Part 1

Darkness. The endless noise and clatter of heavy roots slowly drawing him upwards, and the continual feeling of his body adjusting to the increase of mana from the dungeon, and the increasing altitude. That was the singular feeling that his body processed in the overwhelming darkness surrounding him. Most frustratingly, there was a deep rumble that seemed to follow him up the shaft he was being carried, which he could only assume was the ground sealing up behind them as he ascended. Somehow escaping, and making his way back to Yami, such an idea was impossible the moment he was captured.

“Ha.” Drake shook his head as he felt his body being drawn continuously upward, a despondent look on his face.

His body felt as if he had more energy running through it than he ever had. The control he had over the duel natures of his mana, an increased concentration of the mana itself, as well as the occasional presence he felt pass by him through his newly gained access to a portion of Yami’s abilities. He had all of it, but despite that, he couldn’t even manage to escape with Yami from a horde of mushroom-men.

The feeling of crushing disappointment was only made worse by the realization that he very well might not have a way back. He didn’t know the layout of this dungeon, and he was unsure if it was even possible to tunnel out of it himself. Sure, he could always manipulate his mana to haphazardly drill downwards, but this wasn’t the sort of place where that could even be attempted easily. The roots that had wrapped around his body were 5x… no, 10x stronger than the Myconid could ever attempt to form. The mana inside them was much denser than even his own. He couldn’t imitate that sort of power easily, if at all.

A long and heavy sound escaped him as he was drawn into the dungeon, his body practically lifeless. He didn’t make an attempt to move, and Aesir didn’t give him the opportunity to escape. Even freed from the paralysis of the spores, Drake knew he couldn’t escape. The hold the heavy roots had on his body was much too firm. This state didn’t last for long, however. It may have taken time for Aesir to tunnel downwards, but Drake’s ascent wasn’t so slow. It didn’t more than a minute until he was drawn into a suspiciously familiar room, although he was unable to tell if it was made that way, or if it was mere coincidence.

A slight twinge hit Drake’s nose as he stood still. No, it wasn’t mere coincidence that this space looked similar. It was the same one that his unconscious body had been dragged from only a few weeks earlier. It was old, but this body of his was able to catch the scent of blood and decay.

“Which reminds me, I never did get the chance to eat that piece of meat that Yami brought to me,” muttered Drake. A faint smile escaped him at the thought before he brought his mind back to the dungeon.

“Still… I’m here again, huh,” he said coldly.

He couldn’t muster much more than that brief statement as the large roots released themselves from his body, and he fell to the ground. They then receded into the ceiling without a sound, simply leaving Drake alone in the cavern, and in utter silence.

Merely shaking his head, Drake sat on the ground as the consequences of what happened began to roll over him. Yami was gone. Her signal was so faint, it might as well have been non-existent, and he had very few ideas on how he even might make his way back down towards her. Worst of all, if the Myconid managed to find a way through the crystal he made, they would have all the time in the world with her, a prospect that revolted him to his very core.

After a few more moments of reflection, a saddened laugh escaped him. He had confused the notion of physical power with that of the Myconids, the power to control others, utterly and completely. No doubt if he wasn’t so on guard against them, even he could have been put under their spell.

He paused for a moment, before another breath escaped him, his eyes closed completely.

“Useless…!” He shook his head angrily, as he threw a punch at the ground. When it came down to it, he had just been useless. When it came to the Myconid, he didn’t manage more than a few brave words before being put under their power, in his own trial he was tricked and twisted into the wrong path, even in this very cavern, he did little more than act as bait for Peter’s group. A disposable piece that could be used up and thrown away when needed. He could have done so much more, but he hadn’t fought in some vain attempt to enjoy a bit more time with the others. Something that had cost him the person that he trusted most…

“Augghh… Dammit!” Drake yelled out in anger, as he suddenly clutched his chest. The burning he recognized in the Myconid’s cavern returned. The moment he had been paralyzed by the Myconid, it had disappeared, like someone had simply licked their finger and snuffed it out. But now, like a flame re-lit, it had returned and was making itself known.

“This damn burning… what is it?” He grumbled.

He hadn’t noticed it when he first awoke. In fact, it wasn’t until he fully confronted the Sovereign that this feeling awakened in his chest. It didn’t seem to have anything to do with his mana… so what was it, and why did it bother him so much?

“Well, haven’t you grown.”

As the voice echoed out across the vast space, Drake suddenly felt his entire body freeze, as if he had been submerged deep underwater. An overwhelming pressure had surrounded him completely, leaving him almost in a daze. However, compared to the mind-racing adrenaline that one would feel when faced with a beast like the Wyvern, he didn’t feel that deep sense of urgency. Rather, just the sense that someone far above him had appeared, one that could crush him at will.

Picking himself up off the ground, he slowly turned to the direction of the refined voice he had heard. There, stood a figure casually descending from the ceiling on a moving bridge of vines and roots, his entire being radiating a sense of royal pride. At first glance, he even looked to be human. The man was dark-skinned, and while not overly muscular, his figure was certainly impressive. However, the unnaturally green eyes that exuded from his form, as well as the bountiful amounts of mana quickly proved that he was anything but human. So much so, that it easily dwarfed his own.

Not far behind him, an equally beautifully woman floated down on a series of vines, although compared to the man, the feeling from that came from her was much colder. Worse yet, her own power seemed to be at least three-quarters the power he felt radiating off the man. More than enough to fight him single-handedly, and win.

That woman… she fits Yami’s description of the Dryad. Green skin, a pair of antlers, and undeniably attractive. A bit younger looking than I expected, but there’s little doubt it’s her. She really could take me on all by herself… He observed nervously.

“And if I had to guess, you must be Aesir.” Drake noted, as his eyes turned to the man.

“How dare you casually address my Darling in such a way, you-” In a flash of rage, the Dryad yelled out angrily, only to be swiftly cut off with a slight wave of the man’s hand.

“That’s enough, Manna. We’ve come here to talk.”

Talk… to me? Drake haphazardly blinked his eyes in confusion.

The likely master of the dungeon appeared in front of his very eyes, a being that he had little doubt could kill him if it desired. Yet it came here to speak to him?

Shaking his head at the brief exchange, Drake’s gaze narrowed as he looked to the duo. The Dryad seemed subservient to the man, in a way. Then again, if this really was Aesir, the spirit of the tree, it wasn’t much of a surprise. From what little Yami told him of the Dryad, and what he knew himself, the species always tended to align themselves with a tree or trees in the various myths and legends. Given that this particular tree spirit was likely the pinnacle of his species, it wouldn’t surprise him if this would be the one she had chosen to nurture for the rest of her life.

Drake grimaced to himself slightly, as he looked up to the imposing man. “So, what do you want?”

“You left a rather evil thing in my cavern, didn’t you?”

“Evil?” Drake had to think for a moment, before the meaning of the question hit him.

The shards. I never did get around to suppressing them, did I? He clicked his tongue as he looked to the imposing man above him.

Giving a brief sigh, he admitted, “It was intended to be used against the Myconid. Truthfully, the master of the dungeon barely entered into my thoughts at the time.”

The dark-skinned man took the comment in stride, merely returning with questions of his own.

“Used against my Myconid? On what grounds would you do such a thing? It seems to me that you should be thankful. You were, after all, hiding your identity from the others, weren’t you? You were whisked away to an area where you could rest and recuperate, as well as safely advance according to the system you follow. It seems to me that it should have been everything you would have wished for.”

At hearing such a one-sided comment, Drake couldn’t help but bite back with a bit of venom in his tone. “Oh yes, the Myconid were oh-so benevolent,” he laughed. “They might not have harmed me, but I’ve have been better off without them, given that they tampered with the mind of my partner!”

“Hm?” Aesir tilted his head in a questioning manner, as if he didn’t understand a word of what Drake said.

“Don’t tell me you don’t know,” Drake shook his head incredulously. “The Myconid’s area is filled with the mana you control, and they seem to revere you as a sort of God-like figure. The pods they used is filled with the mana from this dungeon, which can only mean you’re to blame for all this,” he trained his gaze on Aesir, as a throaty growl made its way through his body.

“Ah. You mean their method of gathering information,” Aesir exclaimed happily.

“It’s somewhat crude, true, but necessary,” Aesir waved his hand in a simple manner, as if to simply brush off the accusation.

“Surely as a former human, and the wealth of knowledge you had access to, you understand the construction of any perfect system is tedious. Your initial experience was less than perfect, due to some unfortunate… tampering, but through that, I discovered an interesting quibble,” said Aesir with a wry smile.

“The race you descended from tends to fight hardest when they are fighting for someone close to them, or something they desire. Although, it’s intriguing to me that the effect is even more pronounced in you,” the man laughed.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Might it have something to do with your current race?” He asked absent-mindedly.

Wait…

“You… gathering information isn’t even your goal.” Drake hit upon a certain epiphany, as his face warped into one of anger and confusion.

The Deep Gnome that had been kept underground. The Sovereign had mentioned very clearly how the Gnome wished to return to the others of his race, and how intriguing that emotion was. It was something the Myconid clearly found interesting, but it likely wasn’t something that would actually encourage them to capture others. Curiosity didn’t mean outright hostility, even if the thought process was so utterly foreign.

From what Drake was told, this group of Myconid were the only ones to attempt such a strategy, which was why the Deep Gnome had been sent to investigate in the first place. What the Gnome didn’t know however, was that the change was undoubtedly brought on by the dungeon itself, not the Myconid.

In other words… simply capturing others to learn of their experiences wasn’t the purpose, it was simply a bonus, so to speak. The true purpose was the effect that had on those who weren’t captured. It was why…

“Peter’s group is still in the dungeon, isn’t he? That’s why Morgan is still trapped underground.”

A knowing smile emerged, as Aesir simply nodded. “Indeed. Although you are slightly mistaken. One member has been outright removed from my dungeon. However, the other one has not only met my standard, he’s done even more. He might even be a match for you now, given time.”

“Really…?” Drake muttered.

Peter. It must have been him who stayed behind. He was the one who had gained more from the mana well, and he was the leader of their solitary group. There was little doubt that he would be better suited to such a place than Luke, as well. Luke was undoubtedly more attack-focused, an attribute that worked well in groups, but alone, left himself wide open to a large array of attacks. Still, just what would Peter have gone through since he had been dragged underground? It had been weeks, and yet he was still here, fighting?

“Ha…” He breathed out, as a creeping smile began to appear on his face. That Morgan was being kept in the Myconid’s cavern was actually a good thing. No, great even. It meant that he had a solution.

Morgan and the Deep Gnome had been trapped and interrogated, but Yami was left free. What did that say about her? It should have been child’s play to simply keep her in the same state as the others, but she was left free, even if it was in an altered state of mind. It meant that Aesir valued him for some reason, more than the others at least.

Taking another breath, he looked to Aesir and asked, “What about me?”

“Well, that’s to be ascertained. But, you already seem to have understood.”

Drake’s gaze dropped to the ground, as he simply laughed at the uselessness of it all. It seemed from the moment he was separated from Peter and the others, he played into the palm of Aesir’s hands.

The purpose of a dungeon was to test those inside. That was an iron-clad rule. However, the method in which this occurred varied widely from dungeon to dungeon. Some would choose to pit those who entered against life and death situations, while others would build it as nothing more than a glorified training ground. Aesir’s dungeon however, seemed to settle on a rather simple solution, a sort of middle ground between the two.

Weed out those unsuitable for the treasures he held and use them against those who were worthy. If they weren’t needed, they would be removed, while leaving those who could be used inside the dungeon, in a place where he could further learn about the race in question. A process that was simple, yet horrifyingly effective.

Yami was obviously weaker than himself, but he never truly considered her to be undergoing the dungeon’s trial. Given their bond, it seemed obvious that she would accompany him, even inside the dungeon. Obviously however, Aesir didn’t share that opinion. The two of them were still viewed as individuals, and she was put to use against him just as Morgan was. To ensure that he didn’t hold anything back.

Yami… it wasn’t your fault. It was mine from the very beginning. Drake closed his eyes, as the image of the adorable imp crossed his mind. No, the image in his mind wasn’t an imp anymore. Rather, she was the beautiful girl he had met for only a moment, before realizing how twisted she had become.

In such a situation, the choice was clear. He opened his eyes, as he looked to Aesir. “What do I need to do? Just pass your tests, and I get her back, right?”

“Indeed.”

“Free of any influence from the Sovereign as well?”

“Did I misspeak?” Aesir uttered suddenly. “You will receive her, fully and completely, and with her own mind untampered. I assure you.”

Hm. That’s that, then. He thought.

When faced with Aesir’s offer, Drake just couldn’t bring himself to fight it in any way. He had been in despair over the thought of if he would even be able to see Yami again, let alone be able to save her, yet the answer was offered up so easily? It was an offer that he couldn’t turn down.

“I accept,” he said. “So, what do I need to do?”

“Simple.” Aesir stated. “Down that path you will see a wide-reaching area. From there, you simply need to kill the boss of that area. That should be more than enough to prove to me you’ve progressed enough to leave.”

Aesir had already managed to ensnare Drake in a manner of his choosing, from using his partner against him, to allowing him to grow more powerful to truly test the environment he created. Meaning that now was the moment he had been preparing for, from the moment Manna had alerted him to Drake’s presence. However…

“Hmph.” Drake acknowledged. Not waiting a moment longer, he immediately broke away from Manna and Aesir, and began to make his way down the winding staircase that he had seen Peter and the others venture down only a few weeks earlier. The sounds of his footsteps quickly disappeared down the stairway, leaving only Manna and Aesir left, with one wryly smiling to the other.

“You call me hasty, then do something like this. Darling, what you have planned for the both of them is so ambitious, it will take almost all of the mana you can gather. You’re still too young to maintain something like this for long.”

“Heh. The prospect of the gains is too much for me not to, you know that Manna.” Unlike the imposing figure Drake would recognize, a young boy’s voice escaped from his frame, as he slowly shrank down into a considerably younger form.

Put simply, the imposing figure he showed Drake was little more than a front. While he had grown to the put where he could adopt a human form, he still wasn’t to the state where he could use such power efficiently. The large majority of the power he could muster still went into maintaining and refining the state of the dungeon the two of them controlled. Especially now that the other participant in his little experiment had finally entered.

“These two are invaluable at this stage in my development. Testing my own limits against such skills will only improve my growth in the long run. I’ll only have to wait a little longer…” Aesir said longingly.

“Right, right. Get some rest, Darling. I’ll be sure not to play with them too much while you sleep.” She responded playfully.

He shook his head with a sigh, as his figure slowly dissolved into the surrounding environment.

“I need to tend to the Myconid first. It shouldn’t be too difficult but cleansing his mana will take some energy. I’ll be trusting you with them until then.”

“Of course, Darling!”

…

Drake proceeded slowly down the stone staircase, walking step by step so as to not fall into any unexpected traps. It wasn’t what he initially expected, but the master of this dungeon really was the tree spirit, Aesir. Still, it was likely that it was a mixed ownership.

Yami told him herself that the Dryad was the one responsible for the hobgoblin attack, and that particular battle was as straightforward as he could have imagined. And just like what he expected from the Dryad, it seemed Aesir specialized in frontal assaults, rather than tricks and traps to delay or injure those who attempted to pass through. Rather like the straightforward conversation they had with him.

He was a bit surprised when he first entered the dungeon, but thinking on it now, it was the best layout for such a place, at least in his own opinion. From what he could tell, Aesir seemed to have an almost unlimited source of mana. Whether or not he could utilize it well or not was another question, but that was really the crux of the matter. He and Peter were the first to really test the limits of this dungeon. Any average dungeon master could likely take advantage of simple tricks, including Aesir. How many would be able to take advantage of such an abundant supply of mana, however? He couldn’t imagine it would be many, especially at such an early stage.

Take advantage of the gifts you have, so you can focus on any weaknesses later… it seemed that really held true, no matter the situation.

Something that I’ll have to focus on myself, as well… He thought, as he made his way deeper into the dungeon. Certainly, he had put off developing his own powers for too long. Brynhild had said it herself, he simply needed to form a solid basis for his mana, to put a specific restriction on himself, and focus on a certain style. Still, just what did he excel at? His mana was capable of attacking at both short and long range, although the power did drop off significantly at range, especially against those more powerful.

At short range, he was capable of fully controlling his own mana in almost any manner he wished, but it often required his full attention, otherwise it simply went rampant, and began consuming everything in the environment. At long range, he simply lost control of it altogether if he wasn’t directly connected to it. In mist form, it would dissipate if it couldn’t find a solid source to readily convert, so it wasn’t as if any source of mana could go out of control, but once it was concentrated into a crystal… well, his failed plan with the Myconid proved what could happen. Each individual crystal would begin to grow as it drew natural mana towards it, which would only expand the reach of the corrupted mana it had gathered to itself.

Although I never did learn if that sort of thing has a range on it or not. Back when I first discovered it in that dug-out hovel I made for myself, the mana crystals had only formed an influence of demonic mana out from it roughly fifty feet or so. Could that have been the maximum limit?

He laughed, thinking back on himself from then. He hadn’t even met Yami and had been overly concerned with gathering a significant amount of demonic mana to fuel himself, which had left him utterly miserable as he had forced large portions in his body to solidify the mana core he had begun to form. Not to mention the horrible experiments he attempted with natural mana. Honestly, the idea that he could breathe fire just by focusing a bit of it through his mouth seems like nothing but idiocy now.

“I really didn’t know anything back then. Although, I never thought such a simple mistake like leaving a few mana crystals out would result in how it did.”

Demons couldn’t simply spawn out of thin air, they needed a corrupted source of mana as a sort of solidifying point. Much like a Dryad or other similar types would spawn in a forested area, full of natural mana, Yami was only able to spawn because of how the environment had been affected by his own mana.

“I can’t imagine how much that one little encounter changed everything. From there, I met Gwyn, Therion, and everyone else. Without her, who knows if I’d ever even be able of talking to others,” he said thinking back.

Such a simple step caused a chain of events that even he couldn’t have expected. Just how differently would he have ended up, if he never met Gwyn? If he had never gotten control over the Draconian that had laid in wait inside his consciousness, and if he had never formed a way of communicating with others? It was all due to that simple mistake, but it was one that he glad he had made.

Shaking his head free of the past, Drake continued down, step by step. Just as expected, the hard, seamless stone of the dungeon walls were completely clean of any traps. Nothing but the faint glow of the blue flames on the wall illuminated his path, leaving the entire pathway to be fairly simple in design. As he kept walking however, something strange caught his eye.

“Light… natural light?” He strained his eyes even further, as if it was difficult to believe what he was seeing.

Only the faint blue light of the unnatural flames that covered the dungeon could be said to have illuminated the dungeon so far. It wasn’t hard to imagine why either. It was hard to say whether or not how far they had traveled underground in the brief time they had spent in the dungeon at the beginning. When walking without a clear reference, it would have been very easy for them to have been slowly descending without being aware of it in the slightest. Now however, when he had been traveling straight down a staircase, and knew full and well how deep underground he should be, only now hints of natural light were shining through?

Sheer common sense dictated that it should be impossible under these circumstances, especially this far down. Yet…

“You’re kidding me.”

Drake continued further down, only to meet a wide expanse of bright light emerge underneath him. The winding stairway had led him into what could only be called a vast, underground forest, filled with towering trees of all sizes. From his position atop the stairway, he could see it descend roughly a hundred feet further down into the trees. From this perspective, it seemed to branch out for several miles in all directions. It was hard to judge, but the entire space seemed to cover almost ten, maybe fifteen miles.

Is this… what was planned for me? It just seems like an oversized killing pit. Drake thought skeptically.

It was all too obvious. A large number of monsters were hidden below the tree line and judging from the sense of pressure that emanated from below, a few of were even stronger than him. Thankfully, it wasn’t even comparable to the Dryad or Aesir, but still, they were undeniably dangerous.

Well, considering that he would basically be just another one of them, it might be easier to view it all as adding another creature to the mix.

Drake smiled and shook his head, as he merely stared out over the vast area. “Well, let’s get this over with.”