《The Biomes》


 The Prologue

    *Notes:


    I''m new to writing but I figured I''d give it a shot. I plan to do one chapter a week and they will most likely be a bit longer than this. Tips are more than welcomed as I''d appreciate any help to improve my writing.


    - <del>BTW anyone knows how to get a picture to set into the cover... I can''t seem to put it in even when the picture I have should be the right size and the file shouldn''t be too large... </del>


    The Biomes


    The story begins in a world with a plethora of life and magics that very few have explored to its depths. The planet could be said to be large but at the same time small. The planet is approximately 50,000km in diameter from east to west and around the same from north to south. There were five continents on this planet surrounded by vast amounts of crystal clear green waters.


    The continents take up around thirty-five percent of the world. In the second largest of the continents known as Althora, there are scattered countries of varying races who are constantly fighting among themselves. Battles spurred on by conflicts of all sizes lead to wars that covered the land in blood and ruins. Alliances are built and torn down constantly as everyone vies for profit and dominance.


    The lands in Althora are for the most part barren wastelands. A number of metals and other such commodities are scarce, which helps fuel the conflicts. There is one answer for this lack of resources, though, which in itself could be considered a resource.  The inhabitants call them "Biomes". This doesn''t mean the general term biome, but a separate pocket born in the world by unknown means. The inhabitants classify them by their size and potential. The land outside might be desolate, however inside the biomes are completely different ecosystems.


    Inhabitants have tried to figure out Biomes so that they could perhaps control them and possibly create their own. Sadly they have failed to glean the information they seek. The only thing they know is that a Biome is separated from their world. They sent scouts to search and categorize these biomes. Settlements were created for promising biomes to collect the resources inside and fuel their countries economies.


    Biomes themselves range in size and diversity. When they are born they can be as small as a square foot. As they grow they can become worlds unto themselves. The inhabitants don''t know what causes the biomes to grow but they occasionally come across things that hint at intelligence. The way some biomes develop shows that it creates obstacles for sentient intruders such as mazes, tests, abnormal creatures and more.


    Some inhabitants believe their gods sent the biomes to help temper their people and also as a way to survive. Others think it as an anomaly that was birthed by the world. Either way leads people into depending on them further. Countries take control of the areas that hold large biomes and monitor them fiercely. A biome can grant the resources to expand their populations and power but if they aren''t strong enough to hold onto such a treasure they might perish in their greed.


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


    In an unknown location surrounded by chaotic space, an anomaly manifests itself. A small pinprick in reality slowly starts to revolve and turn into an insignificant bubble. The bubble gradually starts to absorb mana from the chaotic space and slowly a consciousness is born with but one thought "hungry". After five years the consciousness forms more awareness of itself and instinctively wants to expand its territory. After a dozen more years, the entity feels like it''s missing something to sate its hunger. Over the years, it has expanded to 500 ft squared, but that still isn''t enough.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    The entity starts consuming mana in a more rapid manner, faster than ever before in an attempt to find whatever it''s missing. As it grows, it starts to get a sense of what''s beyond its bubble of influence.


    The entity feels something close, but at the same time out of reach. It doesn''t understand that something is blocking its way. A barrier of sorts is keeping it from something, and the entity starts putting pressure on it. The pressure builds, and the entity begins actively attacking the obstacle in its way, feeling that whatever it desires is on the other side. Slowly, the barrier starts to crack and give way after years of assault, to create a hole. The hole leads somewhere new, and unlike the entities birthplace feels rich in mana. Running on instinct, the entity doesn''t even hesitate before it plunges through the hole and into the new world.


    The entity is bombarded by the new rich mana infused atmosphere and starts to devour like it never has before. It begins to have more complex thoughts than before. The entity finds itself in an area surrounded by energy, but this energy is different. Instead of the effortlessly absorbed energy it''s used to, this energy is confined and locked together which baffles the entity. It tries to absorb the energy but has difficulty doing so.


    The entity tries a new approach, and instead of directly absorbing the energy, brings it into its territory. After bringing in the new energy, the entity feels like it should line its space with this new "material" and starts to dump it neatly inside.


    It then continues to comfortably eat mana and bring in the material at a consistent pace. Soon, however, the entity breaks out of its surrounding material and into something different. Something the entity has never encountered until now fills its senses with brightness and warmth.


    Stunned, the entity carefully observes the new area as light shines down on the hole the entity dug. Expanding its sense outside the hole, the entity is captivated by finding life forms rooted in the material. Due to the entity''s sensitivity toward mana, it can sense that these lifeforms are absorbing a small bit of the material all around it, and is also using the light as a catalyst. What alarms the entity, though, is that it finds other mobile lifeforms eating the rooted ones. Feeling intimidated the entity stops advancing toward the "outside" and keeps to itself, absorbing the new rich mana.


    While it was digging its hole the entity discovered that when he had his territory open in order to bring in more material, the free mana flooded in at a rate much faster than it can absorb.  Attempting to store mana for future consumption, the entity decides to leave its territory open and let mana store naturally inside.


    At present the hole the entity dug out for itself is relatively small by only being around 2 ft wide. A few days after the entities emergence, a small furry animal makes its way toward the entrance as if drawn subconsciously by the ambient mana. Uncertain about its safety, the creature takes its time and slowly feels out the area for danger while inching toward the entrance. After a while, the creature''s curiosity takes precedence and it takes its first step into the hole...

 Chapter 1

    *Notes:


    Thanks for reading! Again any tips for improving the story or grammar is welcomed greatly.


    Hope you guys enjoy the story.


    Chapter 1


    Observing the small furry animal that has come into its territory the entity has some interest in the creature. So far the furry animal takes in its surroundings with caution but delves further in. The concentration of mana inside is appealing so the small animal decides to make a nest in the space perhaps instinctively knowing the atmosphere is beneficial towards it.


    Years after the entity''s first visitor the animals have come and gone leaving signs of habitation throughout. During these years, plant spores invaded the space and taken root in the ground the entity collected. With the concentration of mana in the air, the plants grew much faster than outside. They shed the conservative forms they had in the relatively mana sparse atmosphere outside and grew without abandon.


    The only reason the entity has allowed the invasion from outside is because it felt like these new lifeforms might be what it was missing before. However, there still was a nagging feeling of desire for more. The entity found that when things come into its territory and die the energy in their bodies is forever trapped within. This gave even more reason for the entity to want to attract even more life forms to inhabit its space.


    As the entity grew larger and collected more and more energy it also became more intelligent. The entity became more self-aware and started to study the life in his "world". His current size at approximately 2 km squared is still growing at increasing speeds. As he became more aware, his sense of the surroundings also increased past his borders. His sense can stretch proportionately to about as much space as he can control. As he can sense up to 2 km away from his body in all directions he learns more about the world he broke into.


    At the edge of his vision, he can sense a river flowing with animals swimming inside. Over the years, the entity has learned that the lifeforms outside require water. The entity decides to try to create a water source in his world but isn''t quite sure how. The river is too far away for him to directly absorb, so the entity tries to create water.


    Water itself, the entity finds, isn''t that complex as it is just one of the forms that mana takes after it has been converted into molecules and combined a certain way. Likewise, it finds that it can create more ground for the life forms to inhabit using a similar method to water. Perhaps to the inhabitants of this world, this would be a monumental discovery as currently they can only gather mana that has already formed the elements, instead of creating the actual element itself. The entity thinks nothing of it however and gets to work to try and create more diversity inside its world.


    With an added watering hole inside the entity''s world, it creates more sustainability for the lifeforms. The plants for instance, which so far were only being supported by the dense ambient mana inside, now thrived even more with the addition of water which is easier for them to absorb. As far as the animals, they moved further into the world as there is now water and food, so they no longer have to leave the confines of their new homes to live.


    The entity has also expanded its entrance to invite more lifeforms in. The entrance is now around twenty meters wide and about 10 meters tall, in the side of a large dark red mountain face. The entity cannot see how high or how long the mountain is currently, which just shows the massive size of the formation.


    With the renovation of the entrance, it is now large enough to start accommodating larger but more scarce lifeforms in the surroundings. Before, the lifeforms were already attracted to the hole many times over the years by the mana surrounding it, but they couldn''t get inside. They tried to dig their way in but the rocks of this mountain were very durable and even more so after they have been infused with concentrated mana over the years.


    With the addition of new animals who prey on other animals, the ecosystem inside the entities world is becoming increasingly more complete as time goes by. The entity takes mental notes of the many types of creatures in its world. The first type which was the very first to enter the space is a small furry animal with beady eyes, long ears, long tails and short arms and bodies ranging in colors from white, brown and black. They mainly eat the small bits of plants that are in their reach. When they first entered the world the long-eared animals were perhaps half the size of the current ones. The small furry animals seem to also have more stamina and reproduce at much faster rates after being in his world for a few years.


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    This lead to the small lifeforms dubbed by the entity as "Labbits" to be the most abundant animal in his world so far. Shortly after the labbits, entered another small life form which followed the labbits in to hunt them. With the labbits increased reproduction, however, they couldn''t eat enough to put a dent in the population of labbits.


    This second life form was long without fur and instead had hard dark red scales covering their bodies. This color helped them blend into the rocks and dirt of the mountain range outside, but in the new world which was full of green plant life they adapted and became green with a hint of dark red still lingering. Originally these lifeforms now dubbed "Sekans" by the entity had venom to paralyze their prey so they can safely consume them whole. Now, however, they have evolved to have stronger and more corrosive venom. The venom aides digestion so they can consume more with the increase of readily available prey.


    As a result, the Sekans grew much larger to about three times their original size. Originally only being around 2 meters length fully grown and about 5 cm girth now they are 6 meters long with 15 cm of girth. The Sekans were the apex predators in this new world for a while until more predators came into the dungeon. At first, the Sekans ate the weaker predators such as a furry life form with sharp teeth which was larger than the labbits.


    As the new sharp teeth lifeforms came into the world, they made nests to breed while consuming the plethora of labbits in the dungeon. The added size of the labbits didn''t effect the new life form dubbed "Hounds" by the entity much because they were much larger than even the mutated labbits. However even though their size was many times the labbits the hounds still fell prey to the sekans which dominated the area.


    After a year, the hounds began to grow larger and stronger. They also became swifter by utilizing the mana in the air to control their vicinity to a degree or "wind" magic. So despite their new large size ranging up to a little over a meter and a half tall and over 3 meters long with their tails they are very nimble. The agile pack hunters who originally had full gray coats of fur now had streaks of green throughout.


    As to why these lifeforms all started evolving so rapidly, it would be because of the curious entity watching from above. Normally even with the naturally abundant mana from the entity''s world, it would take much longer to have them evolve to such degrees. The entity though, decided to try and infuse mana into these lifeforms to see what would happen. The strong growth and diverse evolutions surprised the entity and he found it fascinating that they could change so much from just a bit of mana. The lifeforms became a sort of entertainment for the entity as he manipulated them from above.


    After he opened the entrance up a large myriad of beasts slowly made their way in from furred animals that were much larger than the previous hounds, to animals that can fly in the air. As more animals started to enter the dungeon, the entity decided to emulate the outside world by creating sunlight for his own. His world already had light from the mana infused walls giving a soft glow, but the animals were more suited to a brighter more vibrant light. The plants, however, did adapt to the previous darkness by glowing like a beacon in the dark. The world now had a day cycle but at night, the inside was still much brighter than the nights outside thanks to the walls and plants.


    The entity didn''t know exactly why the animals gathered inside his world, but he didn''t mind. He found it interesting that even though they died to the animals that already evolved, they still gathered inside like lambs to the chopping block. The entity didn''t know that while he grows larger, and the more mana from the world he absorbs, that the concentration of mana around the entrance thickens. The animals from miles around will subconsciously gravitate toward it, including a sentient bipedal race of life forms.

 Chapter 2

    *Notes: I changed the time the adventurer city has been moving. I had a reason before but changed it to 200 years.


    Chapter 2


    Althora which is one of the largest continents on the planet is so large that even when the populations were at their peak the people still didn''t explore the vast majority of it. In the past, the continent was rich in diversity, as plants and animals dominated the land. When people first migrated to Althora from a neighboring continent they found prospects in claiming it as their own. Thousands of years later there were more than 4 billion people across Althora.


    When Althora''s environment started to wither, the populations began to go with it. As the lands started to lose their abundant resources, such as forests that spanned farther than you can see, and large inland seas that shrunk, the populace started to branch out into unknown territory in search of more. After the discovery of biomes they had renewed hope, and with a new goal to strive for they began to explore the lands even more zealously.


    The people wondered why their ancestors never discovered the biomes before, but figured that maybe without the need for resources they never ventured far enough, or thorough enough, to find them. Not everyone could benefit from biomes, though. Wars broke out between nations and the land was scared with battles. Many independent cities joined under banners of larger countries and some fled. In the end, the scarce handful of useful biomes that were found were all monopolized by the larger countries. The lands eventually became quiet as some countries were defeated while others stabilized and fortified creating a balance.


    While the larger countries were entering a time of stability and growth with their biomes, this leaves the rest of the people to adventure deeper into the lands of Althora, in hopes of finding their meal tickets. An adventurer conglomerate built from the remnants of many deserted cities, joined together to pioneer the remote lands of Althora. They built outposts and cities as they went to establish bases from which to scout and map unknown areas.


    The continent became more barren and bleak as it started to resemble a high desert with few plants scattered about. The adventurer cities either had to divide into smaller groups or villages so that the people can support their numbers by living off the land, or they had to pick up and move for a more mobile lifestyle to support a larger population. An area of 100 square kilometers can only support a few thousand people and that''s only if it has a water source nearby. Luckily, remnants of the old thriving ecosystem remained, as there were still quite a few rivers scattered about. Larger cities that have more than a few thousand will need to constantly move after they''ve depleted the area''s resources.


    Life once thrived but only a select few adapted well enough to the harsher climates to survive. The few beasts that did survive were stronger,  with a lot of their food disappearing they became smaller, smarter, and also more attuned to mana in order to hunt their prey more efficiently. With the newfound strength, they weren''t just more efficient at hunting their old prey, as they had a new abundant bipedal prey to hunt.


    Sentient races have always had more control over mana than animals. Intelligence helps them manipulate the mana easier and bend it to their wills. Without their control over mana, they wouldn''t be able to survive the harsher environments as easily as they have. There are two ways the sentient races use mana to strengthen themselves. The first way is about taking in the surrounding energy into their bodies to make their muscles, bones, tendons, denser and more flexible while also increasing their cognitive abilities and reflexes. The second way is to control the mana in the elements to mold them to attack or do their bidding. Magical circuits can also be used for a variety of things that are too complex for a normal sentient being to handle on their own. Even teleportation isn''t out of reach, though it is very expensive to set up.


    -----------


    Sentient bipedal race''s PoV:


    "Mack! Get your ass over here and help scout out this cave! Stop fooling around with your girlfriend you two need to get to work so we can head back sooner."


    I got it, I got it stop yelling you might attract something scary you know... Who knows if an overgrown lizard might get an idea that it can take our group on. Besides me and Ema were just uh... checking our equipment. -Mack


    Rob stop giving us a hard time. Why do beast-men have to always be so serious? We found this beautiful place why not enjoy it? We''ve been out here for two weeks now and we''re getting ready to head back. I don''t think that small cave will have anything either. Why don''t we go rest by the river for a bit after the cave? We need to fill our water bags anyway. -Ema


    Fine, but you better take this as seriously as I do or you might lose your lives. You humans always so flippant. Can''t you see that surveying new areas is an important job? -Rob


    Yea, yea, the new frontier the hope of us all finding the biome of our dreams.. but our city has been searching and moving forward for 200 years and hasn''t found one yet. Who knows if we''ll even find one in our lifetime. Also, while this job may be important, the only people who get stuck with it are the weakest and the freshest batch of recruits. Hell, the higher ups couldn''t care less if our group died out here. -Mack


    That''s not true Mack, they send us out here to the relatively safe areas to prepare us for harder missions. I mean, this area has already been briefly scouted out ahead of time and determined safe, we''re just doing a more detailed evaluation of the area. That shows they care about our lives, doesn''t it? -Ema


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Let''s get this done, stop bickering and get in here! -Rob


    The trio slowly enters the cave in a cautious manner with Rob in the lead, followed by Mack and Ema side by side. The cave is dark, so Ema uses  magic to create a small luminescent orb of light strong enough to light up a few feet around of them.


    Hey! what was that. I think I saw something shine a white light in the back of the cave. -Ema


    It''s probably just some water or something reflecting from our light don''t mind it. -Mack


    This cave doesn''t seem too large, we should be able to finish soon. We need to thoroughly check every inch before we leave, but be careful you never know what lurks in places like this. After, we can head to the river like Ema said, and rest before we go back to the city. -Rob


    Unknown to the adventurers they were being watched by a 6 eyed friend hiding on the ceiling. This black furry 8 legged creature is poised to strike at any moment but hesitates as there are 3 intruders. It patiently waits for an opportune moment as it watches the trio enter deeper into the cave.


    Suddenly Ema gets spooked and jerks her head around looking for something.


    Is anyone else getting a creepy vibe of being watched? I''m getting goosebumps and I''m starting to get freaked out here. -Ema


    Rob turns his head to see Ema looking around frantically.


    It is a little strange how we haven''t seen any life yet. Usually, some kind of wolf settles into caves like this, but I haven''t seen any indication that this cave has ever had anything living in it. - Rob


    If there''s nothing here that just makes our job easier, let''s keep going and get this over with, I want to go to the river cuz I''m pretty thirsty. - Mack


    I''m not sharing my water with you again. You always guzzle your water the fastest... Why don''t you conserve a bit more instead of having me always share with you? -Ema


    But I''m a thirsty guy what can I say... This dry heat doesn''t make it any better. Come on just one mouthful to get rid of this dry-mouth I got. -Mack


    I said no! Learn to conserve. -Ema


    We''re about at the end of the cave. Just a little more and we can head back. I think I can even make out what was shining earlier. It looks metallic like armor... let me see there''s a figure back there, looks dead. -Rob


    I wonder who would come here alone the poor guy looks like he just keeled over and died. I don''t see any visible wounds. -Mack


    Our city hasn''t lost anyone recently in the area I wonder who it was. Perhaps it''s a scout from another city in the past the bones don''t look fresh. -Ema


    Let''s at least take the armor, it looks good and might be able to sell for a good price. -Mack


    As Mack walks up to the corpse he suddenly feels his weight give and he finds himself falling into a deep pit.


    What the fuck was that and... what am I sitting on. -Mack


    Mack reaches for something sticking in his back and grabs hold. It feels firm but kinda brittle. He breaks it off and takes a look to find a human bone.


    GET ME OUTA HERE! This place is a tomb! Fucking creepy! Get me OUT! -Mack


    Hold on I''m going to lower a rope to hoist you up. - Rob


    As Rob lowers the rope, the 8 legged friend drops silently from the ceiling and creeps up behind them. As it gets closer it lunges at Rob and bites his leg then quickly flees waiting for its poison to take effect.


    AHHGGG MY LEG! SOMETHING BIT ME! -Rob


    What was that!? All I saw was a blur. Are you ok Rob? Your leg is covered in fur I can''t tell how bad it is. -Ema


    I..think I''m in trouble. That was most likely a Merus. They''re a type of rare spider that has extremely potent venom. I can''t even feel my limbs anymore, my body is shutting down. Mack get the hell up here, I''ll hold the rope! You guys need to get out as quick as you can! I can''t walk anymore, I''m just dead weight. -Rob


    The 6 eyed friend watches from above and starts moving ahead toward the exit of the cave.


    I''m going to try and use water magic to draw out your infected blood, I don''t want to lose you Rob- Ema


    Fool if you let down your guard the Merus will strike at you too! Stay vigilant!- Rob


    After Mack climbs out of the pit he grabs hold of Rob and puts him on his back.


    Fool what are you doing leave me! -Rob


    Like I could just leave you here! I''m not some coward who abandons people at the drop of a hat! We''re getting out of here! Ema watch the rear we can''t let that thing take us by surprise again! -Mack


    The 6 eyed friend that scurried ahead spins a thin but strong thread across the path and patiently lies in wait. As Mack runs, he goes as fast as he can while carrying Rob awkwardly in a mad dash toward the exit, with Ema following behind. As the trio comes forward Mack trips on the trap the Merus left and falls flat on his face with Rob on top of him.


    Noticing this chance the Merus quickly lunges out and bites him on the arm and vanishes much like what it did with Rob.


    Ema seeing them both collapsed freezes up and stares on with a blank look.


    FUCK! I don''t want to die here! EMA RUN! We can''t leave anymore, only you can get out before it gets you too! - Mack


    The now unconscious Rob is pinning the weakened Mack down leaving them no other options. Ema wakes up and hesitates for a split moment before saying "I''M SORRY" and runs out with tears and snot lining her face.


    The Merus watches as she leaves as its content with its harvest. It slowly wraps them up and now has enough food to last it for a long while.

 The Reader Interactive non-chapter

    Hey guys! I want to know what you guys want to read about.


    For instance, do you want to know more about the cities, countries, Ema?, the entity''s views as he changes his world, more in depth outside world building? etc...


    I know it''s a bit early to ask about that and to be honest I plan on writing about all of it. I''m just wondering what people would like to read first!


    Also I want to know if anyone has any tips to improve my storytelling as this is my first attempt for something like this.


    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    I made some edits to previous chapters and I added more dialogue to chapter 2 and changed some other things. Nothing major but I think my changes made all the chapters slightly more fluid.


    Lastly! I will monitor this post every now and then going forward, so if you want to comment about something on an old chapter somewhere down the line then this will be the best place for me to see it!


    Thanks for reading!


    .-.I Draw.-.

 Chapter 3

    *notes:


    I am just informing you ahead of time that while I write I might change how I write.


    For instance I might change how I do PoV''s and narration etc... untill I settle into something I like.


    Italics for thoughts.


    Colors good? Let me know if you don''t like it


    Also this chapter is shorter than I''d like to do but it''s either this or nothing till prob around Monday so... Let me know if you guys would rather wait for a longer chapter or take em as I write em. Since this one is short, you can count on at least one more chapter coming soon possibly two.


    | Ema''s PoV |


    All I can do is run. Running is all I''m good for; so what if I have talent in magic I''m just a coward! I can''t believe I left them there how could I leave them to die. I should''ve fought with all I had to save them, but why can I only muster the courage after the fact.


    After Ema left the cave she went towards the river to find shade and wallow in her misery. She looked in the direction of the cave and could only grimace at the thought of what was left behind.


    Even though Ema only knew Rob for a few months and Mack only a little longer than that, it doesn''t take long to grow attached to people you traveled, worked, and lived together with.


    She was disgusted with herself at how easily she just left them behind. Silently she vowed to herself that she would never run away again.


    If I go along the ravine to the north I should be able to get to the city within a week. There shouldn''t be any dangerous beasts inside but there wasn''t supposed to be any in this area to begin with and look where that got us.


    Why did I make Mack carry my supplies. All I have is whatever is in my lightweight pack, some snacks, map, water bag... Maybe I deserve this. Why can''t there be a food conjuring magic?


    While being a rookie Ema was a top notch sage in the making. She was naturally gifted in all elements, the only thing she lacked was the drive to study them. Magic was very complex in the beginning with various mental arrays that need constructing.


    You could make physical arrays with circuits in any form such as staffs, clothes, jewelry, as long as the array could fit on it. However, they were very costly.


    Why does it have to be so hot. I wish I never left the city with its air conditioning arrays.I wish Mack and Rob were with me. Mack with his goofy jokes and permanent bed head and Rob who wasn''t very social, but serious and always there when you needed him. We... we weren''t ready to go outside.


    Ema stops walking for a brief moment and looks back.


    That Merus is going to die by my hands one day.


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    | Entity PoV |


    These creatures are fascinating. They constantly fight and kill each-other but yet a strange balance is forming. If I pull in some more plants and animals from outside I wonder how interesting this environment can become.


    I wonder if I can acquire some of those unique lifeforms I saw over by the river. They were headed in my direction but sadly two of them died so easily, and the last one ran away. They seemed to operate in a pack kind of like the hounds, but they appeared to communicate with each other differently.


    Dying so easily to a measly arachnid, though, I wonder if they would even survive if I pulled them in? The one that ran away could control mana more than any animal I''ve seen. I hope I''ll see more of them again.


    | City Guard''s PoV |


    Goddamn why do I get stuck with sentry duty. If boredom could kill, I''d be dead ten times over.


    "Show me your paperwork and assignment please." -Guard


    A scruffy man with black hooded cloak hands him the paperwork


    "Really... your paperwork says your group is F ranked but your assignment is E ranked, you know the rules you need to have accurate papers before you leave the city. Rules are rules, either head back and get an updated rank or don''t go at all." -Guard


    "Sir, I can assure you we''ve become E ranked already we just didn''t get our papers updated yet, However, as this assignment is time sensitive we couldn''t wait the extra couple days to get new ones..." -Robed Mage


    Tch.. Rookies think they can just do whatever they want.


    "Sorry, if I break the rules for you then I''ll have to do it for everyone; then what are the point of rules?" -Guard


    The scruffy man smiles and shakes the guards hand.


    "Oh... I mistook your E rank for an F my mistake. I guess age is getting to me to miss something like that." -Guard


    "No problem sir, anyone can make a mistake every now and then" -Robed Mage


    Brats... At least the pay is good, else I probably would rather die than stand here all day. Huh... what''s a person doing way out there by themselves? No way it could be one of those insanely strong vagabonds would it? Nono, they look like they''re dying, swaying back and forth looking like they could collapse any moment.


    "Hey, brats! You see that person over there? Go help them back to the city before they collapse." -Guard


    "Why should we!" -Youth in the "E" ranked group


    Little bastard...


    "Want me to arrest you for attempting to bribe officials?" -Guard


    Damn geezer - Youth


    "I wonder if they''re ok, they might need medical attention we should hurry." -Youth

 Chapter 3.5

    *Notes:


    Here is pretty much the other half of chapter 3 enjoy!


    I always take any (constructive) suggestions seriously


    One last thing! I''m trying to test out using other peoples thoughts ( the red text) during the main pov if you don''t like it tell me!


    chapter 3.5


    | Ema''s PoV |


    I feel like I''m going to die. I managed to survive a week on a hand full of hard candies and a small bag of kemiri nuts, though I''m not sure how much longer I can keep going. It doesn''t help that after that river, there isn''t another one on the way to the city. I only had my personal water bag with me so I had to make do with what I could carry a week in the desert. By the fifth day, I already ran out even though the bag has an enchantment for extra space it''s just a cheap one that can only hold so much.


    After what seemed like months in hell, I made it out of the ravine and ventured East towards the city.


    Is that the city!? I''m saved! Just a little bit more, come on body don''t fail on me now. That small speck in the distance has food, water, and air conditioning, just a little more. This damn headache won''t go away... just a little more. I... don''t think I can make it. I think I need to rest... just... just a little rest before I start up again.


    I fell to the ground with a thud; before I lost consciousness I heard voices like whispers in my ear, I wonder if the reaper has already come for me.


    "Heeeeyyyy, yooouuu oookkk?"


    They begin to get louder but my consciousness gives out.


    ----------


    "HEEEEYYYY, YOOOUUU OOOKKK!!?" - Youth


    "Shut up Alec you don''t need to scream at the top of your lungs, they''re still so far away who knows if they could hear you anyway." - Girl


    "Fine, geez was just trying to get their attention." -Alec


    Why did I let these kids in my party. It''s like I''m babysitting, but at least they got some talent. Maybe in a few years, our group will start climbing the ranks and let us sit in the limelight. Only need to put up with it until then. -Robed Mage


    After a bit of walking, they finally close in on Ema, who is now just laying there motionless like a corpse.


    "I think she''s dead" -Alec


    "No she''s breathing you idiot, she''s just passed out." -Girl


    "Grab her and lets hand her off to the guard so we can get on with our mission. We''ve already wasted enough time today." -Robed Mage


    The scruffy black cloaked man picks her up and throws her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes in the most "gentle" way he can, and the party heads back to the city.


    "Good you guys are back. How is she? Let me see her" -Guard


    The scruffy man lays Ema down and the guard walks up to inspect her.


    She looks familiar... but from where... -Guard


    Oh! It''s Mack''s girlfriend! What''s her name again... Rena... Tina... Ema, ya that''s right its Ema. -Guard


    "Hey wake up, wake up Ema!" -Guard


    Maybe some water.. -Guard


    The guard splashes water on her face and Ema jolts up and mumbles something incoherently and looks around.


    Where am I... Last I remember I saw a dot on the horizon that was the city and then... what happened again?


    "You ok? We found you collapsed several miles outside the city. If we hadn''t picked you up, you''d prob be in some animals gut." -Alec


    "T-thank you for saving me." -Ema


    "I''m glad you''re alright, here''s some water so you don''t go passing out again. Take small sips to let your body recover" -Guard


    The guard''s face turned serious before asking


    "Ema where''s Mack and that beast-man that was with you? You only went out on a simple F ranked survey mission, what happened to you?" -Guard


    "We... they... The cave... It was so fast. They''re dead." -Ema


    Ema having been through a dramatic experience on top of being dehydrated, starved, and overheated talks indistinctly with incomplete sentences.


    "Ok, Ok you don''t have to tell me everything right now. I''ll take you to the Adventurer''s branch office and you can recuperate a bit before you make your report. Hey you! (random sentry) Take over my post I need to take this girl to make a report." -Guard


    Stolen novel; please report.


    Robed Mage- "I''m glad you''re alright Ema, my name is Tylor. I''m sorry if this is being rude but our group has a time sensitive mission and we''re already running late so if there isn''t anything else, we will be on our way. That shouldn''t be a problem right Sir? (guard)."


    "What''re you still doing here, not like I need you anymore." -Guard


    "Maybe we''ll meet again in the future miss, until then." -Tylor


    Tylor''s group heads toward the stone gate and the sentry lowers the bluish opaque barrier and sees them off before raising it once again.


    "This way Ema, do you think you can walk there?" -Guard


    You want me to walk... Stingy geezer you''re going to make me walk after what I''ve been through! At least offer to get a durama to take me there.


    I slowly stand up and get my bearings.


    "I think I can walk" -Ema


    As I take my first few steps I wobble and feign a fall while taking a knee and bracing myself up with my hand. Truth be told I don''t think I can walk all the way to the guild.


    I think I''ll make him get me a ride.


    "Maybe I can''t walk. I... don''t think I have it in me right now." -Ema


    "Alright let me go get a durama to take you there, wait here a bit." -Guard


    Ugh, there goes that bribe I got earlier. Wish I could just carry her like that fellow was, but that would be a bit awkward. Maybe the guild will reimburse me. -Guard


    ------


    About 20 minutes later the Guard comes back with a yellow three-wheeled durama. The driver looks to be middle aged and neatly dressed.


    I get in the back seat followed by the guard.


    What''s his name again? I only know that Mack knew him. He seemed friendly enough when I last saw him. Maybe he knows where Mack''s family is, I need to tell them... Maybe later, I don''t know how I can face them right now.


    "You said the branch office of the guild right?" -Driver


    "Yes, please hurry" -Guard


    "Mr. Guard how did you know Mack?" -Ema


    "Oh, I knew his father. His father and I used to be in a party together, we were the best C group around. I wonder how I''ll break it to him that his son died, such a pity. The boy had his entire life ahead of him." -Guard


    "If it''s possible could you let me tell him. I want to tell his family what happened. I don''t have the courage to do it right now, though." -Ema


    "I don''t know... word might get around without either of us doing anything. I''ll give you some time to tell them but you can''t take too long. After a few months without a word his family might even contact the guild to find out about him as well." -Guard


    "Thank you, I think it''s best they hear it from me." -Ema


    "It''s nothing, I''m sorry for your loss. I''m sure his parents will be happy knowing their son had someone like you by his side."


    "We''ve arrived at the branch office, that''ll be 50 almas." -Driver


    Why does it seem costs go up every day around here, 50 almas for just 12 miles. That''s just robbery. -Guard


    "Here you go" -Guard


    The guard hands his money over with a tinge of regret visible in his eyes.


    "Thank you, have a nice day sir." -Driver


    The guilds branch office was what ran this city. It stood at an imposing 5 stories tall, made of red marble with high archways and an imposing crest with a man holding a walking stick and charging into the horizon ahead mounted above the door. The door was just as imposing being 10 ft tall with a glossy black color with some white streaks in it. We opened the door and walked in.


    The guard headed to the desk to inform the guild about the situation. I sat at a table not too far away and ordered a hearty bowl of soup to fill my empty stomach.


    Afterwards, I was lead into a small bedroom upstairs so I could recover. As I laid on the soft bed all I could think about over and over was what happened in that cave. It repeated in my head nonstop until I slowly drifted asleep.


    | Guards PoV |


    "Now about that reimbursement. The girl most definitely has an urgent report to make, so I used my own money to get her here as soon as I could..." -Guard


    "I''m sorry, I''m not authorized to reimburse you" -Desk Clerk


    "Then maybe you could get someone else who could?" -Guard


    "I doubt it would help sir, they most likely won''t help you any more than I can." -Desk Clerk

 Chapter 4

    * Notes *


    I didn''t proofread this much so if you notice any grammatical errors please say so below.


    I don''t know if I like the colors and whatnot I did in earlier chapters so I switched it up. Let me know if you like this better.


    If you feel it''s too short let me know I can hold off on posting often to make longer ones.


    so instead of 2 short chapters like this maybe one long 1 a week?


    * Info dump *


    I put highland desert  or high desert before as the type of climate that the rich forests devolved into, but to be more specific it generally means a Mojave or a Sonoran type of desert. Mojave when the altitude is higher and colder while Sonoran for lower hotter altitudes.


    For those of you who don''t know what that kind of desert looks like. It is a dry hot climate with an assortment of desert plants from grasses and shrubs to cacti and trees. Also, native wildlife is more diverse than you''d think, as animals such as mountain lions, bobcats, javelina, snakes, tarantulas, coyotes etc... Google Mojave or Sonoran desert images if you''re interested.


    In the story, the topography isn''t completely flat and areas differ. Right now the city is in a hotter climate so more of a Sonoran desert. Also, while a majority of the continent is like that, it doesn''t mean everywhere on the continent is like that, as there might be areas with other kinds of biomes (the actual words meaning) throughout.


    chapter 4


    |Entity Pov|


    I''ve found that what attracts beasts to my world is the mana concentrated around the entrance. I''ve tried a few experiments to attract the beasts within my senses range in the same manner with varying effects. With my worlds current size I can now influence beasts up to 20 km away if I actively try to.


    The only troubling part is keeping them alive until they have enough time to acclimate. I have to separate them from the main ecosystem in order to develop them to a suitable level. I create walls to separate and direct them toward rooms I''ve constructed to give them enough time to grow.


    There are a few that are naturally strong enough even before my tampering, but they are scarce and hard to breed. I''ll have to attract more to get their numbers up, but that in itself is difficult.


    The new life form I''ve dubbed Avian is one of the few strong flying animals I''ve acquired. They are pitch black with purple crowns on their heads. A fully grown one can span up to 4 meters in wingspan and have powerful claws and beaks whilst having very keen eyesight. I never even had to tamper with them for them to survive. Maybe I''ll attempt to later, to see what happens.


    Creating nesting areas for the Avians proved more taxing than I would have thought, though. The amount of mana it takes to create a mountain is draining, but the mana I''ve been storing in my world managed to be enough for two small ones.


    Plants are far easier than beasts to handle. I found after some more experiments that I can mutate them freely to adapt and change however I want. I now have a plethora of random species that have mutated into things like giant trees that can loom over all the beasts or small shrubs and grasses to cover the ground with.


    While the plants in my world don''t need water as mana is enough to sustain them. I needed more to develop and grow them, so I made a large water source on each mountain and let it distribute down in streams to provide water for the plants and beasts. The animals didn''t have to concentrate around my previous water hole anymore which lead to fewer conflicts and more stabilization.


    One of the most drastic changes to the lifeforms I''ve taken in would be the small ones. The insects as I''ve come to call them collectively, don''t act like regular animals but even more purely off instinct. When they entered my world they were the smallest and weakest. After I infused them with mana though, they took to it and grew explosively to the point of even threatening some of my other creatures. Individually they aren''t strong, but when they form colonies that have astonishing numbers, they are one of the most deadly things in my ecosystem.


    I ended up having to stop infusing mana in them or they might even dominate to a point of killing everything else off. I don''t want to ruin my delicate balance that I''ve worked so hard on. Luckily, I stopped at a point where the other beasts can deal with them in their own ways and even provided a new food source for them if they don''t get caught off guard.


    The labbits, however, have finally dwindled in their numbers. Even with their absurd reproduction they have to watch out for the insects now, which are much stronger, and even outnumber them. For every 500 labbits born, perhaps only 25 make it to adulthood. Even with that though the labbits still survive, albeit in more controlled numbers.


    The next animal I wish to test would be one that I have only seen at the edge of my vision. A large predator that lives and hunts alone. It has golden fur with sharp retractable claws and a long thin tail. So far my attempts to attract it have fallen flat and I will most likely need to grow more before I can pull it into my influence.


    As I grow, my space expands in all directions. I''ve been wondering how to better utilize this space but haven''t quite thought exactly how yet, though. For now, I have plenty of things to keep my attention so I''ll leave that for another time.


    |Ema''s Pov|


    As I dream, I''m constantly running down a dark tunnel. I can only run with 6 eyes reflecting behind me in the dark. I''m not safe. Running and running, I see a light at the end of the tunnel. The light slowly grows and I find myself in a room. The room is dark but filled with strange glowing plants.


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    I''ve never seen such beautiful plants like these. It''s like I''m in an alien world, away from the desert, away from all I know, away from it... I find a spot to rest against the wall and all I can do is marvel at the beauty.


    I see a small white creature hop out of the shrubs, it''s cute and it looks similar to a rabbit but it''s so big compared to the normal ones... It''s odd. Oh! There''s another one, why does it look so abnormal... rabbits can be fully black but I''ve never seen one with green streaks and a horn on its head.


    The rabbits look up to me but suddenly feel startled and bolt into the shrubs. I get up and try to follow them but as I move forward I feel something around my neck, choking me. It''s spider thread forming a noose around my neck! I try to break it to no avail.


    Then, I see the spider climbing down from above on the thread. Staring at me with those beady eyes like I''m not even a challenge for it, just dinner. The spider finally closes in on me as I try to desperately break free, slowly it inches forward aiming to bite and consume me just like Mack and Rob...


    *Knock, Knock, Knock*


    I suddenly wake up in a cold sweat and my heart beating out of my chest. I look around at the room and remember being in the guild branch office, I calm myself saying it was just a dream.


    Looking toward the door I remember why I''m here and start to get out of bed.


    "Miss are you there? I''m here to tell you that someone is ready to debrief you on your mission. I can show you the way once you''re ready."


    "Uh yes, right, hold on let me get cleaned up and dressed. I only need a little bit and I''ll be right out."


    I wet a rag in the bathroom and wipe myself down. I smelled horrible, to the point of almost wanting to gag. I''m surprised I never noticed until now. Fortunately someone, perhaps that cleaning lady, left me a change of clothes. Even though they are slightly too big for me, the shirt and pants are much better than the disgusting gear I was wearing.


    As I walk out of the room I find a tall woman with red hair, wearing plain black shirt and pants. Maybe what I''m wearing is hers, or is this a uniform for the servants here?


    "Ah, sorry to keeping you waiting for me miss...?"


    "My name is Tabitha, I am the head custodian here. It''s nice to meet you, Ms. Ema."


    "The pleasures mine, also did you give me the clothes? I can''t thank you enough for that."


    "I thought you might need them, I can wash your old clothes for you as well and have them back to you later."


    "Thank you."


    The maid walked me through the confusing layout of the building to a door. The door had a golden nameplate with Richard spelled out in big black letters, underneath was Guild Master''s Assistant as his title.


    As I enter the room, I''m greeted by a large wooden desk with fine engravings and a small lamp accompanied with 2 chairs for seating. The room is spacious and free of clutter except for a painting of an immense forest hanging behind the desk.


    The man seated behind the desk looks older and more mature with graying hair and a scar on the right side of his neck.


    "Take a seat Ms. Ema. Start by telling me where your party was surveying and what happened during your inspection of the cave." -Richard


    I take my seat and start by recalling the ravine we were tasked to map out. The ravine was quite deep and long. We started getting towards the end of the ravine which leads to an open expanse of grassland with a river. A mountain was in the distance and it dwarfed the ravine in its massive size. The river seemed to be coming from the mountain. Our party was ecstatic at finding something so unusual so we decided to come back early from our assignment to report.


    The cave where it all happened was right before the ravine opened up to the grassland. We were going to document it quickly and head back. The cave seemed harmless, maybe a little strange at first because we didn''t see any signs of life until we found a corpse in armor.


    We didn''t know it at first but we were within the merus''s territory. When Mack went to inspect the corpse he fell into a deep pit and then it all happened so fast. The merus just appeared out of nowhere and bit Rob on the leg and then got Mack on the arm. I couldn''t carry them... I left them to be eaten while I ran... *Sobs... I ran away. It''s my fault if I had stayed maybe I would have been able to fight it. It was just one overgrown spider... How could it dismantle our party so easily *Sobs...


    Richard takes a deep sigh.


    "Ok, I get what happened. It was the right decision to leave at the time. Given your strength, you most likely would have died if you stayed. A merus is dangerous, while it may not be very powerful in a head-on fight it excels in traps, ambushes, and toxins.


    Even C ranked groups would have trouble fighting them in their territory. They are so rare that groups are almost always caught unprepared when they do end up crossing them. 20 years ago a D rank party was completely wiped out by a pair of them. You''re lucky to be alive" -Richard


    Afterward, Richard asked me more details about the grasslands as I guess the previous scouts didn''t even make it to the end of the ravine before determining it was safe enough and headed back. Why can''t everyone be as serious as Rob when they do their jobs. We might not have even been sent there if the threat level was increased.


    After my testimony, the threat level of the area was increased to C rank and Richard even talked about making a commission for a new survey of the grasslands. He didn''t say anything about subjugating the merus though. Maybe he figures it isn''t worth it to send people after it when the merus shouldn''t leave its cave anyway. One day I will kill it, I don''t care if I have to save money to hire people to take me there. It will die.

 Chapter 5

    *Notes*


    Here is your next chapter enjoy!


    There may be another one coming soon but no promises.


    Chapter 5


    |Richard''s Pov|


    ¡°Richard this new area seems promising. Who are you going to send to the grasslands?¡± Asks the guild master as he goes over the report on the recent deaths in the ravine.


    "I have a few groups in mind but one in particular stands out. The team lead by Ranald seems like a good fit. They are nearing B class and are soon to be promoted. This area already has confirmed C class beasts so this is a perfect mission for them."


    The guild leader gives an approving nod and says "Very well, I sanction this new region to be explored by Ranald''s party. Have Ranald set out within the week and I want a detailed report as soon as they return. It''s rare to find areas with that much greenery, make sure to tell them to be thorough."


    "I will make sure they do their jobs properly. Not one blade of grass will go unnoticed." I pick up the report and as I leave the office the poor girl who made this discovery comes to mind.


    It''s sad that she had to go through something like that when she just started spreading her wings. Hopefully, she can steel herself from this experience or maybe live a quiet life in the city. With her talent in magic, her prospects are limitless.


    On my way to my office, I run into Tabitha. ¡°Oh, sir I just came by to report that Ema has left. I offered that she could stay to recover a few more days however she was adamant on leaving.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright Tabitha she isn¡¯t needed anymore let her do as she wishes.¡± I make way into my office and Tabitha bows saying, ¡°Then I will let it be, if there isn¡¯t anything else I will resume my work.¡±


    "Actually, there is something else, can you find Ranald and have him come to my office. Tell him I have an important mission that is perfect for his party."


    ¡°As you wish sir.¡±


    Sitting in my office I wonder what could be hidden in that grassland. Why would there be such a drastic change in the environment just past the ravine?


    Ranald''s team is well balanced with 2 warriors, a mage, and an archer. Ranald himself being B class material with his powerful wind magic. He shouldn''t have a hard time charting the new area.


    *Knock, Knock*


    Speak of the devil, ¡°Come in.¡± Ranald and his 3 companions enter my room politely and take their seats. Well, one will have to stand as I only have 2 seats. Maybe I should get more, I have plenty of space after all¡­ Anyway, ¡°gentlemen I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard from Tabitha about the mission. Are you interested?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t attracted to a mission personally given out by you Richard, but why did you pick our party?¡±


    Ranald looks at me with skepticism but I know he won¡¯t pass this up.


    ¡°Simple, your group is on the fast track to becoming B ranked and your wind magic is perfect for charting out new terrain. If you perform well on this mission I can see to it you get immediately promoted to B rank.¡±


    ¡°Well, with that kind of an offer you make it hard to turn down. Tell us the details.¡±


    As I explain the details of the mission it¡¯s amusing seeing their reactions to the grasslands. It is rare to come across such a thing, even I was surprised.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯re informed of the mission what is your take on it?¡±


    One of the warriors speaks out in an enthusiastic tone, "I''ve never seen lands covered in green, it sounds like something we can''t pass up, so when are we leaving?"


    Knowing I¡¯ve got them hook line and sinker I smirk, ¡°You can leave whenever you want as long as it is within the week.¡±


    This time, Ranald speaks up, "We''ll prepare our things and leave tomorrow morning. As I''m sure you can see that we are all keen to see the grasslands in person."


    "In that case, I''ll process the paperwork today." I stamp the papers and hand Ranald the proof of assignment and send them off.


    ---------


    A week later Ranald''s party nears the end of the ravine. "Where have all the beasts gone? There hasn''t been one animal the entire day." -Warrior


    "It is strange... almost like everything in the area has fled from something. We''re almost out of the ravine, I''ll survey the area from above once we reach the clearing." -Ranald


    "Ranald you think we should check that cave from the report? Maybe that girl would be happy enough to do us some favors if we get revenge for her friends." -Warrior


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    "I''m ashamed to have someone like you in our party. The only reason you''d be willing to help someone is to get in her pants." -Archer


    "Hey what''s so wrong with that Rudy? It''s not like I''m forcing anyone to do anything. Just if she was so happy that she wishes to show her appreciation I wouldn''t stop her."


    "With your ugly mug, I doubt anyone would show their appreciation like that Carter." -Rudy


    "Oh, and you''re any better with your--


    "Alright! That''s enough both of you. We''ll decide whether or not to go into the cave after our mission is done." -Ranald


    The party moves on past the ravine and takes their first steps on the open grassland. "This is so green... Ranald you ever see anything like it before?


    "No, I haven''t, this is quite the stunning sight. You guys can take a break by the river while I get a birds-eye view of the area. You guys feel how heavy the air feels don''t you? Don''t let your guards down."


    I begin to form a barrier out of the wind around myself and slowly lift off the ground. There aren''t many in the city that can fly. I have to say I''m one of the proud few. If only this wasn''t so taxing mentally I could use it in active combat and I''d skyrocket up to S class at the very least. I''ll get there someday... This... the grassland almost seems endless and can go on for miles. It is simply breathtaking; I''ve never seen trees so big that dot the lands like pins in a map.


    I wonder if this is the result of the heavy feeling I''m getting from the area. The mana is thicker than anything I''ve felt in my life. As I look across the greenery I feel a powerful sensation lock onto me that makes all the hairs on my body stand on end, my eyes fix onto the enormous mountain ahead. For some reason, I can''t take my eyes off it for a period, like it''s drawing me in.


    After what feels like hours I wake up from my stupor.


    What was that... I felt insignificant in front of whatever that was. The thought of fighting something like that would be like... No, there''s no analogy for something like that... It''s on an entirely different level.


    Strangely, I wasn''t scared. I didn''t feel hostility only that piercing gaze, what could it mean?


    I head down toward my party. "Guys this area has something special. I can''t put my finger on it but there''s something at the mountain. I''d say there''s a 50-50 chance we could all die there. I want to go, but because of the danger, I''ll put it to a vote. Tell me what you want to do."


    "Like we''d back out if you aren''t, of course we''re going" -Carter


    "That''s one of the few things we agree on Carter." -Rudy


    "How about you William? You''re always so quiet I can never tell what you''re thinking."


    "I''ll go, we can''t gain anything without the appropriate risk."


    It''s settled then. It appears to be around two dozen kilometers away, we can probably make it in a day but I should let us rest a few km away so that we can be refreshed before we find whatever is there.


    "Alright, let''s head to a bend in the river that''s about 15 km ahead. We''ll rest there and then head out the next morning for the mountain. Pick up your gear lets go so we can get there before dark."


    As we head deeper into the grasslands the pressure gets heavier and heavier. It feels like the air has become more viscous. I can see the others are sweating and breathing heavy from the strain as well. Our bodies aren''t used to the abundant mana in the air.


    It''s like going from sea level to an elevation of 20,000 feet or vice-versa. Our bodies will need time to adjust.


    The area is bizarre, even after all this time we still haven''t come across anything alive barring some insects, even those were becoming scarce. With such a nourishing environment how could there be no animals here? Does that presence I felt earlier have anything to do with it?


    We''re almost there maybe some rest will ease this anxiousness, "Alright just up ahead is the river bend, lets set up camp and get a good nights rest. William, you get the first watch."


    We set up our tent and make a fire. Without anything to hunt nearby we can only eat our tasteless rations. At least we won''t starve but this is disappointing. Maybe we should of went into that cave, some fried spider would be good about now.


    Though, with all the animals gone who knows if it''s even still there. As long as we take out the toxins it would be good... I should stop thinking about food, gotta get up early tomorrow.

 Chapter 6

    *Notes*


    Here is your second chapter of the week!


    Enjoy!


    This is a little short but I figured that it was a good spot to stop.


    Chapter 6


    |Ranald''s Pov|


    I wake up in the middle of the night feeling anxious about the day to come. The pressure makes it hard to sleep, even with the calming sound of the river nearby. While not on the level that I felt before, I can''t shake the feeling like I''m being watched. Am I imaging it, or are my instincts telling me to head back? Still, I feel drawn to the mountain regardless, it''s perplexing.


    I head out to take the night shift from Rudy, "Go get some rest if you can, who knows what''ll be in store for us tomorrow."


    "Alright take care Randal, see you in the morning."


    I sit there watching the grass weave in the moonlight and listen to the river, trying to calm my nerves. I begin thinking about all the places I''ve been and the dangers I''ve faced up till now. After 30 years of being an adventurer I''ve come close to death many times, so what is this feeling. Almost like excitement and fear combined.


    The sun begins to rise and slowly makes its way above the horizon. I get up and head to the tent to wake the others and I find them all wide awake and ready. I shake my head a bit, knowing that no one probably got any real sleep.


    I break out in a laugh, "Hey, you guys look like you''re ready to go to war... It''s just a mountain, how many times have we been through hell and back? This much is nothing. Let''s go!" I tell them to start packing up so we can head out. My attempt to loosen up the tense atmosphere helped, but I can tell no one relaxed their vigilance.


    As we come closer to the mountain I can''t help but marvel at the size of it. The mountain reaches up into the clouds and branches out as far as I can see towards the North and Southwest. Colorful flowers ranging from orange, yellow and pink cover the mountain in a blanket with lush green trees jutting out from them occasionally. Through gaps and cliffs, you can see the dark red rocks that make up the mountain and if you look closely you can even see small streaks of gold and black.


    Outside we would get flowers that would cover areas, but never like this and it isn''t even the season for it. It feels like the mountain just radiates life. Ironically, though, we still haven''t found signs of animals. It''s like the world was taken over by plants.


    The closer I get the more I feel like we''ve stumbled across something that could determine the future of not just us but the entire city. Just this grasslands by itself is a perfect place to move the city. I feel like if we tried to plant crops here they would explode. Our food problems would disappear in one season.


    It''s almost too good to be true. It can''t be that a biome is near? I heard mana concentrates around their entrances but I''ve never heard that the concentration can extend for dozens of kilometers. It''s been roughly 200 years since we''ve had regular contact with the kingdoms... Our intel might be outdated. That doesn''t explain the gaze I felt, though; it was like it pierced my body and soul.


    Whatever caused this we''ll find out soon enough.


    I had our party trek north along the mountainside looking for anything out of the ordinary, other than everything that we''ve seen so far. After five kilometers we reach a waterfall and take a break. This waterfall most likely feeds the river that runs through the grasslands. When our break finishes we head north for another three kilometers before we find something.


    "Hey, Carter why don''t you take the lead in?"


    "No I think the brave archer should take the lead, you have better eyesight than any of us."


    "Don''t tell me you''re scared, oh valiant warrior?"


    "Nonsense, it''s just that it looks pitch black in there so your eyes are the best suited to scout it out."


    "I''ll take the lead just follow behind me," William walks through the arguing couple with annoyance written on his face."


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    What we found was a large cave entrance that could easily be at least 20 meters wide. Vines seem to be extending out of the cave and spreading along the mountain nearby. As we are about to enter we hear something coming from the cave. Everyone takes a defensive stance and gets ready for the worst. We can hear it coming closer and closer  almost in a rhythmic pattern.


    I prepare to fire off my most destructive wind blade while Rudy has an explosive arrow ready to fire at a moments notice. William and Carter both form a layer of energy on their bodies and swords in preparation to take on any beast.


    "Here it comes!"


    A figure makes its way out of the vines and hops out. What greets us is... a rabbit. The rabbit is huge, though, being at least double the size of normal ones and it has a horn on its head. We all drop our stances and start to inspect this unusual rabbit. It doesn''t appear to be hostile.


    "Hahahaha, what you guys all scared of a rabbit. Let me catch the evil thing for you maybe it''ll be good for lunch."


    As Carter walks up to the rabbit the rabbit doesn''t seem scared of people. It stands there maybe slightly cautious but doesn''t run. When Carter finally got within arms reach he takes his sword and swipes at it, but what surprises everyone is that the rabbit suddenly bursts forward and rams his shin with its horn.


    "AGHH FUCKIN RABBIT"


    Carter takes a much more serious swing at the rabbit and ends its life. With his defenses down Carter actually let the rabbit stab him down to the bone. With his constitution, though, it shouldn''t impede him too much and will heal soon enough.


    "Wow, Carter you''re right that thing was evil, good thing you were there for us. It might have got us too without you." Rudy starts to laugh at Carter''s misfortune."


    "Hmph, at least we get some fresh meat for lunch, sounds like you don''t want any, though."


    "I don''t need your food, I can get my own. There''s probably more where that came from."


    "Enough standing around let''s get ready to head in. Don''t let your guards down, as you can see even the rabbits here are unusual." After I said that we get back into formation with William in the lead followed by Rudy and me with Carter holding the rear.


    We delve into the dark cave entrance and we see nothing but pitch black until we come across a light in the distance. It''s a soft purple glow coming from up ahead and it''s the only source of light we''ve seen other than our own equipment since coming here.


    "You think there''s treasure?" Carter whispers while eying the glow.


    Rudy rolls his eyes, "Just because it glows doesn''t mean treasure, it''s like all you got on your mind is money and women."


    "Keep quiet" I said while giving them both a stern look. I don''t get how they can start bantering even in a situation like this.


    We edge up and turn a corner before our eyes get flooded with the dim glow of plants. It turns out there were strange plants in here that glow. The plant had small purple leafs and it covered the cave from the floor to the ceiling.


    While we were inspecting the plants we heard a rustle in the leaves. I signaled for Rudy to shoot an arrow once he pinpointed the location. After a minute he fires and collects a rabbit that has been skewered through the shoulder.


    "Told you I could get my own Carter."


    Carter just ignores Rudy and looks at the plants. As we head deeper we find more variety of glowing plants ranging from soft blue to white glows and also a single red plant that stood out.


    The only animals we''ve run across have been rabbits. Rudy shot another rabbit shortly after the first one and continued to goad Carter about it.


    Something feels off, almost like we went past a film earlier and now the atmosphere has completely changed somehow.


    As we head deeper along the cave guided by the glow of the plants we see an opening. We close in on the opening and when we step through our entire party is stunned silent. I''ve never seen anything like it in my life. I feel like I''m thinking that a lot ever since I started this mission. At the moment it''s hard to find words to describe what I''m looking at, so I just stare and gawk. Could this be what we''ve been searching for all along? Have we finally found the elusive biome of our dreams?

 Chapter 7

    *Notes*


    This is slightly short as well but I''ll make up for it later.


    Maybe I should just stick to writing more short chapters instead I have a hard time doing longer ones.


    Let me know if you prefer shorter but more frequent or longer ones less often.


    Chapter 7


    The first thing we saw was what seemed like a forest of old, but the sheer magnitude made us stare in silence, taking in the world around us. There were birds flying in the air and trees reaching to the sky; grasses and a plethora of the glowing plants illuminated the world along with a dark blue glow coming from the walls around us. It was the most beautiful sight I could think possible. The forest seemed to go on without end.


    All my previous doubts are now gone. This is a biome.


    *Screeeeeeee!*


    Suddenly we hear an ear piercing screech from above. It sounds like a B class eagle!


    "Shit! Take cover!"


    *Swooooosh* The eagle dives past our party and circles back.


    Its claws nearly getting ahold of Rudy but he dodged enough to just get a cut along his scalp. A little more and his head might of been pierced and his body dragged off to the nest.


    I activate the wind barrier I''ve had prepared because of the uneasy feeling earlier. It provided enough cover for us to take a minute to get our barrings.


    "What do we do Randal?"


    "We''ll run into the treeline and take cover, I don''t think my barrier will last long against it. After that, Rudy and I will attack from a distance. Rudy, you think you can kill it if I stop its movement for a second?"


    "The feathers are hard bu¡ª


    Suddenly the eagle dives and stabs through my barrier, dispersing it effortlessly.


    "GO!"


    We take evasive maneuvers and make a mad dash towards the forest. I try to stall the eagle a bit with a flurry of wind blades but they just bounce off its feathers. At least they slowed its momentum slightly giving us more time. No one was injured from the second attack and we managed to make it to the trees. I can see the eagle still circling above us like its waiting for us to make a mistake. It doesn''t seem stupid enough to charge into the forest so we''ll have to draw it out.


    "Carter you''re the bait walk out into the clearing and before it gets you I''ll stop its movements for a few seconds, in that time Rudy will use a piercing shot to end it. Agreed!?"


    "Fine with me"


    "Wait, why do I have to be the bait!? Why not¡ª


    "Just do it! Or are you saying you don''t trust my ability to hold it?"


    ..."Of course, I wouldn''t question your ability...


    Hmph, Fine..."


    Carter jumps out of the treeline and takes a defensive stance with his sword.


    *Sccreeeeeee*


    "Here it comes!"


    "Shit why me!"


    I cast my most powerful lock spell freezing the section of air above Carter. The eagle flew right into my trap and became suspended only a dozen or so feet from Carter''s head.


    It starts to squirm and try to break free. Depending on what''s inside, I can hold the lock for different lengths of time. With the eagle, I can only hold it for at most 2 seconds but it''s almost completely defenseless while inside. Hopefully, Rudy can take that perfect shot in time.


    I promptly hear the twang of a bow and see the concentrated mana arrow flying at the eagles head like a laser beam. The eagle''s head blew off so easily, it makes me laugh that we almost lost him to the bird in the first place. Well, at least Rudy got some retribution for almost losing his life. (Like a noob)


    "The materials from this eagle will be enough for us to live luxuriously for a few months!" Carter nearly drools and starts taking apart the corpse and collecting bits and pieces.


    Materials from higher class beasts are valuable because the stronger something is the more mana is concentrated in their bodies tempering them into treasures. Things like talons, beaks, feathers, can also hold mana like a container. If you process them and imbue them with arrays you can turn them into magic items.


    "Rudy I need you to climb a tall tree to get a good view of the area. Try to estimate how large this place is and keep watch for other creatures."


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    I''m too mentally drained from the wind blades and especially after using lock, to fly right now. Rudy also has the best eyesight out of us all so he''s the logical choice.


    I watch as Rudy swiftly climbs up to the top of a nearby tree and starts looking all around. After about a minute he climbs down and gives me a report.


    "If we went straight for around 12km we''d run into a small mountain. I couldn''t see past the mountain much so I couldn''t estimate how far the biome goes in that direction, but there is another mountain to our right against the wall of this space. There''s about 10km to the walls on our left and right. I didn''t see any more beasts while I was up there."


    I nod my head at Rudy''s excellent report.


    "Ok let''s head back to the cave tunnel. We''re here for a few minutes and we already had a B class beast attack us. I don''t want to stay here for much longer. I think we have enough info to go back to the city with. Our names will go down in history for discovering this."


    Everyone nods their heads and we start packing up the materials from the eagle. Once back in the tunnel, I let lose the breath I wasn''t aware I was holding. I start to lose some of the tension from earlier. The glowing plants filling the tunnel still amaze me but compared to the forest it''s like comparing a firefly to the moon. (Like that reference? :P)


    As we head out of the tunnel our eyes are bombarded from the bright sunlight. The serene scene of the grass blowing in the wind with the bright sunshine contrasts against the dark biome filled with the lush forest. We finally can let loose that last bit of tension and rest. We set up camp outside the cave and start to cook up the rabbits and some of the eagle meat.


    "By the way Rudy, I have to say I like your new haircut, it really suits you."


    "Maybe you should change professions, being live bait really suits you too."


    "Hmph, I faced the beast head-on, that''s nothin to be ashamed of. Better than some people who can only hide."


    "If hiding works then why would I face them head-on, I killed the beast and stopped you from being turned into bird shit so I''d say it worked."


    I can''t help but sigh at these two. Why can''t they be quiet like William over there? We just found the most important discovery since the founding of our city and they still bicker at each other.


    "Once we''re done eating let''s pack up. We have to get to the city to report this as soon as possible."


    The trip back to the city was uneventful. We traveled quickly and cut our rest times which let us make it back to the city on the fifth day.


    |Richard''s Pov|


    "WHAT!" I jump out of my chair with my eyes fixed on Ranald and ask, "You said you found what again!? I don''t think I heard you right the first time."


    Randal can''t hide the grin on his face when he says, "We found a biome."


    Randal fills me in on all the details regarding the biome and the area surrounding it. It sounds magnificent, almost to the point of me not believing it. I need to talk to the guild master about this. Our city just hit the motherload. With this we can stabilize, with this we can expand, with this... I can''t get too carried away yet. If another country finds out about this we could be exterminated before we really take root there.


    I send Randal and his team on their way for a well-deserved rest. Of course, they will be promptly rewarded for their efforts and achievements if this all pans out. I grab the report and hurry to the guild masters office nearly running a maid over in the hall.


    When I get to the office I don''t even bother knocking and open the door.


    "Richard!? Why are you so flustered, you look like you ran around the city and on the way found a million almas on the street."


    "I¡ªI''ve got Randal''s report... Sir we... We''ve found what we have been looking for since this city was founded. We have finally found it..."


    "Slow down Richard and just spit it out what did we find."


    "A biome."


    The guild master''s eyes open wide and he just pauses while he slowly registers what I just said.


    I start filling him in on everything Randal told me.


    ..."Richard, I want Samantha''s team on this. Have them investigate the inside of the biome. Also, tell Patterson to get everything ready for a move. Once I get Samantha''s report I want to act quick on this. We''re moving."

 Chapter 8

    *Notes*


    Sorry for the slight delay in the chapter but here you go!


    Chapter 8


    I finally had that bipedal species in my grasp, yet why did they leave? I''ve never seen a lifeform that will resist my pull that strongly before. The only beasts they encountered were the labbits and a small avian. They do appear to be much smarter than the average beast that I''ve collected; perhaps sensing the danger further in caused them to flee immediately? I also couldn''t guide them in the direction I wanted like with normal animals. Maybe I should forgo the small room for integration and do something more... but what?


    As the entity thinks about what he can do to better acclimate animals into his ecosystem, Samantha''s team prepares to head out on their way to the biome.


    Samantha was the captain to one of the strongest groups in the guild branch office. Being a veteran A grade adventurer she had the qualifications to be second to only the venerated S-ranked individuals. There was only one S ranked person in the entire city of Horai and with Samantha being the leader of one of the three A ranked teams means she was one of the top existences in the city.


    She also had the largest A ranked team with thirty people ranging from mostly upper B-rank to low A-rank. Samantha was a highly charismatic person well suited to leading large numbers. She was an average looking woman with brunette hair but her demeanor led others to look up to her. She was courageous and had a strong fighting spirit that others couldn''t help but admire.


    Even though the bulk of Samantha''s party was made up of relatively weaker people, they made up for it using their numbers with formations and tactics which led it to be the strongest A rank team.


    Nearly ready to head out Samantha steps up to give a brief review of the mission for her team.


    "This mission is of unknown difficulty! We will enter the biome to assess how dangerous the beasts inside are and the viability of us occupying the biome. I want all of you to be in your best conditions for this mission. Under no circumstances are we to let down our guards until we fully comb through every inch of that place.


    This is likely to be one of the most important assignments our city has ever commissioned! I want you to go into this knowing that there''s a good chance not all of us will make it back. If you haven''t already prepared wills and letters for your loved ones, I suggest you do so now."


    "We set out in two hours!"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Ah! What if I make separate levels to my world? I''ll make a larger room and make it the first level, I shall call it my integration level. I can make a small path leading to the world below for when the integration is complete and they are ready for the real world. This will also fill in some of the empty space I have above the ground level.


    With this, I won''t have to consciously make separate rooms and nurture them individually. I can just make a separate ecosystem. Hopefully, the intelligent lifeforms won''t flee the next time if there isn''t any immediate danger.


    One problem is the mana consumption will be enormous. My world has become saturated to the point where it can''t take any more mana in at its current size. However, I noticed that my territory still draws in mana from the world. If I reach peak saturation it begins to pool outside like a reserve. Reluctantly, I''ll have to use almost everything I have reserved to do my ambitious project but I feel it''ll be worth it. Another problem that I face will be the entrance to my world being a straight fixed path to my original level. I need to be able to move where that path leads. I have never thought of it before because there was no real need to change the entrance''s exit point, as I could guide the animals with my will.


    It shouldn''t be too difficult, however, because I have complete control over my territory. I just need to push through with this endeavor. With some effort, I should be able to change where they end up. The last question is what to put in the integration level?


    Plants will be easy enough to move and I can put a mountain in the center to distribute water. The day-night cycle will stay the same as it is now. I just need to figure out what animals to put there. Labbits will be a good food source. Hmm, I could also put all of the weaker animals that are still in the old integration rooms. Though they are weaker than some of the beasts I''ve been raising longer, they are still stronger than when I first acquired them. It should be alright because those intelligent ones should be strong enough to defeat them.


    The intelligent lifeforms use mana in interesting ways. The one from before managed to lock a space for a brief period in order to disable the avian. The other one that killed the avian was also interesting, as he compressed mana into a small point and made it rotate in order to pierce the avians defenses.


    I''ve never thought of such things before, these lifeforms keep surprising me more and more. Some of my beasts use mana but their control is crude and very basic. For instance, the hounds just use mana to decrease their wind resistance and to slightly boost their speed. Maybe they will use a gust of wind to jump high or at most knock something over by hitting it with air.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    It feels like I could learn a lot from them. They will be perfect entertainment I just hope they come back soon.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª 9 Days Later


    "Alright everyone, tomorrow morning we will delve into hell! Our reports indicate that after being there for just mere moments Randal''s team already ran into a B-ranked eagle. There are likely to be numerous beasts of equal or greater strength waiting inside. Make sure you get plenty of rest, I want you all to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in the morning!"


    Samantha''s team has set up camp in front of the biome''s entrance and have been resting and adjusting for two days already. When they first got here the pressure on their bodies made their party look like beaten dogs on their last legs. They decided to take some time to adjust before running into the biome.


    The morning of the raid everyone appears restless even though they have for the most part adjusted to the pressure, but something is keeping everyone anxious and alert.


    "Captain this place... I constantly feel like I''m being watched. Honestly, it isn''t just me but most of us feel the same way. It''s keeping us on edge, the tension is killing us."


    "I have felt it too but there isn''t much I can do about it..." Just what is that presence.


    She looks around at her party noticing the expressions on everyone''s face. Frowning she walks toward a small boulder nearby and steps onto it and turns toward her subordinates.


    Soon after Samantha shocks everyone by... punching herself!


    "Gather around!" She says, her voice booming, as a trickle of blood drips down her lips.


    "This tension will get us killed! Ignore whatever it is that''s watching us and focus on the task at hand. I don''t mean for you to lower your guards but you can''t be as high-strung as you have been. If you feel like your losing yourself to the strain, then punch yourself!


    We enter the biome in an hour! Clear the camp and get ready. This expedition is for our guild, our city, our friends, and most importantly our families! If this goes right, Horai will enter a golden age!"


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


    I''m glad they didn''t stay away for long and there''s even more of them this time. The long haired one seems to be spurring them on.


    With this many of them maybe I didn''t even have to make the integration level... Well too late to regret that now, and I think it''ll still be beneficial to have. I hope this new level will be enticing enough for them to settle.


    "**** **********, *** ******* **** **** **** ****** *** ******* ***** *** ****** *** **** *** **** ****** ****."


    Oh, they started entering. The long haired one is yelling something, I wonder what it''s saying? If they don''t run away maybe I''ll get more time to observe them. I want to try to learn how they communicate.


    From the earlier group, I noticed that to make up for not having scales or fur they cover themselves with objects for protection and they seem to do the same for offense instead of claws or fangs. Some of the intelligent ones in this group do have scales, fur, and claws but still cover themselves with objects? I wonder why. Are they mutations of the same species or separate species that mutated to similar forms? Fascinating.


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


    "Captain, one of the men captured a giant rabbit that was mentioned in the report. It truly is a bizarre rabbit with a horn and odd coloring. I''m surprised they had the balls to eat the thing, it could have been poisonous."


    Samantha looked back to see one of her men holding the rabbit over his shoulder and says, "Well, they acted like guinea pigs, at least now we know it''s safe to eat. They even said it was the best rabbit they have ever eaten. See if we can get more, some fresh meat will help keep morale up."


    "Yes, captain!"


    As they walk along all the people share in the awe they felt as they passed by the colorful glowing plants strewn about in the cave. Some of them even took some of the flowers and kept them as souvenirs.


    Cautiously, they continue to walk through the cave and finally they see a light at the end of the tunnel.


    "Alright get into formation, warriors at the front, back, and sides, archers and mages in the middle. The last team was ambushed right after they exited the cave tunnel so be prepared for anything! Mages have barriers ready, archers keep your eyes peeled for any movement and warriors take out your shields and focus on defense. Not even an ant should be able to get past your line!"


    "Advance forward!"


    As the party crosses into the opening they are greeted by sunlight! They can''t help but be blinded for a moment as their eyes adapt.


    "Captain, what is this? Why is there so much light here?"


    "This wasn''t in the report. Hold your positions!"


    As their eyes adjust the party slowly takes in the environment. A gentle breeze blows towards them, swaying the plants in a relaxing manner.


    "This... this area is nothing like what they said in the report..."