Before Ruby and I head to do that I pick up the thing's heart and eat it raw.

*DING*

Ability Devour has activated! Agi +10 Speed +20

*DING*

Congratulations! Skill Devour has progressed to level 2!

Devour

Level 2

You can become stronger by consuming the flesh of strong enemies.

I love that skill! Nice boost to agility, but speed? I haven't even seen a speed stat before. That thing was incredibly fast so it makes sense. Then I pick up it's beast core and stare at it.

*ITEM*

Beast Core

Quality: Average

Would you like to absorb it? Y/N

"No."

I clean the beast core and then put it safely aside. Ruby gives me a strange look when she notices.

Ruby says "Aren't you going to absorb it?"

"No, I plan to save it for when I next need to evolve a skill."

Ruby says "Oh, okay. I guess that is a smart move considering how you burn through skills."

"Well, I'm sorry if all my work on skills is boring for you."

Ruby laughs and says "It is, but I don't mind. I understand it is how you get stronger."

"Do you want to try eating this thing before we head for the cave?"

Ruby says "Sure, it doesn't look very tasty but I will try it with you."

So I cook up some steaks from the thing, while they are cooking I clean up the camp. Once it is done cooking we dig in.

Ruby says "Mmm! Delicious! How is something so ugly so tasty?"

"I don't know, but now I kind of hope it had friends. Seconds?"

Ruby smiles and says "Yes, please!"

Once we are done eating our second helpings we get up and head for the cave under the lake. I make sure to bring along my pickaxe because I have not forgotten there is more Armatite ore down there. It takes us about twenty minutes to walk back to the cavern and follow the path down to the pond.

Ruby retreats into the amulet to avoid passing through the waterfall. I crawl through the small part of the cave and summon her back out once the tunnel opens up. We walk into the cave under the lake side by side, Ruby is staring at the tree but I am scanning for movement. I quickly make my way over to my gear and start putting it on my eyes constantly roaming the cave watching for another basilisk.

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Once I have my armor and weapons back I relax a bit, when I look over at the dead basilisk I feel a twinge in my leg. With Ruby watching my back I move over to the corpse and examine it, it is made of stone, no flesh to speak of, it was a living stone creature as far as I can tell. I am not even going to try to eat that to trigger devour, but I do cut it open and remove the beast core.

*ITEM*

Beast Core

Quality: Average

Would you like to absorb it? Y/N

"No."

I turn and toss the beast core to Ruby.

"That one is yours."

Ruby says "Okay, thank you."

I walk around the walls of the cave checking for openings and making sure none of the piles of rock are going to start moving. Once I know we are alone I approach the tree for a closer look. The trunk looks like grey stone but when I reach out to touch it it feels like bark, what's more it is warm to the touch and I can feel life in it.

Ruby says "This thing is giving off a lot of mana!"

"Do you think this is the reason the cavern is like it is?"

Ruby says "I think that would be a safe bet."

"Do you think it would be safe to eat the fruit?"

Ruby says "Who knows?"

Just then a crack echoes through the room and as I look back at the tree I see a branch falling, I catch it purely out of reflex. It is heavier than I expected and the branch has two fruits on it.

"I think the tree wants us to eat them."

Ruby says "How can a tree want something?"

"Trees are living things, and with as much mana as this one gives off it very well could be sentient."

I pull one of the fruits from the branch in my hand and take a bite. As soon as the juice hits my tongue I am in heaven, I quickly pull the other fruit free and toss it to Ruby as I take another bite of mine. I completely devour the fruit in just a few minutes.

Consuming the fruit of the earth tree grants MP +100!

'Wow! A bonus from eating the fruit?'

So this thing is an earth tree? I reach out and touch the trunk again and try to convey my gratitude to the tree.

Ruby says "I gained mana from eating the fruit!"

"Yeah, I did too. I think we should leave the tree in peace, we don't need anything else down here."

Ruby says "Okay, master."

"I thought I told you to stop calling me master?"

Ruby just smiles as she turns to follow me back into the tunnel. I stop close to the halfway point of the tunnel and look around until I spot the Armatite ore.

"I'm going to do some mining and then I'll head back to camp to do some crafting, you can go rest if you prefer."

Ruby says "Okay, just try not to get hurt this time."

Ruby shifts to spirit form and zips into the amulet before I can think of a witty response. Shrugging I lean the branch against the wall and grab my pickaxe and take my first swing at the cave wall. It only takes me about a half hour to mine out the Armatite ore.

*DING*

Congratulations! Skill Mining has progressed to level 9!

Mining

Level 9

Str +9 End +4

You are adept at mining ore.

It seems to be just enough ore to smelt into another bar, I gather it up, grab the branch from the tree and head back to camp. At camp I drop off the pickaxe and most of my weapons then I take the ore and branch and head for the forge room. I place the ore into the crucible and put the branch aside with the pike haft from earlier.

"Ruby, I'm going to need your help."

Ruby says "Alright." and comes out of the amulet and takes human form. "What are we doing this time?"

"I need you to power up the forge to smelt the Armatite ore again."

Ruby nods and moves to the back of the forge and places her hands on it. Suddenly the forge erupts in blue flames and I jump back with a curse.

Ruby says "Sorry! I didn't know that would happen!"

"It's okay. I should have known, but I didn't stop to think. It's fine to try it again."

Ruby says "Okay." and reactivates the forge.

Once the blue flames settle down I put the crucible into the forge, the Armatite ore melts a lot faster this time around. Within a few minutes it is ready to be poured into the bar mold.

*DING*

Congratulations! Skill Expert Blacksmith has progressed to level 12!

Expert Blacksmith

Level 12

Str +14 Fire Resist +14

You can craft expert level metal items.

Once the ore is poured into the mold I sit down on the stone bench to catch my breath, just being near the forge is exhausting when it is running on blue flames.

"Okay, it's done, you can stop now."

Ruby lets the forge return to normal and comes to sit next to me.

Ruby says "So now what? More crafting?"

"No, not yet, how about we finish exploring the cavern first?"

Ruby says "Sure!"