Did it work or did it not?

Either and neither, I say.

It worked as intended but the results are not.

I managed to absorb the Mana but that's it. My Mana threshold did not rose like it did when I absorb from the crystal.

From this, I come to understand that different color of Mana indicates different properties. Purplish blue Mana from a monster can only replenish but it is not able to increase the threshold.

I didn't get the results I expected but I did get another interesting result. So I will say this experiment is a sort of a success.

Seeing no harm, I also absorbed the other two dead centaur-scorpions' Mana remnants.

After plucking a bundle of Crimson Flowers, I carry those in my left hand and left that area. I traverse to other areas, using the Crimson Flowers whenever the present light source are either insufficient or non-existence.

I came to an area which is filled with tall grasses as far as my eyes can see. Flashback of a certain dinosaur movie came across my mind. The characters were traversing through the tall grasses and they were ambushed by Velociraptors. Just for extra precaution, I scan the grasses with [Mana Perception].

Oh. There's something inside. Ten of them.

Since the grasses are just ordinary plants, they didn't have Mana flow to obstruct my view on any other living beings hidden in it. If the grasses do possess Mana, I wouldn't be able to detect if anything is hiding in the grasses.

I can't tell exactly what they look like in detail but I can make out the outline from their flow of Mana. They look like lizards. Semi-humanoid. Can switch between bipedal and quadrupedal like most of the monster I have encountered.

Beside the field of grass, there is a pond. Beyond that pond, a tunnel leading out of this place. I look at the pond with [Mana Perception], nothing seems to be lurking in the waters.

I guess I'll take that route as oppose to the obvious ambush.

The water reached only to my waist and it's quite clear, not crystal clear though. I took care not to let the Crimson Flowers doused by the water. I reached the other side and headed for the corridor.

Hm?

Did I imagined that?

I stop just right in front of the entrance into the corridor.

I concentrated my hearing.

I didn't imagine it. I hear them clearly. Rustling and skittering sounds from the darkness in the tunnel. The sound seems to be getting louder and louder.

I'm having a bad feeling about this.

I use [Mana Perception]. My eyes almost went blind from the multiple surge of blue light entering my vision.

Never mind my eyes. It's all good.

Anyways, FUCKING RUN!

I immediately turn tail and run from the corridor. From behind, I hear those unsettling sounds getting louder and louder. They're getting nearer.

What are "they"?

They'll soon emerge and show themselves.

As I make haste and wade through the pond, they appeared from the darkness.

Tens, no, hundreds of them came skittering out from the corridor. Hundreds of centipede-like monsters. Essentially, they're centipedes and they too large for their size. A size of a puppy.

They were the fist bug I encounter in this hell hole that are hostile. I can tell they're hostile thanks to [Mana Overseer]. This Arcane Art doesn't just allows me to see Mana, I can also sense it. Although it is still hard to grasp this sixth sense that I have obtained. Apart from sensing presence of Mana, I can also discern the intention of an individual from its Mana. Which is why I am to tell that those centipedes are coming for my flesh.

Getting back to the side from I came, I looked back.

Damn. The waters are too shallow to stop the centipedes. They are having no trouble swimming in it. They are swimming here.

Fuck it. I enter the tall grasses. Immediately after entering, I hear the rustles sounds of those lizards dashing towards me.

One of those lizards even went as far as leaping from the grasses, into the air, at me. Right then, I saw the lizard for what it really is. Scaly reptilian skin. Dark brown color. Four limbs. Sharp claws. Fangs for teeth with its canines longer than the others. A tail. Three horns protruding on its forehead in a straight line. Height? Six feet, I guess. Yes, they look exactly like a raptor. What the hell, nature?

I dodge low and avoided its claws. I felt some strands of my hair was shortened though.

Another one pounced from my right but it hit a near-invisible barrier. Yes, I have cast [Plane Displacement] on both my right and left. I lost count on how many of the raptors actually rammed into the barrier. If the situation was lax, I would have allow myself to laugh.

I didn't look back but I can hear some complex struggles behind me. I'm sensing a turmoil of Mana flow behind me. Even if I look back, the tall grasses are in the way. Still, just from the Mana flow I'm sensing, the raptors probably got into a fight with the centipedes.

I'm not even going to picture the scenario.

An idea came to my mind. I grinned at that idea. An idea that could turn bad at any moment.

I drop the Crimson Flowers that I have been holding onto all this time. The burning flowers come into contact with the tall grasses. A wildfire was then born. The wildfire spreads fast. I speed up my sprint as I desperately try to run from the wildfire.

A raptor ambushes me from the front but I have already seen it coming from a long distance away. I cut it in half with [Abyssal Edge], leaving the pieces as tribute to the wildfire I started.

Not long after, I hear screeches and cries. It's obvious those agonizing cries belong to the centipedes and the raptors who are drowning in seas of flames. Brought to them exclusively by yours truly.

That day, I killed hundreds of centipedes. I did the world a favor. So please, may have I a hero title?

After ten minutes of running, I reach the end of the tall grasses. When I came out from the grasses, I'm greeted by wolves. Well, I expected nothing less, considering how shitty my luck had been.

Those wolves are at least three times the size of the ones on earth. Gray fur. Three pairs of eyes, pure black. No iris nor pupil. Similar to the lizard, the canine teeth are longer than the others, making it look like a pair of vampire fangs. They all have black markings on their fur and a slightly curved horn on their forehead.

There are four of them. Four of them looking straight at me. I do not know if their growl came from their mouth or their stomach. I do not want to know.

When I prepared myself for their attacks, one of the wolves dive into its shadow.

Er.... What?

Where did it go? I asked but I did not let the remaining three out of my sight.

My shadow which was cast in front of me, rippled.

Ah. There you are.

The wolf leap out from my shadow, mouth wide opened. Thanks to my brain stuff with fantasy knowledge, I have already figure it out its trick. A typical template of a shadow magic. Which is why its mouth met an [Abyssal Edge] instead of my neck.

I was about to engage in combat with the other three when raptors and centipede burst out from the burning grasses behind me. Oh, there're survivors.

Taking advantage of the confusion, I cast [Presence Detachment] and run from them. I'm not a battle maniac. I do not wish to fight a fight I don't need to. I could have cast [Presence Detachment] right from the start but it wouldn't have been efficient. Out of all my abilities, [Presence Detachment] costs the most Mana. [Spatial Leap] cost a little bit less but the drawback is too terrible.

Once again, I find myself in a narrow passage. It's dark but I figured out a trick to help with that. The ore veins in the walls, ceilings, and ground all possess Mana. Using [Mana Perception], it looks like these veins are guiding me somewhere.

I then arrived at a open space. Unlike the other spacious area, this one is vast. The biggest I have came across. It I hadn't known any better, I would have thought I have made it out of this hell hole. That is how large this space is.

Moreover, right before my eyes, there were simple huts and small buildings made of straws or wood. A small village. Like other areas, this abandoned area is also encroached by overgrown plants and crystals have appeared all over. Nevertheless, this is the first settlement I have came across in this dungeon. I would never even expect a settlement in such a dungeon.

Needless to say, I am enthralled by all these.

My steps which had been running slows down. My steps got smaller and smaller as I looked around the village. Completely deserted and old.

Why? Why is there a village inside such a place?

A dungeon village? Is there such thing in this world?

As I keep walking while gazing everywhere, I stumbled upon a tree. A cherry blossom tree.

It looks like one, at least. Red crystals are growing out from the branches and the trunk. Besides the leaves, there are cocoons dangling from the branches on vines. I wonder what they are. Butterflies? No. That's too big but I'm in another world after all. It's a possibility.

"Hyx Atlas?"

"The scholar boy?"

Hmm...? Am I hearing things now? I heard someone called out to me. Pretty sure that's my name.

"Boy. Is that you?"

Nope. Someone did in fact called me. I turn to meet the voice.

I find a young man, a woman, and a elderly man. They are all dressed in battle armors. They are wearing partial steel armor with leather armor. The armors are plain. They all look equally worn-out. Their gears aren't in good condition. They have been through rough times.

But what are they doing here? They don't look like rescuers.

Strange. They're speaking English. I know them speaking English would logical considering how everything is written in English but I still find it odd. They don't look like peoples who could speak English so well.

"Is it really you? Hyx Atlas?" The young man asked.

Still in a daze, I slightly nodded.

"Woah. You okay?" The young man asks me as he got close.

I tilt my head in question.

"You are aware your face is a mess of dirt and blood, aren't you?"

Right. Come to think of it, I was splattered by r-18 contents.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

"But anyways, you okay?" The young asks me again, sounding real concern. "You have been walking in a bit of a weird manner."

"Watching me?" I ask them.

"We were resting in one of the huts when you got here. Cilia here said she saw a shadow and we found you." The young man explained.

I stare at the three without any response.

"You alright?" The woman name Cilia, ask me.

"I'm sorry." I responded. Nostalgic. I haven't clearly heard my own voice in a long time. "I don't think I know you three. In fact, I don't remember how I got here. I merely remember my name." I tell them the truth. It is the truth. I don't know them and I can't remember how I got here. I just omitted some details.

"Ah.... ain't that convenient." The old man said. I saw his eyes rolling back.

Convenient?

"I suppose you wouldn't remember our names anyway regardless if you lost your memory but at least this way you have a valid reason to be forgetful." The old man emphasizes the word "forgetful".

Cilia who is beside the old man, gives him a nudge with her elbow.

I'm guessing this old man doesn't like me much.

The young man jump in when he saw the tension rising. "Then I'll reintroduce myself. I'm Alexander. This lovely lady here is Cilia and this old man here is Lucius."

The old man scoffed. "Better being old than being inexperience...."

I'll just pretend I didn't hear the old man's whisper.

"Don't worry about your condition. Your memory lost only makes sense. Everyone would want to forget the nightmare that has happened." says the young man.

"Nightmare?"

"We were an expedition group. Adventurers, soldiers, and Templar Knights. A total of thirty men. We came to investigate this underground dungeon but things went awry so suddenly."

Judging from what I had been through, I feel "awry" is a bit too mild of an adjective here.

"We were attacked by monster we never knew existed. Everyone spread out in a panic. We three were chased by monsters until just an hour ago. We finally were able to take a breather now thanks to some explosive ores that we found."

Explosive ores? I'm interested.

As if hearing the question in my mind, Alexander shows me a black ore with some faint red lines. "Theyy explode about three seconds after you pour Mana into it."

"I see." I replied. Seconds, huh. I'm surprise this world uses the same measurement unit as earth. Is this perhaps a parallel world where history took a different turn?

"I'm not exactly glad to see you but I am glad our numbers are bigger. Even if you're a fanatic of the Nines."

I swear that I heard the old man clicked his tongue.

"Lucius!" Cilia scolded the old man.

"Fanatic of the Nines?" I wryly asked.

"Sorry about that." Alexander apologized in the old man's stead. "It seems you truly don't even remember about your religion."

"I guess I don't."

"It's just a contempt way to call the believers of the Faith of the Nines." It was Cilia who answers my question.

"How long have we been in this hell hole?"

"I say a little over two days." Alexander replied.

That long, huh. Or is it long? It's long, to me.

"Is it just you?" Cilia ask, somewhat timidly. "Were.... you with someone else?"

Why are you being timid?

"There was another four who were with me."

"They didn't make it?" Alexander asked.

It might have been my expression or my tone, he seems to have figure out from the either two. I made a mental note to be cautious of my expression and my tone in the future. But~~ I would probably forget about it.

"Of course they didn't." Yes, it's the old man, Lucius who said that.

I lazily shift my line of sight to the senile old man. I stare at him. What's your problem? I ask him in my heart.

"Lucius. What is wrong with you?" Cilia stare at him in disbelief. I did the same stare.

"What? How else can such a scholar with little to no experience in fighting survive this dungeon?"

Is he implying what I think he is implying?

"Of course he used the ones with him as meat shields."

Bingo. Hm? Do they have bingo in this world?

I may look calm on the exterior but I am the complete opposite within. Fuck you, old man.

Alexander had join Cilia in looking at the old man in disbelief. That is a very bold accusation after all.

"That's enough, Lucius. He is just a kid. He probably doesn't even want to be here." Alexander reprimanded the old man.

"Keep telling yourselves that." The old man doesn't seem to be reflecting. Not that I expect him to. "But I'll be keeping an eye on this brat."

I turn to Alexander. "Does he has some beef with me?"

"Beef?"

Oh right. This ain't earth. Slang and such are probably different here. "I meant does he have some problems with me?"

"Nothing uncommon. Different religion, different views. Competition happens."

I raised an eyebrow. "He hates me because my religion differ to his?"

Alexander nods subtly.

"If it only things were that simple." My sensitive ears caught the words Cilia which were said in a very low voice. I agree.

Must be some faith the old man prays to.

"Well, why don't we all continue our banter back in the hut instead of out here?" a suggestion came from Cilia.

I concur.

Hm?

What is that? I felt something eerie.

Please tell me that's nothing.

Alexander notices my line of sight. "Something wrong about that tree?"

"You know what tree is this?"

"It looks like a cherry blossom but crystals don't normally grow on cherry blossom trees."

Crystals don't grow on trees normally, not just Sakuras. But anyways, it is also call Cherry Blossom in this world, huh.

Maybe this world shares a lot of similarity with earth, after all.

Oops. Sidetracked.

"Something's odd about this tree. Be on your guard." I tell them. I did feel an ominous vibe from the tree. [Mana Perception] picks up flow of red Mana in the tree.

A bona-fide red, just like the crystals in this area and the crystals on the tree. No blue mix in. I imagine it to be the tree's blood.

It's not, is it?

"Really now, boy?" The old man walks past me and towards the tree.

Er...... What are you doing, grandpa?

"You fidgeting over a tree now?" He went and tapped the tree trunk with his unsheathed sword.

What the fuck is wrong with you? Do you have to retort to my every actions and words?

"See? It's nothing." He looks straight at me as he told me. "How are you even able to fare in this place?"

Er.... Being paranoid is a good thing in this hell hole. Unless your senility has numbed your logic, why would you even say those things?

"Hyx, was it?" Cilia comes up to me. "I'm sorry about him. He isn't always like this. Must be this place's miasma influencing his mind. Please forgive him for this."

The reason better be this place. Otherwise, he's going straight to an asylum after we got out of here.

The old man's gaze harden.

And I know why.

Red Mana gather at the trunk of the Cherry Blossom tree. From there, a humanoid made of red crystals and red wood emerge. Blades made of the crystals replaced its limbs. A head taller than the old man.

"A Spriggan?"

I heard Cilia mutters something familiar. "Crystal Spriggans exist?"

"No. Not that I heard of. Even a normal Spriggans are rare. I have personally never seen one before. Just what I saw from books."

I see. Anyways, you should back off from that Spriggan, old man. It's hostile.

"What are you suppose to....."

Before the old man could finish, the Crystal Spriggan swing its blade-arm at him. The old man barely dodges the lethal blade of red crystal.

"Modred's hound."

By my best guess, I think those words are the equivalent to "son of a bitch" from earth. Who's Modred, by the way?

The Spriggan swings its arms again and this time, its arm breaks the old man's sword.

Oh, that's bad.

The old man instantly creates huge gap between him and the Spriggan and pulls out a shorter sword after he discarded the snapped sword.

"That sword was made of magic steel." The old man said.

Magic steel? Must be some steel with such name but to be broken easily like that, can't say I have a good first impression on it.

The Spriggan raises one of its arms and its body glowed. After that, the cocoon dangling on the branches break apart. Smaller size of Red Crystal Spriggans appear from those cocoon.

Oh.....shoot. That's bad.

The smaller ones rush at us.

I was about to join the fight but Alexander pulled me by my collar and threw me to Cilia.

"Cilia, look after the boy." Alexander orders Cilia as he smoothly parries an attack. Nice one.

I can fight too, you know? I guess they don't know. Well, it is understandable. I am a scholar after all. In name, that is.

The Spriggans number to at least a dozen. Alexander and Lucius are slowly being pushed back. From our six, more small-sized Spriggans emerges from the crystal lumps. I say small but they are actually only a little bit shorter than Lucius.

"They coming from behind too!" Cilia yells. She engages them in combat when they got close.

Yes, I can see that. Stop yelling. It hurts my ears.

"I say we ditch the boy. Let him taste some of his own medicine." The old man suggested as he blocked an attack. Looks like the smaller ones doesn't have the firepower of that normal size one.

Wait. What did this senile old fuck just said? Are you suggesting me to become a bait?

"Lucius, for fuck's sakes. We are not doing that. What the hell's wrong with you?" Alexander rebuke that suggestion as he fend off a few attacks.

"Why not? The brat's useless."

Cilia also offers a disbelief glance at Lucius which he took notice of.

"Oh, you youngsters." As if giving up, the old man reaches for me.

Eh?

With a heave, I was thrown to where the Spriggans are.

Eh?

What?

"LUCIUS!" Alexander screams at the old man's unexpected act. Alexander batters a Spriggan away and run towards me.

Eh? Why are you coming here? You'll die. I can handle.....

Before I could do anything due to being shock on the sudden change of events, Alexander has already thrust himself to my position. The sword couldn't cut the Spriggans, so he only managed to hit them away like baseball.

When Alexander arrived to my side, so did the tallest Red Crystal Spriggan, the original I presume. It shatters Alexander's sword with one swing of its arm and then attack with the other. I cast [Plane Displacement] but easily, its blade-arm pierce through.

Right before my very eyes, I saw those shiny and clear surface of a smooth blade, an arm of a Spriggan made of red crystals, the blade-arm inserted through a man's chest.

I stood and watch with both my mouth and eyes agape. My breathing stop and I became silent.

The noises in the background drowns out and I could only hear the dying breath of Alexander. He tried to say something but he only ended up coughing out blood.

The Spriggan leader retracted its blade and proceed to decapitate Alexander like its the natural thing to do so.

The head fell and roll to my feet.

His eyes are still opened.

The image then, is forever sear into my brain. The face of a person who is killed in front of me while I just stood and watch.

There was a voice. It slowly became louder and louder until I could hear what it said.

"Run, Hyx!" It was Cilia.

My body moved on its own, complying to Cilia's words. I turn and ran. I ran towards Cilia. At the same time, I saw Lucius taking out an ore of black and red lines. He threw it at me. It didn't hit me. It passed right by and fell to the Spriggans behind me.

With [Mana Perception], I saw the red Mana in the ore glowed as bright as the sun. Three seconds went by, the ore exploded and I was thrown by the force.

Before the dust clears, Cilia had already came to my side, she was trying to help me up on my feet.

"Come one, Hyx. We have to go." She told me.

"Leave the boy. He will only be a liability." Lucius told her.

"Just leave me." I told her.

I don't know why. I just repeated the words of the senile old man. I wasn't intending to be a hero to stay back and hold them back. I wasn't. I don't even know what I was doing.

I guess the death of a person hits real hard. I have been in such situation but things sure are different when you're the audience.

"Just leave me." I told her again.

"Look! Even the boy himself realizes that he's useless. So leave him."

Cilia pretended that she didn't hear Lucius and tried to help me up, anyways.

Why are you doing this?

The old man gave up persuading her and ran off. I had no idea where he ran off to. He just ran out of our sight.

"Come on, you can do it." She even went as far as to lend me a shoulder.

Just as I got to my feet thanks to her, I was shoved aside. She got jumped by the Spriggans and they overran her. And another traumatizing scene occurred before me. I stayed in the shadows where I was pushed to as I watch her getting stabbed repeatedly. Blood spurted out from her mouth and the holes created. She wasn't staring at me but her hand was reaching out to me. She might just be convulsing but I couldn't help but think that she might have been calling out to me for help.

I didn't react to that. I just watch.

I could have help her. I know I can and I know I'm able to but I didn't move at that time.

I just stood by and watch. Why did I do that?

Then the leader Spriggan noticed me. I barely avoided a chop to my neck, grazing only the skin of my neck.

I didn't retaliate. I just focus on avoiding its attacks.

My eyes reflected on the Spriggan's crystal clear body were of those of a dead fish's. Those eyes don't look it belongs to a living person.

With every move, I saw my myself in those attacks, literally. It reflected a person devoid of any reason to live, a person tired of everything.

Odd. I wasn't like that. I don't remember being like that. Is that really me?

Somehow, I managed to snap back to reality at the last second.

I catch the the blade-arms that are about to pierce through me.

Okay, now I'm in deep trouble. This is a sure death move right here.

Ugh....

Damn, this Spriggan sure is strong. I'm loosing this battle of strength and endurance.

Hm? I'm sensing a lot of Mana and energy from within the Spriggan.

A light bulb switched on.

Can I do that?

It did say permission is not needed.

Alright, [Mana Transmission]. I cast it.

At that moment, its red body glow a radiant intense red and my body emits a soft radiant blue. Then its red color begin to be drained by me. The red energy flows into my hands in a rush which are grasping its arms.

It realizes what is happening and tried to shake me off. I didn't let it. I keep holding on to its blade arms, drawing blood from my palms, I ignore it and continue draining and absorbing its Mana. It took a while and took a lot but I finally did it. The red glow in the Spriggan's body is completely drained. Now, my body is the one glowing an intense radiant red.

Oh? The smaller ones are still moving. They're coming towards me.

Okay? I guess cutting off the head doesn't compels them to flee. My fantasy knowledge had failed me.

As I let go of the now lifeless body of a dull red crystal Spriggan, the red light I absorbed glow even brighter than before. It only keeps getting brighter. Even red energy begins to crackle in the air around me. The small ones stop in their tracks. They are bewildered by the spectacle in front of them.

When I feel loads of power surge within me, I see blood spurting out from me like a faulty faucet and fountain.

Eh?

Why is blood coming out from my whole body?

More and more blood burst out from my body, my veins to be exact.

Ah. I forgot that lesson.

The time when I forcibly absorb the miniature Crystal Pillar's Mana and my right hand ended up suffering like an acupuncture gone wrong. Now I remembered. Too late to be remembering, though.

Apparently, I have absorbed Mana more than my body could withstand. And this is the result. Even my ears and eyes are bleeding. It goes without saying, agony came and greeted me.

I let out a scream that sounds more like a roar. It even terrifies the small ones. They then scramble away from me, sensing the danger I pose.

The glow only gets more intense, the power only rises without a pause, and the agony gets more intense directly proportional to the former two factors.

The energy becomes too powerful for the earth beneath my feet to handle. It starts to break apart. I can't run. I'm paralyzed by the agony and surging energy within. Just like always, I stood and watch.

It crumbled and I was then free falling through the empty air.

The energy welled up inside me is then unleashed.

Still. I was still falling.

The darkness finally swallows me.

Instead of a "splat", it is a "splash".

I fell into a rushing river. It carried me away the instant I hit.

----------------------------------------

Time and time again, I was beaten down.

Every time that I'm down, I seemed to give up.

Miracles strikes.

My optimism returned.

Beaten down once again.

This never ending loop.

When will it stop?

I'm tired.

Please, no more.

Death, why didn't you take me with you back then?

As the water slowly carries me with its flow, my agony persist and the energy within expands without a care to my body limits, I receive message in my head then.

[Mana Overseer: Lv. 2 increased to Lv. 3]

[Mana Overseer: Lv. 3 increased to Lv. 4]

[Mana Overseer: Lv. 4 increased to Lv. 5]

[Spatial Magic: Lv. 3 increased to Lv. 4]

[Abyss Magic: Lv. 2 increased to Lv. 3]

.......

.......

Nice joke.

[Title: - Acquired]

Whoever's watching, you must be having quite a blast and laugh.