Unlike the entrance, the cave itself was large. It resembled a metro tunnel of the olden Earth days—twenty steps wide and high enough for Midnight to enjoy a carefree walk. Of course, this was only in theory. Reality often differed from perfection.
The ground was slippery, his feet were wet, and he couldn't hide the splashing sounds accompanying his footsteps. As if to make things worse, the tunnel didn't proceed straight. A slope led it into the ground's nether and it zigzagged and branched to the sides. Countless salty formations blocked his way, forcing him to detour and slow his pace.
With the speed of a drunken old snail, he carefully moved further. Meanwhile, he wasn't idle and experimented with the special laws.
"Lux." He mumbled and silently snapped his thumb and middle finger. The structure weaved into the air and imbibed the mana he gave it. Yet, nothing occurred. The expected phenomenon didn't crash into reality and the intricate symbols and labels were devoured by the darkness. They instantly crumbled or melted away, losing their written connections and meaning.
"Lumine." Another snap left him with the same disappointing result. Changing his strategy, he narrowed his eyes and transcribed a different phenomenon, "Flamma."
The design slipped out of his brain and lit up. A flicker shone in the darkness. A moment later the night rumbled and ate it with a tiny puff sound.
Hmm
Splosh Splash Splosh
He tried a couple more times with different structures and elements until he finally nodded in satisfaction. Listening to the muffled sound of his feet proceeding through water and rock, he sensed his surroundings and analyzed the results.
In the A-hole of Darkness, light is indeed prohibited. Its nature doesn't matter and both magical and regular lights are devoured. I can't create it, nor can I ignite torches.
But, the law is rather narrow and rigid. What it doesn't permit is essentially limited to the glow itself. It first analyzes my structures. If their effect is pure light, the structure can't even take shape and activate properly. The moment it leaves the safety confines of my head it breaks down, consumed by the darkness.
If the effect is mixed with additional elements, for example, a fire-based spell that contains heat, the law can't degrade it in time. The structure first activates for a moment, before the light is devoured, leaving only the heat. Naturally, a half-eaten spell can't be sustained. It isn't stable enough, so it degrades by itself.
The ending result is the same, but the process is different. This is important, and I have to keep it in mind. First, I can find some ingenuine uses for fire. Perhaps, I can use it to draw attention or spook creatures used to the dark. And second, it is rather dangerous if I cast a complex design. The breakdown is too unpredictable. It may disappear, or it may explode uncontrollably. The backlash in case of a link is dangerous too. At worst it may fry my brain cells.
He stopped moving and nervously looked at the cave. There was another problem related to fire deep underground. If, on the off chance, there was a methane pocket in his vicinity, the ending result would be imaginable and gruesome.
I can't carelessly use fire. If the tunnel collapses I will be buried. Damn it, I should have caught that guy's mouse and used it as a biological sensor!
Miners often used small animals, mostly the sensitive canaries, to detect methane and carbon monoxide poisoning. Methane was still fine for it smelled putrid, but the latter was an invisible killer. A large deposition of it could suffocate people in minutes.
The main problem is that I can't sense it. Carbon monoxide is a scentless and colorless gas. What should I do? Will my sixth sense react if I face an invisible inorganic danger? Or...
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully and came up with an idea. First, he had to use a special membrane to cover himself. It would use the properties of a strengthened and active diffusion to replenish the oxygen and expel other gasses from his vicinity. These two effects combined would make the air surrounding him richer and breathable. It would waste mana, but he could replenish it with potions, meditation, and rest. Otherwise, this exploration would end sooner rather than later from a natural suffocation.
Second, he had to pay constant attention to his immediate surroundings and evade branches that lacked monsters. It was dangerous to proceed amid enemies, but for them to be present meant there was enough air and no other dangers. Compared to the invisible and unknown, he preferred to face the more direct and perceptible threat.
Phew
Exhaling slowly, he got to work and wrapped himself tightly in mysterious symbols and magical labels. They shimmered around his persona and he instantly felt the quality of the air improve. Similarly, the tow of his mana stream grew too.
It is bearable. Thankfully, this place is richer in energy and is in a state resembling the night. Nightwatcher is active and the raw mana increases my pool recovery speed. I will need to consume about one potion per two to three hours... Well, that is if I don't enter combat...
Now, there is only one question left that I need to confirm.
He looked around and turned to face the nearest wall.
One step, two steps, three steps...
Suddenly, his leg slipped. He lost his balance and instinctively reached out to grasp at a stalagmite. His fingers dug into the pointy protrusion, but it was too slimy and slippery. With a bang, his fingers lost their support, and he crashed into the ground, face flat in a puddle.
Whack Splash
The sound waves resounded into the air. They hit walls or random protrusions, changed their course, interfered with one another, and mixed into a deafening cacophony of noises.
Screech~ Flap Flap Screech~
To this acoustical chaos, another odd tune was included. It was the sound of a flurry of wings and the high-pitched cries of their owners.
Damn it! Not good!
He didn't have time to care for his sorry appearance, the bleeding scratches, chipped-away nails, and the dirty liquid inside of his mouth. Alarms rang in his head, and using his wrists, he exerted strength and jumped on his feet. Spitting the water, he hissed a spell just in time, "Obice Aurae".
Bang Bang Bang
As the wind swirled around, a flurry of creatures descended from the high ceiling. They crashed in the winds and were sent flying again and again. In a neverending assault, new ones appeared and blindly attacked his barrier.
Screech~ Screech~ Flap Bang
His ears rang, and his mind buzzed. He nearly lost focus, and the spell wriggled. Biting his tongue, Midnight used the pain to keep his thoughts straight. He let his spirituality flow and stabilized the wavering gales. Simultaneously, he understood what was happening.
The noise had spooked the bats sleeping above. He hadn't sensed them through his perceptions and had thus fallen into a trap.
Bang Bang Screech~
That's bad. There are at least twenty of them... What should I do? I can't use my most powerful element. I can't use light to blind them as well. This environment is humid and chill. Should I use water and ice? No, I was caught off guard. I am not prepared at all. They move too fast. I doubt I can aim and deal with them properly before the shield breaks.
Bang Bang Bang
The bats rained on top of the shield like hail. Their nails dug into the wind, trying to rip the swirls away. Unfortunately for them, they were repelled by the currents and sent flying. Their high-pitched voices sang a mind-blowing song that made his brain churn in the confines of his head. He felt dizzy and wobbly, but the impact was alright. He didn't lose consciousness, ignored the cacophony, and concentrated on thinking and feeding the spells.
Lighting. Even if the light itself is dispelled, the shock effect should apply knocking them down. Their bodies are close. The lighting will chain. The environment is perfect as well.
The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Splash
He took a step back under the fervent assault and stepped in a puddle. His eyes dilatated, and he stifled a curse.
Fuck! The ground is too wet. I can't cast such a structure or I will end up electrocuting myself! What should I do?...
Bang Bang
Screech~
The bats were blinded by fear or anger. They didn't care for self-preservation and used their bodies to crash in the winds. Even when they were repelled, their nails were torn, and their bodies were injured, they turned in the air and reentered the frenzy. It was as if they didn't care at all. They were eager to die together with the child-like half-ling.
Taking a potion, he bit at the cork, pulled it out, and spit it aside. Then he tilted his neck and chugged the translucent liquid in two to three gulps. The taste was watered and strange, but he didn't have time to complain. He threw the flask, and stretched out his hands, palms facing the enemies.
With a hum, his mind flared, and the shield spell duplicated. He used his strong will to mold the copy, adjust the structure, and expel it forward.
Rumble
The cave shook, and bits and pieces of stalactites fell to the ground. The air around swirled again. A thick gale formed a giant barrier encompassing both the nearby bats and Midnight himself.
This barrier was many times larger than the previous one, and its purpose was different. Instead of protection, it was meant to capture the enemy and prevent them from flying around. It reduced their free movements and thus reduced the power of their attacks.
Screech~ Bang Bang Bang
The bats didn't seem to notice or care. They continued their mindless dance and their one-sided offense. The battle became a bizarre game of ping pong. The enemies were the balls and Midnight was both players wielding two rackets of wind.
Sustaining the three structures was tiring, but he still had some energy to stretch out invisible spirituality tentacles. He used them to pierce the smaller magical structure, and through them, to stabilize it while shifting or changing the labels. In twenty seconds, he reassembled the spell, turned his palms to face one another, and clapped.
Sweeesh~
The shield around him collapsed. The swirling winds drew closer, stacked, and grew denser. Then, like a pulled rubber band, the shield snapped and stretched out.
Rumble
The currents exploded. Their mystical energy followed his order and expanded the previous shield, assaulting the colony.
Trapped between two walls, the bats couldn't escape. The flameless explosion overtook their bodies, swung them around, and crushed them against the outer barrier.
Bang Bang Bang
One bat after another hit the bigger wind dome. Their bodies were pressed between the two different gales. The outer one ripped them apart, while the inner one crushed them and pushed them into the grinder.
With popping sounds, their flesh mangled, and their bones snapped. Eyes, wings, feet, half-smashed heads, and collapsed trunks littered the ground. Thick blood colored the world in crimson and meshed with the wind.
Midnight snapped his fingers and the two structures fully collapsed. He swayed on his feet, feeling exhausted. His head was heavy, and the gruesome sigh brought a familiar sensation of gagging. His stomach churned, and he bent down to vomit.
It seems I am not that used to the killing just yet.
A thought passed through his head and he somehow felt relieved by this fact. He was still humane enough to feel disgust when was needed. With the periphery of his vision, he noticed a tiny black orb. It was not very far from the pile of his vomit and was stuck to the side of a salty protrusion.
It was an eye.
It was unknown when or from which bat it was gouged in the battle, but now it stared at him and judged him in silence.
Hiss
He sucked a deep breath and turned his head to the side. The eye made him uncomfortable and pricked at his conscious.
He used a bit of his energy to create a mouthful of water. Then used it to clean the mud in his mouth and calm down his stomach.
After a moment of thinking, he waved his hand through the air and cast a breeze spell. The simple symbols escaped from his fingertips and carried the salty scent toward the cave entrance. The path there was clear and the smell of blood wouldn't attract additional monsters.
Phew
He exhaled and reluctantly seized up the battlefield. It was a meatgrinder in the truest sense of the word. Not a single bat was spared from the violent fight. Their remains were hardly recognizable and resembled the pieces of a complex blood-infused puzzle. An eye here, a ripped-away ear there. Pieces of scrapped skinny wings, pink muddled puddles, and fractured-up bones. This riddle was already impossible to assemble.
This won't do. I can't harvest anything and the mana consumption is large. I need to think of a better plan to deal with those bats.
He found a relatively dry place and plopped down on the ground. He didn't drink potions to save them for later. It was just the beginning of his cave exploration and he couldn't waste the expensive resources just yet. Instead, he used more water to wash the grime from his wounds and a bottle of salve to patch up his scratches.
His nose hurt, but after a quick check, it seemed to be bruised but unbroken. He pulled out a couple of cloth stripes and tightly wrapped them around his wrists and forearms. It was a preventive measure against what happened before. The surroundings were too slippery and he needed a cloth for retention when the next accident happened.
From his sitting position near the wall, he looked around and spotted a flattened, but surprisingly whole body. It resembled a dark-colored mouse the size of a Yorkshire Terrier. It had a pair of large leathery wings, wide ears, and rather white teeth.
Definitely a bat. If it was alive, I would have liked to inquire what brand of toothpaste it had used. Look at these teeth, they are the dream of every dentist out there...
To reduce the mental effects of the sudden carnage, he casually joked with the creature. Following, he flipped through the invisible pages of the books he had read and guessed at the thing's origins.
|Ferocious Cave Bat.
They live underground in packs of 5 to 20 individuals. Although they are equipped with a pair of strong fangs, they are not carnivorous in nature. They prefer the vegetarian diet of Luminescent Moss.
When spooked or feel threatened, they lose their minds and attack in a frenzy. Their weapons are their sharp claws and high-pitched screeches that inflict dizziness, nausea, and confusion effect.
Note: The meat is very delicious, soft, and juicy. What a waste!! What a waste!!|
The appraisal helpfully popped just in time to confirm his speculations.
That explains the kamikaze attack. The Ferocious Cave Bats are normally docile and cautious. But once spooked they lose their reason blinded by rage. Thus they behaved so illogical and simplistic... Heh, their true weapon is their voice. However, such mind attacks have a lesser effect on me. I should thank my title and Sage skill.
Damn, so the secret behind beautiful dentures is to live in a cave and snack on Luninescent Moss. I feel enlightened by this great revelation...
The snarky remarks are back in full force...
He narrowed his eyes and scoffed in the air, "There is no need to repeat twice. I know it was a waste even if you don't rub salt in my wounds. And what's going on with those exclamations? Is there a special bargain the the punctuation shop that I missed? Buy one and get one for free!!"
He laughed drily and faced the nearby wall, stretching his hand to press on its surface. It was the same light gray and hard rock. Its structure was bumpy and the color was non-homogenous, resembling scattered pepper and salt.
The whole mountain is made of granite. An igneous magma rock with hardness between 6 and 7 Mohs on the scale. Good, I can expect to mine silver, gold, copper, turquoise, zircon, and quartz here...
He nodded his head happily but felt puzzled as well. He already had seen this rock outside and knew what to expect. Thus, his confusion came not from the existence of granite, but from its sheer amount.
The whole of Silver Lane is made of granite. This is illogical and incomprehensible. Geologically this rock forms deep underground when rocks melt in the magma and then cool and crystalize later. They tend to be nestled at the base of volcanos and mountains. Only thousands of years later, when the above structures are worn down by the weather, will the granite surface.
Yet, here, there is a whole mountain high above ground. Could Lesotte be the caldera of a long-dried-up volcano or a meteor crater? No, this doesn't explain the cliff-like appearance. The other three mountains have regular slopes. Only Silver Lane is steep and resembles a vertical wall.
It almost feels artificial...
He scratched his head, moistened his mouth with some water, and gave up on thinking. What was impossible in a fantasy realm of magic and sword? Besides, he was a geology layman. He only had grasped enough basics to aid him in searching and mining resources.
With this matter on hold, he concentrated on something important. He used a forefinger to scratch the wall's surface. His nail was broken and the hard rock only exacerbated the pain. He pressed his lips tighter and brought the fingertip to his eyes.
Unsurprisingly there were numerous tiny white spheres. They diffused light, sometimes flickering gently, and at times dimmed. The light was dreamy, murky, and soft.
Indeed. I suspected there was a light source in this cave. In pure darkness Nightwatcher is useless. It's not a matter of skill, but the nature of vision.
Light passes through an object or reflects on its surface. Then bypassing the pupil stimulates the sensitive retina cells. The information it carries is translated into neuronal impulses, travelers all the way to the cortex, and assembles into an image in the regions related to sight. Therefore, vision needs light. Pure darkness is equal to blindness.
He finally satisfied this curious itch, but couldn't help but lament postponing the matter. These spheres were the spores of the Luminescent Moss. And the moss happened to be the favorite food of the Ferocious Cave Bats. If he had noticed it earlier, he could have evaded or at least been prepared for the assault.
Sigh
The light is negligent to most beings, but to me, it is enough to make a huge difference. As the source is of biological origin, the cave law is inactive...
Ping
The appraisal message arrived, a bit late.
|Luminescent Moss
It glows in the darkness by absorbing the rock's nutrients. It has high nutritional value but tastes like spoiled strawberries and milk. It is the favorite food of the Ferocious Cave Bats.
Note: It is a mystery if it grows around their colonies or if their colonies form around the Luminescent Moss. Will you be the first explorer to crack this mythical question? Unfortunately, there is no Nobel Prize on this stake!!|
"Are you chiding me because I didn't notice in time and was attacked by the bats?" He rolled his eyes and complained to the system.
It ignored me and is still spamming unnecessary punctuation. How childish...
He inwardly chided again, adjusted his sitting position, inclined on the wall, and let his lids close.
He concentrated, calmed his emotions, and breathed deeply. Then, he let his thoughts scatter and sucked in the natural mana. This increased his recovery speed and the ripples in his spirituality pool slowly diminished until it turned still. After a while, the recovery speed overcame the loss born from sustaining the membrane. Gradually the pool began to replenish itself.
Before I continue, I have to use this silence and peace. It seems that this journey will be more difficult than I thought. I hope the potions will last me...