barely see some kind of ''cage'' around it."


    While everyone was admiring the view, however, the only Rogue of the group came forward and examined the various traces on the ground. As he was doing that, he seemed to hear something, immediately unsheathing the shortsword on his hip.


    "...We are not alone."


    His rather quiet words could be heard by everyone, causing the previously relaxed atmosphere to turn into an anticipation of battle. The hidden adversary did not stay hidden for long, the swaying ferns soon revealing their forms. The multiple foes revealed themselves, and the group of humans found themselves facing off against a group of four deer.


    Three of them had green patterns on their fur, and the last had blue ones. They stared at the humans and the humans stared at them. The silence lasted for a moment, but in the next second swords were pulled out, arrows were notched and mana began to gather.


    Marilyn shouted out in a surprisingly joyful tone.


    "You bastards came just in time! I was craving for some venison!"