“There is a limit on how many items each slot can carry. Looks like Laila was right on the money.”

I had a hand on my chin, inspecting a few crystals I gathered, adding up to thirty-two. The mass did not particularly matter as one small crystal and one enormous crystal still equated to one unit. And that was for one slot of five. My trusty sword, claw darts, and a bag of rations already took three slots. I saved the last for emergencies.

“Man, I wonder if there’s an Inventory upgrade available somehow...”

I glanced over and caught Laila leaning against the wall, her eyes still and her expression distant. She was probably looking at her Status and Inventory. Upon closer inspection, her white hoodie appeared to be slightly burned.

“I should check up on her soon. Speaking of Status, I should peep at mine real quick.”

Status Inventory Name: Isaac Rank: Undecided Strength: 5 Agility: 4 Durability: 4 Mana: 0 Masteries Marksmanship: Lvl 2 Swordsmanship: Lvl 1

Each time I glanced at the mana value, I continued to feel irritated. The more I analyzed it, the more I felt lacking. My ego, developed through video games, made me easily irritated by failure. Despite everything, my stats were somewhat balanced, which was a slight comfort. I also ranked up my [Marksmanship] by one level. Figuring out how masteries worked was easy once you discovered one. To discover and level up, you just need to take specific actions - that's the simplest explanation.

Wait a minute, If I followed that logic, would self-harm increase my durability? No, stop those thoughts. I have no way of healing myself If I were to inflict wounds. I’ll have to try that method for a better time.

Dismissing the screen, I approached my resting sister and squatted beside her. “I noticed your shirt got burn marks. You injured?”

Laila glanced over her shoulder. “It's barely noticeable. I avoided most of the explosion and got out with minimal injuries.”

“You’re quicker than me. If it was me, I probably wouldn’t have dodged it like you did and probably suffered more, even with my durability level. I’m guessing your agility is at a seven or an eight.”

“It’s at a nine,” Laila corrected.

“Congratulations. You’ll be the first to get out of the single digits. Maybe.”

She rolled her eyes. “Hand me a bottle of water.”

I retrieved the ration bag from the Inventory and positioned it in front of Laila. She reached inside and pulled out a 17oz water bottle. Quickly chugging her drink, she released a contented sigh.

“I’m so glad I thought ahead and told you to pack food and water. We probably wouldn’t have survived without food and water.”

“Eh. Depends on how long we are in here. Since our phones don’t work at the moment, we can’t tell how much time has passed.”

“Or if we’ll be stuck here until we’re fertilizer,” she warned, crushing the bottle.

Putting a hand on my chin, I pondered the next step. “I don’t think we’re stuck if there’s an exit. Remember the split path those two demons came out of? I’m 99% sure one of those passages leads to a way out. The one percent- do I really need to clarify?”

Laila stayed silent, eyebrows scrunched up. Doing that was a common occurrence for her when she's lost in thought.

“I say we keep sticking together and check out each tunnel one by one. Separating to find an exit doesn’t sound wise. What if something were to happen to either of us all alone?”

I shook my head. “With how we handled ourselves so far, we can fight just fine individually. We need to get out of here asap, right? Through separation, we can cover more ground and complete our tasks with greater efficiency. If the situation gets dicey, we just run towards the other person.”

I was not gonna mention my ulterior motive of wanting to grind all the enemies myself. If I expressed such thoughts out loud, Laila would give me the death stare!

“You probably want to handle the enemies yourself so you can ‘level up’, right?” Laila said.

Shit. Quick! Think of an excuse!

“Of course not! Why would I think about this dire situation in that regard? When did your opinion of me plummet?”

“As soon as you got crazy-eyed in this dungeon.”

I sighed heavily while scratching the back of my head. My wary sister was making this pretty difficult for me…

“Listen, we need to get stronger as quickly as possible. I don’t want to let this chance go to waste. Hunting on our own will speed up gaining stats. With increased stats, our chance of survival rises exponentially. If we’re strong, what in this dungeon will stop us together?”

Laila opened her mouth, as if ready to refute my idea, but she paused momentarily. “When you put it like that, it sounds reasonable.”

“It is reasonable.”

“Alright fine,” Laila conceded. “Let’s go with your idea. Just promise me that if you’re in danger, you RUN to me, got it?”

“Right back at ya.”

“Then it’s settled.” Grunting, she slowly rose from the hard cavern floor. With a quick pat around her dark leggings, she stuck her hand out. “How many darts do you have? I ran out while fighting the mage.”

“I’ve got around 16. I’ll split half with you.” I handed over eight of my claw darts in her palm. As she stored them in her Inventory, she gave me a small nod.

“Thank you. Without these things, I probably would have died back there.”

“What are you saying? You weren’t going to di under my watch.”

“Of course not.”

The corners of her mouth twitched, forming a small, secret smile. It quickly went away when she threw a question at me. “I almost forgot. What happens if one of us discovers an exit?”

“We’ll just leave it be and meet up. What I mean by meet up is that the area with no exit seen runs towards the other path.”

Laila cautiously glanced towards the mysterious entrances shrouded in the darkness. She lifted her arm, pointing her finger in the direction of the rightmost path. “You get the left, and I’ll take the right.”

While venturing into the dimly lit pathway, the longsword manifested in her hand. Suddenly, she halted and gave me an anxious glance.

“Be careful in there, okay?”

I replied with a thumbs-up and a smile. Giving me a narrowed look for a few seconds, she sharply moved her body, with only her footsteps receding with every passing second. I then switched my attention to the ominous path set before me. This time, I wouldn’t have my sister with me this time as I embarked on this heart-stopping journey. It proved to be a challenging task to prevent my mouth from twitching into a smile.

“Let the fun begin!”

****

“This is already getting boring.”

I realized I had only been hacking away at things weaker than myself. The small demon imps species from earlier? Fodder. The only time they caught my attention was when new ones arrived, this time with wings attached to their backs. I decided to test the strength of my opponents and see if they were worthy adversaries. To my surprise, they turned out to be quite weak and could easily be defeated with a single hit, whether it be a swing of my weapon or a well-aimed claw dart in the face. At that moment, my expectations started to diminish.

After about a ten-minute jog, something in my peripheral vision caught my eye. I took a few steps back and was presented with the view of an insect that had been mounted on a bed of blue crystals, shimmering with light. Although it seemed strange to pause my activities to observe an insect, I knew the creature was different. Like everything I encountered in this damp cave... Anyway, it looked like a regular centipede, except it had a sort of sucker sticking out between its pincers. The sucker also had a sharp needle attached at the end. Moments later, it injected the needle into the rock.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“Does that not hurt? That sucker must be sturdy. I wonder what’s it doi-“

My voice trailed when the blue light in the crystal dulled. The light was being transferred from the rock and to the centipede itself like a person sucking through a straw. After having finished its meal, the centipede mounted off the rock and crawled right under it. I sat there, shocked at the discovery I stumbled upon.

“That thing definitely fed on the mana. I’m guessing that’s their food source.”

A thought strutted in my mind when thinking about what had just occurred. I looked around and saw some blue crystals scattered about. Afterwards, my attention was drawn to my stomach.

“As they say, we humans used to test medicine and poisons on our bodies to determine its effects.”

Determined, I pulled out my longsword and started hacking away at the rocks until they were pea-sized. “The more I think about it, the dumber it sounds. Am I really going to eat fucking rocks just because there’s a slight chance I may absorb the mana and be the first Gandalf? ‘Course I am!”

Picking up one rock, I opened my mouth and swallowed like it was candy. “Huh. It goes down the throat smoothly. I thought I would be choking my lungs out. It also strangely tastes like fondue…”

While I was judging the taste of the rock, a speck of light caught my attention. “Hm? Was that glowing butterfly always there?”

Out of nowhere, more lights started appearing one by one. They then multiplied. I was so overwhelmed by the intensity of the light that I had to shield my eyes to protect myself from being blinded. After some time had passed, it was safe to open my eyes. Immediately after that occurred, a notification promptly appeared.

[Mana Absorption completed]

Reading those words, laughter erupted from my mouth. “It worked! My genius frightens me sometimes. Who would’ve thought that these rocks were the key to unlocking mana? Let me make sure just in case.”

Status Inventory Name: Isaac Rank: Undecided Strength: 8 Agility: 7 Durability: 7 Mana: 1 Masteries Marksmanship: Lvl 1 Swordsmanship: Lvl 1

I had finally achieved the goal of increasing the mana stat. Not only that, but all the others increased by three points. I felt like I had just advanced from being a novice to a beginner!

“It’s time to do a bit of testing with this newfound knowledge!”

****

“Did I choose the wrong path?”

Having walked for a long time, I began to sense the ground sloping downward.

“When trying to exit caves, it's better to look for higher elevations rather than lower ones. Should I go back?”

Nah, I gotta see the end of the path. It would be dumb to leave without checking it out. What if there was an exit and I missed it?

Steeling my resolve, I started my descent toward the unknown, killing anything that attacked me. “I think I’m getting used to seeing in the dark. I can see clearer and further ahead. There are also little creatures scurrying around the floor.”

To my left, nestled upon a stalactite like a bat, rested an imp. Its small, mischievous form became more apparent as I approached, noticing the bat-like wings gracefully folded against its back.

“Well, that’s new. I have not seen one with wings before. I’ll leave it alone since it isn’t bothering me. If it attacks, it won’t be a problem to dodge.”

Walking past the demon, it opened one of its eyes as it sensed my presence. It gave me a little snarl, but then stopped as soon as it sniffed the air, its body quivering soon after. It unfurled its wings and retreated in the direction I came from.

“Do I look like a scary person and smelly person? It ran away when it took in my scent.”

Feeling a little glum after that event, the trek downward continued, until I ran into another gray demon. It was crouched and feasting on something unidentifiable from this distance.

“Since its skin color isn’t red, it is safe to assume it’s not like that mage from back then.”

Without taking my eye off the occupied demon, I slowly approach from behind. Its ears perked up at the sound of my footsteps. The moment it turned its head, my blade penetrated its skull. Droplets of its blood splattered out.

“Sorry, but I'm not willing to take any risks with you, big guy.”

Retracting the sword from the demon’s head, I peeked over its body to see what it was consuming. What I saw was the remains of an imp, missing a chunk of its abdomen. I pinched my nose as I averted my gaze from the disgusting sight. Once I was away from the crime scene, I heard the faint tinkling of water droplets.

“I’m not going crazy, am I?”

Curious about whether the sound I heard was just my mind playing tricks or legitimate, investigating was sensible. I strained my vision ahead and could see a dim, shimmering light in the distance. I hastened my stride as the sound of water grew louder with every step. After about a minute, my feet come to a halt as a cliff was met. Looking over, what I saw was something I would never forget.

A vast lake at least four km stretched out onto the cavern floor. The lake was a mesmerizing blue, its surface reflecting the light from the blue crystals on the walls. From my view, this huge body of water looked to be made of clear glass! I stood there in awe at the spectacular sight. It was like I was physically inside a Bob Ross painting. But, while I would’ve liked to sit and admire the view, I didn’t have time to lounge around. Smacking both my cheeks, I leaped off the cliff. It was not a significant distance from the ground, and I was able to climb back up without difficulty.

I wanted to look around the place, but the only thing I saw when observing from the top of the cliff was the lake. There was some life scuttling about like centipedes with stingers, blue salamanders with six legs, and a black spider that had eyes all over its small body. They weren’t doing anything important, so I ignored them and pressed further. I could get closer to the lake, but I had to first check if anything dangerous lurked in its depths. Picking up the nearest rock, I chucked it as hard as I could into the lake. Nothing happened.

“Well, this was a waste of time other than that gorgeous view my eyes were blessed with. I see no exit around here, so it’s probably on Isaac’s side.”

As I was departing, I took a step forward, preparing to leap, when a soft yet authoritative voice in my mind caught my attention.

“Do not leave yet.”

Feeling frightened, my body snapped back towards the lake, sword already in hand. “Who’s there? Where are you? Show yourself!”

“We have little time. You have alerted the guardians slumbering deep within the lake.”

When I heard the warning, I immediately sprang into action and raced away from the area, my feet pounding against the ground as I leapt onto the cliff.

“It is not wise to run. Once the presence of an intruder is detected, escaping the wardens is impossible. I also know a way for you to escape this cave.”

The serene voice made me stop completely. “You know the way out of here?”

“Once we have addressed the imminent threat, I will disclose the information to you. For now, follow my advice.”

I thought about it for a few moments. “I don’t know... You’re a stranger who I’ve never seen and you’re talking inside my mind. You could be someone with evil intentions.”

The voice was quiet. After seconds of silence, it spoke. “My name is Solgen, leader of the Apithiens. I have been held captive here by the Pillars for ten years because of a revolt I led in pursuit of the freedom of my people, among others. The Pillars are tyrants who deserve death. After an extended period, a glimmer of hope has emerged. If you free me, I will be in your debt, and you would not regret it.”

In the distance, ripples started forming in the middle of the lake. The voice spoke again, this time with a hurried tone. “They are approaching. You cannot free me unless they are defeated. Do not worry, while I am here offering counsel, their significance is only trivial as long as you utilize the plentiful mana present in this cave.”

“Yeah, about that… I don’t know how to use mana.”

The mysterious person then raised their voice unexpectedly. “You what?! Were you one of the unlucky few born without the gift? Bah, there’s no time for that. Consume one of the Torqinites in this cave.”

“The hell is a Torqinite?”

“The shiny blue rocks scattered about!”

In response to the desperate voice, I advanced towards the nearest alleged Torqinite and mined it without further questioning. Once in my hands, I surveyed the rock. It was smooth and cold to the touch. There was a faint blue glow emanating from within it. Could the blue light mentioned by the mysterious figure be mana?

Closing my eyes, I dropped the rock into my mouth and swallowed. It wasn’t as bad as I thought - it was unexpectedly sweet. Small balls of light then popped into my vision. Surveying it, they resembled butterflies, except blue. They started getting brighter and brighter to where, if I kept staring, it would scorch my retinas into nothingness. After a certain amount of time, a screen appeared.

[Mana Absorption completed]

I gasped as I felt all around my body for any abnormalities. “I can’t believe it... It was a success!”

“It worked? The body would experience substantial repercussions if Torqinite were to be consumed. None of the adverse effects have been demonstrated... Interesting.“

Before I could reply, the sound of rushing water caught my attention

“They’re here.”

Emerging from the depths of the lake, two colossal figures gradually rose, one after the other. Towering at an imposing height of three meters, their bodies comprised dark, rocky formations that gave them an awe-inspiring and formidable appearance. These humanoid figures resembled golems, constructed by massive slabs of stone fused together. Adorned with hammers crafted from dark metal, each hammer’s size rivaled that of an average adult male. The eerie glow emanating from their pitch-black eyes added an otherworldly aura to their presence, casting an ominous and mesmerizing gaze on their surroundings.

“The guardians are golems made of a special type of metal found in my homeland. The weapon you possess will not even scratch it.”

“Dear lord, my neck is already straining itself by just looking up at these things! You’re telling me to fight the spine-chilling behemoths?”

The voice let out a raspy chuckle. “Rest assured that you'll be fine in my company, provided that you listen to every word I say.”

“You better not be betraying me. If I die, you’ll be stuck here forever.”

“I know what type of situation I am in. Now stop blabbering and focus! They are coming!”

With thunderous footsteps, the golems trotted forward.