The Sentinel corpse is almost half gone, dissolving into the dungeon ambience. Shit! I need some of those!! I remember to trigger the usual camouflage effect and take a generous cut off of the ant meat, as far as possible from its humanoid part and a little to the side to avoid its bottom. Then run back in, meeting the others halfway through. "What are you all doing?"

They all look daggers at me, besides a grinning Agus. Then Kirana replied with, "funny, that's our question too..."

"Me? I'm getting some monster meat, of course. What else could I be doing?" Their killer staring intensifies, as do the grinning. "Uh, let's go back?" They follow me back in silence and each returning to their usual spot in the safe zone. It's now a little past eight, less than four hours to go on our quest. Hopefully we'll get it done after this rest.

I look at the piece of raw monster meat in my hand and tear into it with gusto, raw! Unexpectedly, not a single feeling of disgust in my mind. So, after consuming about equal to two kilograms of beef, I still don't feel the slightest bit satiated. Instead, I notice that an intuitive part of my–of a Devourling's digestion system allows me to switch between one or more options, simple of all, Digest as food to boost regeneration. Followed by various options of what physical characteristics to assimilate; Attributes, special properties, organs, and various others. I select Attributes and allow the rest to be digested to boost my regeneration. I wouldn't want to end up growing exoskeletons, right?

"Hen, I just remembered, " I say to Henry across the room. "From my vantage on the balcony when you canceled your attack on the creatures at the fifth field and retreated earlier. They definitely saw you all slowly backstep, but they didn't seem interested in attacking."

"Yeah, it sure felt that way to me too. Their eyes look dead, robotic, unthinking?" Roy remarked.

"I thought that was just how they should be, you know, like puppets. Creatures that only exist to serve the Dungeon." Agus voiced his thoughts.

"If you're implying they are non-aggressive, it's possible…" Henry replies. "Could also be we're out of range, or they just have bad eyes. Should we do some tests?"

"Yes!!" Agus once again oozes enthusiasm, making eye contact with Henry, an enthusiastic glint in their eyes.

Oh that's a very tempting offer, "I'd be happy to-- if we're not on a time limit. Maybe on our next run?"

"There'll be a next run!?" Agus is, once again, the embodiment of enthusiasm.

"Well, I was thinking this Dungeon and the goblin one I found might be a decent enough place to grind for you all. For gathering resources too" I answer him with a grin, infected by his bright mood. "Though we'll need to wait for tomorrow before making any concrete decisions. Most important for now is getting this quest completed."

I looked at everyone, only just now noticing that Dianti is getting a quick course on the uses of a Trilattic Swarm from Kirana. No wonder they're so quiet. "Alrighty, so last minute prep and we'll continue. Any change of plans before I check my System notifs?"

"No, just keep yourselves out of sight. We'll be out a few minutes after you." Henry instructed.

"Will do!" I replied. 'Updates please System.'

** DING **

Combat summary

Enemies slain, Participants: 2:

Druidant Sentry lv 12 x 13

78 syscred and 534 exp awarded

Combat summary

Enemies slain, Participants: 6:

Druidant Sentinel lv 18 x 1

3 syscred and 30 exp awarded

Skill obtained DodgeRoll

Skill level up, Soul Sense 1 > 2

Skill level up, Thrown Weapon Proficiency 6 > 7

Skill level up, Sneaking 12 > 13

Skill level up, Soul Sense 2 > 3

Skill level up, Thrown Weapon Proficiency 7 > 8

Skill level up, Pain Resistance 5 > 6

Skill level up, Evasion 6 > 7

Skill level up, DodgeRoll 1 > 2

Skill level up, DodgeRoll 2 > 3

Skill level up, Evasion 7 > 8

Skill level up, Soul Sense 3 > 4

Skill level up, Mana Manipulation 20 > 21

Conjure Trilattic Swarm - Novice, Basic mastery expanded.

Dexterity +1

Alrighty! Standard kill reports, new skill and some levels, spell expansion, and… an attribute increase! I almost did a little dance right there, but managed to catch myself. Oh, I've also got 6 Aps to spend, so one each to Wisdom and Will for even numbers and four into Intelligence. Devouring will allow me to get physical attributes so, yeah~.

"You ready?" Kirana asks from beside me.

"Yeah, shall we?" She nods and we make our way towards the balcony. "I cast the spell then you amputate?"

"Yep, let's focus this time."

We made good time. After increasing my mental attributes, Animus Incision would insta-kill the Sentries, which meant we had to switch things up a bit. Now, Kirana would attack the creature's ant leg with a different skill she has, Amputate, followed instantly by my prepared spell.

About thirty minutes in and we're back where we ended last time, having just eliminated the 11th in line. So a total of 24 sentries killed, I wonder how many there are. The sound of battle coming from below notifies me that the ground team has also begun their assault. Kirana and I also continued with our part of the plan, eager to be done.

Animus Incision has been bothering me now that I've used it for a while as with a name like that, all it's been really doing is incising. There's not much Animus going on, whatever that is, sounds a lot like animal, soul damaging spell. So, spiritual animals that incise? Improving the spell is necessary, even if not for the current enemy.

This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

Our assassinations of the sentries continues. I'm currently waiting for Kirana to use her skill on the sixteenth Sentry when the stomps of marching Druidants once again comes pounding through the floor. "Incoming." I warn Kirana, just in case she's too busy to notice. But, I hear her umm-ed and then see her move to slash—followed by my spell and the creature lies dead.

"What should we do now?" I can sense her look around for my position.

"If the others are with us, I would say we stay and fight. But being surrounded by them and having a Sentinel drop by would not bode well for the two of us." I analyze our situation, damnit, I hate timed quests!

"So retreat." She confirms, "we need to warn the others either way."

Right, there is that too. "Alright."

The trip back was uneventful and I wanted to grab a few pieces of meat, but refrained, because my stupid brain didn't want to seem creepy. Warning the other group was familiar territory and got done easily enough, they reported going as far as the ninth field, having gotten slightly delayed with harvesting some herbs. Which is fine, I guess.

We regroup in the safe zone while a disk keeps watch, then setting back out when their third march comes to an end… The wait was agonizingly long and we're now back where we started.

Hmm, besides a level up, can this spell do more damage? I feel like the solution lies in figuring out Animus. Call it a gamer's intuition.

9.05 pm.

Unsatisfied with its effects, I have tried to influence the spell during the last few casts. More mana would merely increase its size, while hitting or throwing harder does nothing. My throw hits the third newly lined Sentry, this one I try to feed with my emotions, my fear of death, my frustration of a timed quest… nothing.

We proceed to the fourth target after regenerating mana for a few mins. This time, on a hunch, rather than try to change the spell itself. I take inspiration from my battle in the Mindscape, by pushing my desire into the scalpel, telling it… Willing it! To do more damage. The memories of fighting the Sentinel fresh in my mind… more. Destruction!

** DING **

My two active sense skills felt the moment when, in place of a scalpel, a winged beast bursts into the Sentry's Mindscape. It is similar in shape to a wyvern albeit with a fine looking stream-lined physique, giving it an agile look. It has a triangular head with blade-like fins along both sides of its long neck, then a pair of unproportionally large sturdy wings and a very long tail with a weirdly shaped end that looks like a two pronged fork made of opposing scalpels?

The beast blitzed forward, first using the blade-fins on one side of its neck to graze at the soul, followed along by one wing, incising right through it, and then concluded with an elegant flick-stab-slice of its tail. Needless to say, the underdeveloped soul was eliminated way before the combo attack was completed.

"Yes!" I whisper to myself

"Yes what?" I look at Kirana—not that she notices—and suggest we keep moving while I explain the spell upgrade.

"As someone who calls me a cheat for learning a spell just from one look. You sure feel like more of one." She complained.

"Naw~. True I called you a cheat, but also never said I wasn't." Might just be me, yet it felt like the next few Amputates she uses on the Sentries made deeper sounds that probably indicate she is exerting a tad bit more weight behind each swing.

It was apparent even as we're approaching sentry number six that there are no more past the seventh. We easily eliminated them both. "Is that the last of them?"

"Weren't we forced to come back early from their last marching, so there must be more further in." Kirana recalled.

"Right, thanks for reminding me." I tell her. "Let's get this over with!" And that we did. We also found a door on the far end that led to a ten meters long corridor with two doors to its right, the corridor U-turns into a stair that leads down and has another two doors, also on its right. Each door leads to a four by ten meters room, all are empty.

"How many Sentries did we kill?" I ask Kirana.

"Uhh, I didn't keep count."

"Oh well~, The System definitely did, but now's not the time to check." Will analyze enemy numbers later, I thought to myself. "Let's go help the other."

"Yeah." She agrees. "Wanna try to sneak through from here instead of backtracking?"

"Fine with me."

Yup, these creatures are definitely non-aggressive. Curious and with Kirana's agreement, she stayed invisible while I tried to show myself for a mere second to one group, none of the five showed any reaction. I tried again on another group, and for five seconds this time, still nothing. As a final test, while team Henry is battling on field number 13, Kirana and I walk past beside the 14th field uncamouflaged. So yep, non-aggressive!

The fields we passed are also less monotone than when seen from far. There are an amazing variety of plants, including trees, lotuses, and moss. The fields are probably made to fit the plant growing inside of it by the workers. The interesting view made our walk toward the others feel fast and quite enjoyable.

Still left with three enemies to eliminate from this particular field, we let them finish the battle before approaching while being perfectly visible, the face of my armor unveiled. Seeing me, Henry too unveiled his. "Fine, guess we don't need to stay hidden. Did you finish with all the Sentries?"

"We did! But don't bother asking how many there were. Though, I can tell you that there are seven more fields like these." I answer him with a grin. "Need help with the rest, maybe speed things up?"

"Sure." We cleared four more fields using their strategy of assassinating the flier, Roy tanks, Henry ambushed from behind and everyone focused fire following his lead. I make use of the easy battle to observe the creatures. First is the assassinated flier, then the two water mages, followed by the creepy ant, and lastly the tank ant. I even remembered to Inspect them in that order.

Druidant Harvester lv 8

Druidant Sprinkler lv 8

Druidant Fertilizer lv 8

Druidant Planter lv 8

Besides those, scattered around the area and always fleeing away from us, are some critters. Mundane bugs and animals that probably keep the ecosystem running.

Eventually, we make our way towards field numero eighteen, which is when I had an idea. "Hey guys, I wanna try something?"

"What?" Henry ask with a suspicious tone.

"My spell Vermillion Lord of Storm," which is a mouthful now that I'm saying it out loud. "That is now shortened to VLoS. Is an AoE spell, I wanna try it out on these guys, field seems to be about the right size too."

"Ohh~, Yes! I wanna see it again!!" Enthused Agus with a whisper.

The others didn't voice any complaints, so I step forward, aim at about the slightly-closer-to-us mid-point of the field and let loose, burning 105 mana. The Lord appears in all its glory, sending me a one-fingered salute before igniting the storm and ending the lives of all five creatures about halfway through its duration, though, feels like it's a bit less than the three minutes I thought it was previously.

"Wicked!"

"How much mana did that take you?" Henry inquired.

"The spell cost 150 mana if that's what you're asking." I tell him, not willing to divulge my discount to all present, just because... being cautious.

"How much did that cost to buy?" Dianti asks.

"Uh, in the store." How much did I put it up for? Did I put it up for sale? "I can't remember, we can't access the store in a dungeon, so maybe check later," ideally, please forget about it for at least a few days.

"Knowing you, it might be a spell you made and forgot to put into the store." Henry joked, I had to force myself to laugh along. Damnit, that probably is the case, I forgot! He knows me quite well. I think it was in the Gob-Dungeon, no Store access, no Store prompt...

"Anyways~, let's continue!" I discreetly attempt to divert their attention, "what's the plan for the last two fields? Continue as we have been should be fine? I think that's a better idea so you guys also get Exp. Okay, okay? let's go!"

(The System finds it fortunate that Zen could not see the expressions behind their helms)

Nothing could be harvested from the field struct by VLoS. The way this Dungeon work is that each field has their own species of flora, a herbs or a moss or some trees. A select few in each field, strewn about within would be ripe and harvestable, and thus prone to incoming attacks, while the rest are untouchable and protected by some kinda barrier. We finished the last two fields successfully. I also decided to help Agus collect the ripe materials, because, want skill.

"Alright, so the right corridor leads to empty rooms and was where you two came down from." Henry summarizes, "that leaves us with forward or left."

"Always turn left!" Agus say.

"Where did you hear that from? Of course it's better to keep moving forward!" Roy corrected.

I ignore them both and manipulate two disks to go check both corridors out.