[Van Stops, Door Opens]

“This… We’re in a cave system?”

“Yes. You seem trustworthy enough to handle this information: Dungeons spawned when the alpha went up, all around the world. In sewer systems everywhere, catacombs in Europe, Pyramids in Egypt, Painted caves in the US. They all formed in secluded, semi-dangerous/historic spots. There are so far 38 troop maintained Dungeons, and hundreds are being found each day since. There is even one under the statue of liberty. The island it is on is now off-limits to the public. The only known public dungeon so far is the one in Greece, at the Parthenon. Of course there is a hefty fee to get in though.” -Delia

“Huh.”

“On topic of trust, do you mind if we see your stats?”

“Umm. It’s kind of personal.”

“You can show us anything you want us to see, and nothing else if that helps.”

“Alright.”

-/Inspect Attempted/-

-/Level Revealed/-

-/Name Revealed/-

-/Class Revealed/-

-/Wisdom Revealed/-

-/Show Title: First?/-

-/Show HP: 7893?/-

-/Show SP: 7883?/-

-/Show MP: 605?/-

-/Show Constitution: 7893?/-

-/Show Stamina: 7883?/-

-/Show Intelligence: 605?/-

-/Show Strength: 7893?/-

-/Show Agility: 7883?/-

Hmm. Should I make them overestimate me by giving just my SP, or have them underestimate me by giving my HP or MP? I’ll guess…

Reveal HP.

-/HP Revealed/-

“...Wow.”

“What seems to be the problem?”

“I expected high, higher than your brother’s 300 HP, but as high at almost 8000? Absurd.”

“Why thank you.”

“I can safely assume you’ll be able to get past the 59th floor.”

“Hmm?”

“Your brother. He actually is here, dungeoneering.”

“Nice. So he’s only gotten to the fifty-ninth floor?”

“Yes. He has actually already cleared one dungeon before this one. The previous one only had five floors, all labyrinths. We asked your brother what was in the end, but all he supposedly found was a tome. We didn’t open it, instead letting one of our high level officers do so, and when she did, she unlocked a magic skill. This one is a basic dungeon, but has higher leveled enemies each level, and we can only assume either 75 or 100 floors or even more, since there have been rest stops each 25 floors so far, supposedly.”

“Supposedly? To the floor count that is? And in regard to Adam, he never has been a liar, so he likely did either find only the tome, or something he couldn’t or didn’t need to reveal, such as perhaps a gifted trait.”

“Our soldiers, you’ve seen, MOST at level thirty to forty, have only been able to reach… floor number sixteen. They all have found it too dangerous to continue at a drastic rate, unlike Mr. Anderson. Also, we do know of traits from Mr. Anderson, but have only heard of the Will and Potentials, as well as Battle Focus, one of which our own troops have unlocked. Have you perhaps unlocked some more?”

“In fact I have. I have two I’m willing to share. Only one of which I know how I unlocked. Or at least only one of which I’ll tell. The first trait is thought acceleration, and simply trying to think quickly in dangerous or important situations unlocks, and levels it. It starts at LVL: 1. The second is Cored Being. You know that Asian genre, where the people cultivate to become immortals, through training their dantian?”

“I have heard of it, and even read one story similar to such.”

“I myself have a dantian. Or better yet dantian-like core.”

“And you are unwilling to tell us how to unlock this trait?”

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“It is actually pretty self-explanatory. I did it on accident. A warning though, it is rather painful, for a couple seconds, or maybe minutes or even hours for normal people.”

“Hmm. Why is that?”

“Haha. Intrigued are you? Screw it. I like you, Delia. I’ll tell. I simply caused my inner mana to condense. It took me simply a couple seconds, and a couple seconds later of intense pain, but I can only assume that those without a… say, mana-related trait, would take minutes to hours to achieve the same process. It will also probably take hours to actually achieve enough finesse to attempt as well, in accordance to manipulating inner-mana.”

“You say inner-mana. Does that mean there is outer mana?”

“Of course! The entire world supplies mana throughout the atmosphere. In the city even, the density of mana in the air is roughly 2 mana per meter cubed. In fact, now that I’ve attempted to sense the mana here, it is far denser, maybe even… wow. 5 mana per meter cubed. I can only assume a vast density within the Dungeon.”

“Intriguing. Does cultivation of cores work similar to the books? As in absorbing outside mana, to grow your core, or regenerate?”

“In fact it does. Let me demonstrate. Wait. Any way to give my sense of sight to you?”

“We can get a machine down here, in an hour or so, and have your brainwaves recorded, and then transmitted to me.”

“Way too complicated. And strange. Not to mention obtrusive. Let’s try this out.”

[Inputs mana into eyes]

-/Skill Unlocked: Mana Sight LVL: 1/-

Wow. I can see mana… Not what I was trying to do… Hmm…

[Moves my inner mana into Delia]

“HEY. I feel that, what are you…”

---Shh. It should be fine.---

“How are you…. Can you…?”

---Can I what?---

---Chicken chicken chicken---

---Chicken?---

“Oh my god! Stop that! Wait. Oops, never mind, that is what I meant to say to you. I was thinking broccoli, and I hoped you couldn’t hear that. Apparently not. But it seems we can communicate like this, but only if wanted.”

---Cool. Now I’m gonna do something. Close your eyes, this might be disorienting.---

Before I send my senses:

-/Minus 600 Mana/-

-/Mana Infusion Effects/-

-/Plus 240 Strength/-

-/Plus 240 Constitution/-

-/Plus 240 Agility/-

“Your… your health just went up by 240… Is that a buff?”

---No, actually, it is permanent. One of my trade secrets. It drains my mana quite a bit though.---

-/MP Revealed/-

“Wow. That… is actually less than Adam’s. Guess you are a physical build.”

---Pretty much. Okay. Now, close your eyes.---

“Done.”

[Sends a constant impulse of my senses over my remaining five mana]

[Sends my five mana through the air]

“Wow...”

[Grasps mana from the air, drawing mana into my core]

“Oh. That is how it is done.”

[Repeats until local mana is depleted]

-/Local Area Drained of Mana/-

-/Core Training Effects/-

-/Mana Filled/-

-/Core Size Increase Effects/-

-/Plus 15 Intelligence/-

“And there we go. Core training.”

“Stunning… How do you have such a control and sense of your mana?”

“A trait. I unlocked it somehow while meditating. I think it is over powered to tell the truth. It allows me total control over my mana.”

“Any chance…?”

“Sorry, I think it is a thing only for those with a Potential of the Ten.”

“How do you even know that phrase? We kinda made it up here…?”

“My brother talked with 9 of our family and friends, he was the Second. I can safely assume that he gave information to the first ten, until the Will and Potential traits either stopped appearing, or some other thing appeared, such as, I don’t know, Human Will and Potential. That’s my educated guess. Thus if there are ten with Numbered Wills and Potentials, I can safely assume that some things are limited to the Traits of the Ten of us, or of the Ten. Sounds cool to me, to tell the truth.”

“True. It does sound cool… Before anything else, you simply decided to monopolize the traits, without letting natural understanding come across to those destined to come across it?”

“I love my family, despite my many human emotion failings. I decided to give them something, something to prepare themselves for what is ahead.”

“And what is ahead.”

“I have no god damn idea. And that very much scares the shit out of me...”

“Well said. You have actually given me so much information, I’m not even sure if some of our projects can continue, due to what you’ve said. But I can think of tens of projects we can start. Thank you. Umm… Miss Williams will guide you to your brother’s quarters. He should be back in… say an hour, for lunch, before going back in. You should talk with him, catch up, after all these shenanigans. I have to make a report, a VERY detailed report…”

“Anything I wouldn’t think of?”

“Well, we were supposed to gather any information at all, and it seems you are flirtatious with pretty females as we naturally assumed, so that is checked for sure.”

“So, the two prettiest girls here wasn’t a mistake to be in my car?”

“You catch on quick. But either way, I kinda liked it.”

“Nice. I won’t mind seeing you two around more often, anyways.”

“Hehe. Thanks Mr. Anderson. See you soon.”

[Delia Forth leaves down a certain path of the cave system]

“Let’s go to my bro, Miss Williams!”

“Very well, Mr. Anderson.”

“You really should talk more. You are very cute.”

“...I thank you. Now. To the quarters. And I swear, next time you attempt to tickle me, I WILL harm you. I don’t know how, or when, but I will…”

“Okay then. Duly noted, Miss Dangerous Beauty…. ‘whisper whisper… Tsundere… whisper whisper’.”

[Down the path we go]