The peaceful sound of water dripping from the ceiling provided me with comfort during my captivity. The atmosphere was moist and quiet, and my lips were dry and cracked. My tongue felt like a desert wasteland, yearning for a drop of sustenance. Although the scars on my body have healed, a cold reminder lingered.
Hm? What’s this?
There was an unusual event that caught my attention. Employing my senses, I was able to discern all events that took place within this cave. I have committed to memory the mana signals of every creature, the precise quantity of Torqinite present in this cavern, and the scent of moist soil.
By expanding my auditory range to its maximum extent, I detected unfamiliar footsteps. It was too light for it to be a demogre, and heavier than a spritsies. Using the ultimate remnants of my mana, I projected my soul outward and elegantly glided towards the unfamiliar beings.
Is it the abhorrent Volken coming to check up on me? I find it difficult to believe. He decided against bringing anyone with him. I also cannot hear his voice either. Just who are they?
Questions clouded my mind as I fastened my pace. At the moment of arrival, the two enigmatic figures were engaged in a fight against the spritsies. Despite my limited ability to perceive the mana outline of entities in soul form, it sufficed for monitoring. The two mana signatures were abysmally weak, like a dying light. Their bodily frame and central core resembled that of an Apithien, albeit shorter in height. Were they one of the weaker ones?
They faced challenges in battling against a lone spritsie. The Apithiens were clearly beginners who had undergone no training. However, their teamwork was exceptional. While one distracted the spritsie, the other bided their time, waiting for the perfect chance to strike. A few minutes later, they put an end to it by using a stalactite. While I applauded their resourcefulness, I found it rather embarrassing that they had to resort to such means.
****
They were progressively improving at an increasing rate. A demogre and a magus demogre were dispatched by them, an accomplishment unlikely for a group of novices. The amount of growth displayed within a brief span of time was impossible. Just moments ago, they were grappling with pests. Just who were those Apithiens? Are they late-bloomers? Prodigies?
Ah. Looks like they are splitting up now.
The female exhibited a desire to remain united, while the male expressed opposition. I held no preference as long as one of them approached me. After some preparations, they set off on different paths. It was only a question of time before we finally crossed paths. Upon her arrival, I would caution her about the guardians.
After a considerable amount of time had elapsed, the beacon of light finally arrived. She was admiring the cavern's beauty with a sense of wonder. As my mana reservoir was extremely depleted, I used the opportunity to retreat into my body and employ telepathy. It was effortless to infiltrate her mind, as she lacked any mental barriers. By establishing a connection between our minds, I was able to hear her discussing her departure from the cave.
“Wait- do not leave yet,” I said through her mind. As expected, she panicked, but my concern was limited. It took quite a while to convince her, but it worked. While conversing with her, I sensed fresh mana signatures materializing at the lake's base.
“They are approaching. They will come out any moment now. You cannot free me unless they are defeated. Do not fret. While I am here giving you advice, they are but mere fodder as long as you take advantage of the abundant mana in this cave.”
The girl scratched her head, embarrassed. “Ah well, the thing is… I don’t know how to use mana.”
What? Is it possible that they fought through enemies with no knowledge of mana? Those two? Impossible...
“Were you one of the unlucky few born defected? Bah, there’s no time for that. Consume one of the Torqinite in this cave.”
“The hell is a Torqinite?”
Following the explanation, she proceeded to eat one of them. I refrained from disclosing the repercussions of ingesting the crystal in its unprocessed form to her, as it was unnecessary. I didn't want her to hesitate when the opportunity for freedom was imminent.
The lack of noteworthy physical consequences left me amazed. Maybe she was fortunate or distinguished in some way. My curiosity dissipated upon the golems' arrival. Volken created them using a rare dark metal; matorenite. A metal much stronger and more durable than steel. The sword she was using would not be sufficient.
Although she fought with exceptional agility, there was no advancement. The girl bobbed her body around like a buzzing fly, evading the golems’ swings’ swings. Subsequently, she hastened towards the lake, which was perplexing. Just what was she planning?
My doubts were answered when she hung on to a stalactite. The golems followed her into the lake. She exercised patience and waited for the right time to act. As soon as the golems were in proximity, she swam away and made a run towards the cliff. Not only did she display remarkable growth, but she also showcased tactical abilities and exceptional movement. If I were to teach her personally…
She assumed a cross-legged position and began meditation. I gave her silent support to prevent any disturbance. After a brief period, the girl was ultimately successful. The object she was holding in her hand was undoubtedly a sword, but I was completely unaware of its origin. Was it inspired by some obscure culture? Nevertheless, it fulfilled its purpose. The girl defeated one golem, yet the other…
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“Dodge now!”
The girl received a clean hit from the second golem. The force of her impact on the wall was so great that it conjured the worst scenario in mind. She was gagging out blood, signaling the possibility of internal damage.
“You only destroyed one of the golems. You thought the one you stabbed earlier was defeated, but that was not the case. Its connection to the core was not severed.”
It seemed like she ignored me entirely, as she hadn’t said a word. The pain must have fogged her mind. The weapon she created was not on her. It is likely that she would be unable to materialize another one, as doing so may result in a loss of consciousness. I could only conceive of one method.
“If I may add in- The mana within you is an extension of your body.”
Thankfully, my advice worked. She stuck her hand out, and the blade fidgeted. Upon the golem's approach, she signaled for the blade to strike, and with my encouragement in the background, the golem was beheaded. Her condition deteriorated while she was reclined on her back with her eyes partially closed.
“Quickly, consume a Torqinite to replenish some mana and use it to heal! While it may not completely rejuvenate yourself, it is better than nothing.”
She followed my advice with no protest and consumed another Torqinite. Her health gradually improved, and she was already mobile. If she had passed away, I would have been permanently stranded. I found it impossible to establish contact with the boy, and I was exerting all my strength just to communicate with the girl.
I reminded her of our agreement, and she was more than willing to comply. Following her swim across the lake, she arrived and left me stunned by what she said.
“By the way, Solgen, your comment from earlier. I don’t know what an Apithien is, and I sure as am not one. I came from the planet Earth.”
What? If she’s not an Apithien, then what is she? An athios? Elf? Dwarf?
My train of thought was disturbed when the girl finally arrived. I heard a sharp gasp in front of me. Feebly, I lifted my head to observe this enigmatic being and established eye contact with her. At the moment our gazes met, her shoulders shuddered. Many inquiries filled my mind, and I was eager for her prompt responses.
“You... What are you?” I croaked with as much strength as possible. I was no different from a child learning how to speak coherent sentences.
The girl answered, still eying the blood on the floor. “I-I’m a human from planet Earth...”
A human from Earth? It would make sense for her to be from a different planet since never in my years have I heard of an organism with that name. Her being this human would also explain why she doesn’t know what mana is exactly.
“How- did you get- here?”
“Something forcibly transported me to this cave. I don’t know by who or why. That’s all I know,” she summed up briskly. Her honesty was clear to me. There was no personal gain for her in being untruthful.
“Are you related to the Pillars?” Among all the questions, this was the one I longed to ask the most. If she were to be a part of them...
“What’re the Pillars?”
She looked up at me with a perplexed expression instead of maintaining eye contact with the floor. My eyes softened, and my shoulders slumped. “Don’t mind those words. Release me from my chains before he arrives.”
She trudged on top of the stone steps and started hacking away at the chains. “You said before he arrives… Who’s this ‘he’ you’re referring to?”
I spat at a corner in disgust. “...Volken. Just saying his name is like tasting spritsie feces. Don’t ask how I know what it tastes like.”
The human wrinkled her nose and said, “Volken... Is he someone we should be wary of- Aha, got them!”
Ultimately, the last chain was broken, causing me to collapse onto my knees. The chill of the stone seared my palms. Muscles dormant for years ached with pleasure. It took a great deal of energy as I struggled to stand up. The girl rushed over to my side and wrapped my arm around her body. With her help, I was able to stand.
“You’re extremely tall,” she said.
“I am merely average in my race. The others are much taller. Enough about that. If I were you, I would head on over to the boy now or else he will die. I’ll stay here and regain some mana.”
Slightly pushing the human girl aside, I stretched. Bones and joints that were not previously used produced a creaking sound similar to that of an old wagon's wheels. While I was relishing in ecstasy, the girl spoke in a frightened tone.
“Isaac is going to die? Is it because of this Volken you were talking about earlier? I have to go help him!” In the blink of an eye, the girl rushed out of the prison.
With caution, I repositioned my body towards the entrance and, with a slight unsteadiness, started my first steps. I cast a wary glance out of the prison, causing my eyes to water from the intense glare of the Torqinite and the luminous hues of the lake. Shuffling toward a cluster of Torqinite, I turned over the rock. A gathering of blue creatures were squirming about.
I extended my arm downwards and seized a cluster of the beings, devouring them in one gulp. Although the sensation of crawling down my throat was uncomfortable, I had no other option. Swallowing those creatures provided the best method of safely absorbing the mana within the cave.
I spent nearly ten minutes walking around and locating additional ones. “This should be enough.”
Once again, I projected my soul and detected a new signature of mana. It was coming from Volken.
“At last, I have found you, worthless scum.”
Gliding through the cave, I was met with a wooden gate. I phased through and witnessed Volken hovering over the human boy with his sword in his grasp. The young woman hurried towards him, her eyes shimmering. Their survival for that long was a surprising feat. It was unusual for Volken to take that long to dispatch his enemies.
I departed from my soul state and came back. With a simple wave of my hand, I created the well-known blue sparks of the portal, and I promptly entered my private pocket dimension, a space subject to my sole authority.
Before he could kill the boy, I raised my arm and created a portal under him. He slid down and was soon out of sight. I bent my legs and lifted the boy, placing him onto my shoulders. Volken set his sights on the human girl. Not wanting her to get captured, I created another portal behind the girl, reaching out and pulling her in. The face of the man whom I hold in contempt, cursing at me, was the last sight I witnessed before closing the portal. It was a rational choice to use an obscene gesture with my left hand.
Oh, how I’ve waited for this day! Serves you right, betrayer...
After things came to a close, there was a sense of stillness within the dimension. The girl collapsed, knowing that she was now safe. As I observed them, a feeling of achievement overtook me, realizing that I had protected them from danger.
****
“C’mon! just tell me what your stats are looking like!”
Laila rolled her eyes. “Not now, idiot. I’ll show it to you later. My Status is not the top priority at the moment.”
“Then at least tell me how your magic works!”
“Don’t you ever shut up?”
They have been engaged in continuous bickering throughout the entire duration. At the climax of my anger, I noted a rise in the pitch of my voice. “Will you two quiet down?! We arrived at the village!”
Upon hearing my loud voice, the two were immediately silenced. Despite our brief time together, I recognized that instructing them would be quite difficult.