Status Inventory Name: Laila Rank: Undecided Strength: 11 Agility: 19 Durability: 10 Mana: 4 Masteries Marksmanship: Lvl 1 Swordsmanship: Lvl 2 Mana Weapon Construction: Lvl 1 Heat Resistance: Lvl 1 Night Vision: Lvl 1

“Your stats jumped the last time I saw them,” Isaac said. “Your agility is seriously high. Are you running a speedster build?”

With my nose dug into the map, I answered. “Not on purpose; it just happened. According to the map, a bunch of cliffs will lead to the Wyvern Zone.

“So, the magic you used earlier is called [Mana Weapon Construction]? That’s a cool name. How many can you summon at a time?”

“Never really had the time to test it out. I was mostly focused on survival than ways to utilize my magic. Might as well try it out.” With my eyes closed, I imagined myself holding two katanas. As a result of an inner pull, my eyes opened, and I saw them.

Isaac lightly squeezed my shoulder, showing his smile. “Yep, now I’m jealous. Your magic is amazing when you think about it. If upgraded enough, you could summon millions of them!”

I tried to suppress a laugh at Isaac’s joke. While it sounded crazy, he was on the right track. If I improved my magic, I could summon more weapons from my mana. It would be helpful to inform Solgen about it once we're back.

Isaac released his grip and motioned for me to grab his shoulder. “Ok, now it’s my turn. Check mine out.”

“Alright,” I said, placing a hand on his shoulder. After Isaac granted me permission, a red screen popped up.

Status Inventory Name: Isaac Rank: Undecided Strength: 15 Agility: 12 Durability: 11 Mana: 3 Masteries Marksmanship: Lvl 2 Swordsmanship: Lvl 2 Energy Manipulation: Lvl 1 Night Vision: Lvl 1 Heat Resistance: Lvl 1

His stats were fairly well balanced, except for strength and mana. What interested me the most were his masteries- specifically [Energy Manipulation]. If used well, that magic could completely triumph over any magic. Manipulating energy is akin to manipulating matter, including mechanical, thermal, electrical, nuclear, and even mana. The possibilities Isaac could achieve were endless.

“Isaac, what are you able to do with [Energy Manipulation] at the moment?”

Isaac frowned at my question. “Not much, to be honest. Since my level is low, I’m limited in what I do right now. For example, I could increase/decrease the temperature or kinetic energy of an object. If I exert myself over the limit, my heart will basically explode. As of now, I mostly use it for this, since my knowledge of energy is limited.”

He pointed toward the nearest lava pit that housed some sort of lava fish that had obsidian-like scales and fins made of magma itself. They were happily jumping out of the lava with no care in the world, until Isaac released small balls of condensed electricity that hit the fish dead on, killing them in one fell swoop.

I released my hand from his shoulder. “Interesting. Too bad your understanding of energy is limited. Why would you torture yourself by choosing it?”

Isaac shrugged his shoulders and continued walking. “No comment. Mistakes were made, but we gain knowledge from them.”

“Hearing you say a somewhat inspirational quote makes me want to gag. Come on, we’re almost there.”

I witnessed a collection of hills with their uneven peaks cutting through the sky. Many creatures I had never seen before were grazing peacefully. The fire-breathing oxen- the size of rhinos- ate molten rock with seemingly no effort. Their ivory horns curved in a half U shape atop their thick basalt skin, which accented their bulging muscles nicely. Two of them were in a heated one-on-one battle as they rammed into each other headfirst. On the sidelines was another creature, a little smaller and hornless. Were they fighting to gain the favor of a female?

I shook my head and continued reading the map. “Past those black hills will be the Wyvern Zone. We must be careful not to disrupt the life there. If we were to be attacked, you know what to do.”

Isaac gave me the side-eye and sighed. “Yea, don’t disrupt the life there. Honestly, I hope we get atta-“

His words trailed when a lava pit to our right emitted a hissing sound as it bubbled. A moment later, two large, webbed feet appeared, dripping wet with lava. A head then slowly emerged from the molten lava, steam and sulfur rising from its surface.

“Is that a fucking salamander coming out of the lava?!” Isaac practically giggled when the creature finally emerged. As he said, it looked like a salamander. Its skin had a smooth, red finish that seemed stretchy, and it had a triangular head with two jet-black eyes. It had a tail that was as heavy and thick as a semi-truck. The fire salamander blinked at us slowly, unmoving.

“Okay Isaac, let’s back away slowly,” I whispered harshly. We both backpedaled away from the towering figure, not taking our eyes off it. However, we soon found out that our actions were a terrible idea. As soon as I took the fourth step, it screeched- a scream that was like a person gargling water in their throat. I scowled and pulled out the weapon Solgen gifted us.

“Isaac, get ready to fight!”

I glanced over my shoulder to find that Isaac had already taken it out. With his new sword on his shoulder, Isaac took off toward the four-limbed monster. The salamander tilted its head at Isaac quizzically and tensed its muscles. I quickly recognized what it was about to do.

“Hold on! Watch out for its tail!”

Isaac noticed the creature flicking its tail at him just in time as he vaulted over its swipe and landed safely. “Laila, use your sword magic thingy!”

Suddenly, two blades appeared right above me. With a flick of a hand, I aimed them at the salamanders’ eyes. Its attention was all on Isaac, so it didn’t notice the weapons I was hurtling toward it until it was too late. Its pupils were punctured as a weird white liquid squirted out while it cried out in pain.

With a great leap, Isaacs’ sword gleamed in the sunlight as he raised his weapon on top of the creature’s head and stabbed it. Orange blood spurted out of the fresh wound as it wailed one last time before going limp. Its large body crashed right in front of the lava pool it exited from. I ran up to the corpse just as Isaac retracted the weapon from its skull.

“Man, that was fun! There’s no way your heart doesn’t beat fiercely from that exhilarating fight! Don’t lie now, Laila.” Isaac had a huge smirk as he waited patiently for my answer.

“Maybe it was a kinda fun, but we aren’t here for that. Remember our original goal?”

He pouted and said, “Like you said before, if we’re attacked-“

I ignored his sarcasm as I trudged on ahead, my face already buried on the map. I heard Isaac mumbling something, but I couldn’t discern what he said, so I just waved it off and continued. After trekking through the boiling path and climbing up the rocky hills for minutes, I noticed we had arrived.

“Woah… Look at this amazing view,” Isaac whispered.

Isaac and I were on top of the rocky hills, scouting out the area. Enormous creatures with wings were flying in droves, like fighter jets in a V formation. It was a day with little to no clouds. A light breeze washed over us, prickling our skin as gazed out toward a valley.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

Lush greenery encompassed the lands as fifty-foot trees jutted out of the fertile grasslands, like the spires of a church. There was a large lake that had a river protruding out of the banks, snaking through the valley. Creatures you would see on Earth like deer, birds, rabbits, and bears were too busy drinking its contents to be paying attention to each other.

There was a stark contrast between the Magmi Region and the Wyvern Zone. The Magmi Region had a destructive and dangerous atmosphere to it, with all the lava, obsidian hills, and dead black trees. The Wyvern Zone was calm and vibrant, a mix of dark green and blue. It seemed as though Hell and the lushest parts of Earth were combined next to each other, but divided by an invisible boundary.

“Isaac, look over there.” I pointed at an old mineshaft embedded in a mountain’s side. It was smack down between the mountains of the Magmi Region and the Wyvern Zone. “That’s the place marked on this map. There’s a high chance our guy is right there.”

Isaac wrinkled his nose in aversion. “Another cave? It hasn’t been long since we left one ourselves.”

“It is what it is, I guess. Let’s get this over with before it gets dark.”

Isaac nodded his head and took the lead in sliding down the hill. I followed right after. It didn’t take long until we were right in front of the entrance. An icy shiver ran down my spine when inspecting the run-down structure. A large hole was embedded inside the mountain, with only wooden beams keeping it from collapsing. The longer I peered into the dark hole, a sense of unease grew. Unsure if it was a figment of my imagination, I spotted a big hand motioning us to move ahead and come inside.

A heavy lump formed in my throat as I tried to suppress my fear. “This place doesn’t feel right. It might be because we’re sensitive to mana now, but I can feel something dark within.”

“I thought I was the only one. I feel it too,” Isaac said. We both looked at each other tensely, as I was sure we shared the same thought.

“Isaac, can you light a flame with your finger or whatever?”

“Hm? Oh, for a light source? Say no more.” A snap of his fingers caused a small fire to flicker on the tip of his index finger. “This consumes a bit of mana but ill manage somehow. Come on, I’ll take the lead.”

Isaac stepped into the mineshaft, his foot sinking into the coarse dirt, which made a sound like crunching sand. The inside of the mineshaft was a sight of despair, with the wooden support beams looking weathered and scratched. The entrance was also cramped. We had to enter one by one. As we ventured deeper in, the smell of wet concrete and dirt became stronger and stronger, tickling my nostrils. Dust and rock residue from the walls scratched my throat, reducing me to fits of coughs and wheezes randomly. I was not enjoying my time at the entrance at all.

After some time, the space of the mineshaft expanded, and we waltzed right into a small cave. The ceiling was a smidge higher, at least fifteen feet. I saw no wooden beams or any support structures around us.

“It’d suck if this cave collapses on top of us. Do you think we’d survive being buried?” Isaac nonchalantly threw out as he paced around like a health inspector at a run-down restaurant.

“Please don’t joke about that kind of thing, Isaac. Wait, stop.”

“Why? What happened?” Isaac asked. I crouched down and took a good hard look at the dirt. Isaac lowered his finger torch to give me more visibility.

“Come look at this. Footprints.” The prints looked like they belonged to a man. Not only that, but they were also the markings of some sort of heavy boot. If we were to follow them...

“Hey Laila, there is another set of prints here,” Isaac said. He had gone ahead and found some more footprints. A few paces next to the boot prints were much smaller, but something seemed off about them. Although it was definitely a humanoid footprint, it seemed smaller and almost skeleton-like.

“Isaac, we need to hurry. I think our target seemed to have gotten into some trouble.”

“Yea, looks like someone had a bone to pick with him.”

I silently stared at him, poker-faced.

“I’ll just go on ahead,” he muttered as he followed along a path to our left.

“He’s aware his jokes aren’t funny, yet he persists in telling them at the worst possible time,” I thought to myself. I stood up and brushed off the dirt that had stuck to me. Shortly after, I caught up with Isaac and saw him examining the tracks.

“They stop right in front of this wall,” he informed. There was nothing particularly interesting about the rocky exterior. Was there some kind of secret passage embedded within?

“I don’t see a switch around here. Maybe a good ol’ punch will do?” Isaac cocked his arm back and was ready to throw a punch.

“No, you idiot! What if you collapse this whole cave onto our heads?”

He lowered his arm, pouting. “Okay, how about I use mana on it? That might work. Could be a secret tunnel hidden with magic. If using mana doesn’t work, then it’s punching time.”

Reluctantly, I accepted his condition and backed off. Isaac looked back at the wall and placed his palm on it and closed his eyes. Not even three seconds had passed before I saw mana flowing within his hand as it traced over the wall like a spider web. Later, a rune was formed. The cave echoed with a clicking sound and the ground shook beneath us with a low rumble. The wall in front of us then crumbled into little pieces.

I gawked at Isaac in surprise. “That actually worked?”

He had a victorious smile on his face. “I’m a genius, I know.”

Ignoring his comment, I took a quick peek inside. A square platform was linked to descending cobblestone stairs. The uncomfortable feeling from before grew stronger.

Isaac poked his head over my shoulder. “That’s definitely bad news, Laila. I’m positive we are dealing with the undead. I bet my gaming console back home.”

Did the blacksmith sensed trouble at the cave and wanted to investigate? Should we go back and tell Morgac and Solgen our findings? I have a really bad feeling about this...

“Laila, I know what you’re thinking, and it’s not gonna work. I’m positive if we told her what’s happening, she would probably go- ‘why’d you come back empty-handed? You guys are on your own. You must overcome this hurdle yourselves’.”

Isaac wasn’t wrong in the slightest. Solgen hesitated to release us, as if she had foreseen the situation, which was unlikely. She was imprisoned for a decade and only recently reconciled with Morgac.

“Looks like we have no choice,” I sighed. “Let’s go in Isaac. There’s no use deliberating on what to do. Might as well get this over with.”

We entered, ready to embark on a lengthy journey that would wear out our legs, only to feel the floor collapse beneath us. Our cries echoed through the chasm as we plummeted. With Isaac's finger light extinguished, we were free-falling into the hole with no sight. I wildly flailed my arms while shrieking in terror.

“Isaac, use your magic to save us!”

“I can’t control gravity, ya know?! If I try it, I might as well explode!”

A pale light from below grew brighter with every passing second. Despite the futility of it, I shut my eyes and tensed up in anticipation of the impact. During the crash, an unknown object cushioned my fall. Pain, like being hit by a truck, flowed through every inch of my body.

We both groaned in agony as we tried to discern our new environment until a sickening smell of rot that almost made my eyes water. I glanced below and located the source of that nauseating stench. I let out a shallow shriek. A pile of decomposing dead bodies cushioned our fall. Maggots were leaving and entering new bodies to feast on. Flies buzzed out of their hosts from the sudden impact. I felt something horrible rising from my gut, so I ran into a corner of the room and retched. Isaac’s footsteps echoed through the hall as he slowly approached me, then I felt his gentle touch as he patted my back.

“Don’t worry, I’m here. This is an extremely disgusting sight to witness...” Isaac muttered, his jaw clenched. I wiped my mouth with a clean spot on my sleeve and weakly looked up.

“Thank you, Isaac…”

I was no good with dead bodies, especially when they assumed that kind of form. It wasn’t necessarily necrophobia since tombstones and regular corpses didn’t affect me in the slightest. It’s when the skin of a dead body peeled or disgusting things like worms and maggots protrude out of every orifice of their body that got me.

Oh god- I think I’m going to hurl! Think about something else! Survey your surroundings and forget about the dead corpses!

After a few moments of quiet contemplation, I set out to assess our location. We seemed to be trapped in a dark, damp cell buried beneath the ground. Iron bars were a few meters in front of us. On the walls and floor, iron chains and cuffs were strewn about. The cell door was closed shut, and I saw no keys or anything that could get us out.

“I’ll go burn these bars away,” Isaac said, walking forward. I nodded at his proposal, and he went to work quickly. Isaac’s palms were so hot that the metal bars melted away as soon as they touched. Skipping the puddle of metal, we arrived at the cell in front of us, which wasn’t any better. A humanoid beyond recognition had half of its body chained on a wall, and the other on some sort of operation steel table littered with tools.

“This is brutal… Just what kind of psychopath would do these things?” Isaac said. He had both his fists clenched and was on the verge of punching the nearest object- or human.

“C-Calm down Isaac. Let’s just figure out a way to get out of here.”

“Yeah, we’ll get out of here alright. Right after the fucker who’s responsible for this pays for their crimes.”

While passing by additional cells, we observed the haunted expressions of those who had undergone a harsh death. Some even had monsters we hadn’t come across. They were so disfigured; it was hard pinpointing any notable features other than the number of legs they had.

Scanning around, we really were in an underground cell meant to imprison creatures and humanoids. Around us, cobblestone walls were cracked, with layers of mold growing in the crevices. The ceiling was curved, with little lanterns suspended from metal beams, casting a soft, yellow glow across the room. The atmosphere was dreary and unsettling, like walking through a graveyard at night. Up ahead were stone steps leading to a small wooden door. I put an ear on it, hoping to hear any voices, but I was met with silence.

“I hear nothing beyond this door.”

Confirming the coast was clear, I turned the knob and poked my head inside. It was another room, this time lit by four torches in each corner. On one end of the room was a desk littered with papers and sandwiched by two shelves filled with moldy, dusty books. The room had cobbled walls and wooden boards as the foundation. The ground was covered in a thick, dark layer of dust.

“Is this a study room?” Isaac said while trudging up to one shelf and pulling out books. I went over to the pile of papers at the desk and read one of the pages.

DAY 12

DAY 127

DAY 153

DAY 240

Hm? That’s it? Where’s the rest of it?!

I searched the desk frantically, hoping to discover additional clues. I opened the drawers and even looked underneath them. Unfortunately, I found nothing noteworthy until Isaac urgently called my name.

“Laila, come look!” Hearing his voice, I rushed over to his side. He was holding a black leather book in his hand. “First off, I cannot understand the language written inside, BUT there was one word that was readable.”

He handed the book to my hands. I wondered what he found that needed my immediate attention until reading a single word on the spine almost made me drop the book. A single word was embroidered in gold lettering.

The dead bodies in the cells, the operating tables, monsters, humanoids, and the writer of this book detailing their experiments and the contents I had read… Only one answer was clear. The author of the book was trying to create a Chimera!