The dense forest seemed to grow darker as the group ventured deeper into it, the towering trees blocking most of the sunlight. The only sounds to be heard were the rustling of leaves and the chirping of distant birds. But as they moved further, even these natural sounds began to fade, replaced by an eerie silence.

Kaldrik took the lead, with the survivors following close behind. Their initial enthusiasm was slowly replaced by trepidation as they felt the press of the forest's mana-infused atmosphere. Every so often, a flash of movement would catch their eye — a shadow darting between trees or an odd rustling that didn't seem natural.

The density of the mana increased with every step they took. The survivors who had chosen to follow Kaldrik could also sense it, some looking uneasily at each other, whispering about the palpable force surrounding them.

Suddenly, one of the followers, a young man with a mop of curly brown hair, pointed to the distance. “Look! There’s some sort of entrance over there!”

Everyone’s eyes followed his outstretched hand, and sure enough, there was a large, ornate gateway standing alone amidst the dense trees. It seemed out of place, an architectural wonder amidst a forestry backdrop.

Kaldrik approached the gateway with caution, his senses heightened. As he neared it, he could make out ancient symbols carved into the stone, glowing faintly with a bluish light.

“We’ve found a dungeon,” Kaldrik declared, satisfaction evident in his voice.

The group approached the entrance with a mixture of excitement and fear. They could sense the raw power emanating from within despite their limited perception and strength.

“Prepare yourselves! We’re entering as soon as everyone’s ready!” Kaldrik ordered, much to everyone’s dismay. None of them wanted to enter a dungeon with hardly any weapons or training.

However, they chose this path. If they didn’t want to enter, they shouldn’t have followed Kaldrik.

‘I just hope everything turns out alright.’ The villagers thought, wariness evident in their eyes, but they immediately began preparing.

***

Meanwhile, Anders' SUV continued to follow the compass. The roads were becoming less defined and the journey more hazardous. But the pull of the compass was too alluring to ignore.

The journey soon led them to the base of the Harz Mountains. “This place... it feels strange,” Zayzal commented as they stared at the vast expanse of the beautiful forest ahead.

“It’s the mana,” Sera replied, her eyes closed in concentration. “It’s denser here than anywhere else we’ve been. I feel like if I were to stay here for a few days, I could make rapid progress.” She exclaimed, wanting nothing more than to do what she had just said.

“Me too,” Anders said, stepping out of the car and handling his spear with a practiced ease. He swung it a few times, each movement seemingly drawing in a rush of mana that synchronized with his motions. “I feel like this place could really accelerate my training and help me reach the next level of mastery.”

Zayzal, watching Anders, had a sudden realization. His eyes brightened as he connected the dots. “You know, it's like there are different levels or phases of power we're tapping into. It’s not just random; it’s structured, systematic. My ability to sense pathways... it might be more than just instinct. It could be guiding us through these levels, showing us the most effective way to grow stronger.”

This insight seemed to open a door in Zayzal's mind, hinting at a deeper understanding of their abilities and the mysterious energy, mana, they were harnessing.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Anders looked at Zayzal with a mix of curiosity and skepticism, not fully grasping the extent of what he was suggesting. Sera, on the other hand, appeared thoughtful but somewhat confused, clearly not as familiar with the concept of structured power progression.

“Anyways, let’s stay focused. I don’t want to sit around here all day.” She said, her eyes still scanning the thick expanse of trees ahead.

The two agreed and turned around. They boarded the SUV and continued their journey deeper into the mountains. As they moved further, the atmosphere around them grew increasingly tense. The ambient noises faded into an eerie stillness, amplifying the sense of foreboding.

Zayzal held the compass firmly in his hand, observing its arrow. "It's getting more intense," he murmured, watching the arrow twitch and vibrate more and more.

The trio eventually reached a point where their vehicle could no longer proceed due to the dense underbrush. "We'll have to go on foot from here," Anders suggested, grabbing his spear and making sure their supplies were secured.

They trekked through the forest, guided by the compass. It was so quiet around them that they didn’t even hear any insects, which they found strange and increased their guard.

Fortunately, nothing happened on their way up, and it wasn’t even half an hour later when the compass started to go haywire. The needle spun repeatedly, showing that it was either broken or they reached their destination.

And there, standing tall amidst the dense trees carved into the stone side of the mountain, was an ornate gateway they had been led to.

However, Sera immediately picked up on something. "There are others here," she whispered, nodding towards faint silhouettes near the entrance of the dungeon.

The group approached cautiously, using the trees as cover. Peeking from behind a trunk, Zayzal saw a tall, strikingly handsome, masculine man with silver-grey hair and bright blue eyes standing in front of a group of smaller, skinny men who had traces of fear in their eyes.

Suddenly, the man perked up, and he looked over, staring Zayzal straight in the eyes. The man’s eyes narrowed dangerously but relaxed almost instantly. In a cold voice, he called out to them, “Are you going to continue to hide, or should I drag you out?”

Anders, Zayzal, and especially Sera all frowned, not liking his tone, but Zayzal gave them a look that told them not to cause trouble. With just one glimpse, he could tell that the man in front of them was a step ahead of Sera and Anders in terms of power level. The blue talent orb and the unfamiliar pathways branching off of it proved to him that he wasn’t to be trifled with.

Zayzal stood up with a chuckle, brushing off the rude comment. “Hahaha! Sorry, sorry. We didn’t mean to spy. We just didn’t expect someone else to be in the mountains, that’s all.”

He walked over to the other group, with Sera and Anders following right behind him, their hands gripping their weapons tightly.

Kaldrik frowned, instantly knowing he wasn’t going to get along with Zayzal, but pushed it aside for now. The two people behind the Mediterranean-looking man caused a bit of unease to well up inside him.

‘It’d be for the best if I observe them for now.’ Kaldrik thought as the corners of his lips curled up. ‘Though, perhaps I can use this to my advantage.’

“It’s fine. I was a bit surprised as well.” Kaldrik gave a slight smile while stretching out his hand.“I’m Kaldrik, and these are my teammates. We happened to stumble upon this ruin and were just preparing to enter. Who would’ve guessed other people would… join us.”

‘Lies.’ Anders and Sera thought, eyeing all the equipment the skinny village men were carrying. Kaldrik was clearly prepared, but since he remained so distant, who were they to call him out?

Zayzal's brows relaxed, thinking that their first interaction was just a misunderstanding, and grasped Kaldrik’s hand, giving him a firm handshake. They both raised an eyebrow at the strength of the other person but didn’t mention it. “The name’s Zayzal, and these are my companions, Anders and Sera. Care if we join you?”

“Not at all.” Kaldrik shook his head. His gaze flitted to Zayzal’s spear, short sword, and dagger—Sera’s shield and axe, and finally, Anders's spear and knives. “You guys look like you know what you’re doing. I’d be honored if you assisted us.”

Zayzal laughed while releasing Kaldrik’s hand. “We’ve fought against a monster or two, but I wouldn’t exactly call us experienced.”

Sera looked like she wanted to speak up after that, but Anders quickly elbowed her in the stomach.

“Well, then. Seeing as everyone’s ready, why don’t we see what’s inside?” Kaldrik asked, turning to face the door carved into the side of the mountain.

“Sure! Might as well try and finish before the sun sets.” Zayzal replied, earning a few glares from his teammates, but he ignored them.

Normally, they would discuss more about entering the dungeon, scout out the area, make a few plans, etc., but Zayzal skipped all that without asking for their opinions. Of course, they had an idea why he did so, but they still would’ve liked it if he had talked about it with them first.

This Kaldrik guy might look nice, but who knows if he actually was.’ They couldn’t help but think.

Unfortunately, Kaldrik left no room for further discussion and motioned toward the door with a polite smile. “After you.”