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Stranger: My name is Fiol, a caretaker of this northern frontier village. So who might the three of you be?

Zen: I am Zen; next to me is Amelia and Tanis. When you say caretaker what do you mean?

Fiol: Its nothing special. Rather I am the weakest of the villagers and hence they leave me alone in the village, so that I may train and take care of the village while they are out surveying, hunting, or gathering supplies out in the wilds.

Zen: Aren’t you scared that we could be bandits or robbers?

Fiol: If you were, then you would not be standing and talking to me but rather stealing. Although you still won’t find anything of value. So then how may I actually help you?

Zen: We came here to settle down and help out as much as we can.

Fiol frowned and was thinking for several minutes. All we did was stare. I know its not polite but whatever.

Amelia: Is something the matter Sir Fiol?

Fiol: Oh just call me Fiol and its not that there is a problem. Rather anyone can join our little village. Except there is a small requirement; you adventures have something you call respawn point. It is usually in the center of the village or something like that. However for that to work, the village has to recognize you as its member.

Zen: So how do we get recognized as members here then?

Fiol: You will be very disappointed to know. Many adventures came here but ever-single one changed their mind due to the requirement.

Amelia: You do realize your just making us more anxious. Just say it already. What’s the requirement?

Fiol: Anyone who wishes to join this village has to have their level reset to level one again.

Amelia’s and my jaw dropped.

Tanis: I heard that many frontier villages have this requirement. I wonder if there is anyone who actually done this?

Fiol: Concerning this village not one adventure has done it.

Zen: It’s decided, Ill be the first then.

Amelia: What? But we worked so hard to get these levels.

Zen: I really don’t care about the level I am. Rather I care about the gameplay and enjoy my self.

Amelia: I guess your right. Ok I too will do it.

Zen: You do know you don’t have to just because I am doing it.

Amelia: Well what ever. It has been fun so far with this much risk. If I get to comfy in my position and play it safe. It will no longer be fun to play this game.

Zen: Fiol, Amelia and me would like to become part of your village. So how do we reset our levels?

Fiol: Its rather simple, since you arrived here you should be level 99 or so right?

Zen: No almost halfway there.

Fiol: Oh my then there is another problem.

Amelia: Another requirement?

Fiol: The only way you adventures can reset level is via 2 ways. Reach level 99 and an option next to your level become available to reset to level 1 or die over and over, while suffering the penalties. However if you do die you wont respawn in this village. Who knows where you will respawn.

We made it this far and yet we are not allowed to be hear.

Zen: What if we set up camp outside your village?

Fiol: That is a bad idea. Since the monsters at night in this area are 5x as strong and very aggressive.

Zen: What if we camp on the streets of this village during the night?

Tanis: Lad I didn’t tell you at the time but this barriers power is not strong enough to mask people who are not indoors during the night. The powered up monsters at night will be able to sense you therefore kill you. Except for the people indoors.

Fiol: We can provide you with a place to sleep. However only for a week and no more. After that the barrier will automatically teleport you out of the village and specifically for that person prevent them from being able to enter for 3 months.

Amelia: Daddy!!!! Dad!!!!

Tanis: No!!! NO!!! No!!!

Amelia: Dad!!!

Zen: Did I miss something?

Amelia: Pleaseeeee DAD

Tanis: NO!!!!!!!!!!!

Amelia: Remember that one time you said you’ll owe me a favor. This is that favor moment.

Tanis: Such a cheater AAAAAHGGGH. Fine. Ask.

Amelia: Help Zen and me reach level 99, so that we can reset and make this village our home.

Tanis: Are you sure you want to use your favor for something so simple?

Amelia: Yes I am sure.

Tanis: Fine so be it.

Zen: Amelia perhaps you should save that favor, NO?

Amelia: Don’t worry; I know how to get another favor from Dad although it won’t be simple.

Zen: How did you get that favor then?

Amelia: I made a bet with my dad, that if I got 4.0 at school that year at school he would owe me a favor.

Zen: Wow 4.0 GPA I assume.

Amelia: Yup

Zen: That must have been hard.

Amelia: Na since I studied in the game. I was well prepared.

Fiol: So it sounds like your going for lvl 99? If so I here give you 3 passes that will permit you to stay in that hut near the gates. Don’t forget you have to return the passes after a week or you will be forcibly removed. Now I have to get back to work. Come again when your level one again.

Fiol turned away but I could tell he had a wicked smile on his face. Perhaps laughing his guts out on the inside.

Amelia: Daddy you’re the best. So how are we going to reach level 99?

Tanis: Amelia, let us make a deal. This is the last time I’m helping your selfish request within the game. I won’t help you solve anything, you will have to solve everything your self. Zen I will still hold my word and help you with whatever guild is on the way but after that I will no longer help. I need you two too grow using your own strength. Zen I better not see you sleeping my daughter either.

Amelia: DAAAAD STOPPPPP! Your taking things too far.

Tanis: Fine lets get you to level 99. Follow me.

We again set off going following Tanis heading south. After a minute he picked up a light jog. To say his light jog was like our sprinting at full speed. We even activated our blessings and continued to run south. Agility improved by 8 points after 10 hours of running. We again stood in the valley of the huge golems.

Tanis: Ok listed the two of you. I will make a bond fire and Zen take out couple longs for chairs. We need to wait till midnight. Remember under any circumstance leave the circle I draw on the ground around us during the night. While we are at it lets make a party.

We made the party with the three of us. He then set up a bond fire I set chairs around the bond fire and ones everything was done he drew a simple circle around us. He then made a small chant and I could see a transparent liquid rise from the ground and surrounded us like a bubble.

Tanis: This is an isolation bubble ones someone tries to leave from the inside it will burst. While from the outside it is indestructible. It covers around us like an eggshell going in the ground and up in to the sky. It circulates the air in here with the outside. Even if the outside air will be raging it will be calm within. Amway’s under no circumstances step out of the circle.

It was around 7 o’clock in the afternoon. The sun began to set. We started to see that the small hill that was almost invisible like the first time we moved through this area started to rise up. It was as if they started to grow.

12 AM Midnight

It was dark and gloomy the sky had dark cloud so the stars could not be seen. We refrained, from talking about scary stories so that we don’t accidentally burst the bubble around us. We told our adventures however the most important and secretive stuff we left out on purpose. Tanis only listened and smiled the entire time.

Amelia: Hey look the sky seems to have cleared. I can see so many stars that are begging to glow all around us. It is indeed a mystery. Why are all these stars different in color?

Tanis: That is simple actually. Just keep watching you’ll figure it out soon enough. I think those stars should start moving right about now.

Just as he said that and indeed those countless lights started to move. The weird thing is they began to grow in size and converge around us. As if we were the center of the universe. All of a sudden the air began to get moist and rain started falling. The drops were not able to penetrate through the barrier and instead of rolling down dissipated on contact. As it started to rain harder we could still see the stars clearly and in an instance.

There was a huge lightning, which struck our egg shield barrier.

That’s when it happened.

We could clearly see what those star were. They were the stone golems that surrounded us. At this point we could only see that one of their eyes was shining.

Amelia: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. DAD WHATS THIS?

Tanis: Don’t you know golems have elemental affinities? Some specialize in one magic affinity, while the other in another that’s why their eyes are different in color.

Amelia: That’s not what I mean. They are all around us and it seems they can see us clearly. Luckily they didn’t attack us yet.

Tanis: They did attack us. Didn’t you see that lightning? We are in their nest after all.

The eggshell protection was able to easily fend of the thunder but now the sky began to rumble.

Tanis: It seems its time.

Amelia: Time for what?

Tanis: Lvl 99 of course.

Tanis stood up wielding a sword. In that instance another big lightning perhaps 100 times bigger then the last time struck down. Before it hit the shell Tanis popped the shell and took on the lightning directly. The sword was shining brighter and brighter.

Tanis: FALL TO THE GROUND NOW.

He shouted towards us. We were in a daze the whole time and when the first lightning struck we already prepared and activated our special blessings that even is we were struck we would not die. Now his shout was clear and made us react even faster then expected, Amelia and I fell to the floor instantly.

From the laying position I could still see the lightning hitting the sword. I wonder why this certain lightning was not dissipating in the least. It even seemed like the sword could shatter any moment. Just when I saw the sword tremble violently Tanis spun himself and now holding the sword horizontally he began to spin in 360-degree radius faster and fast. The entire time he held his sword in the horizontal position the lightning still continued to strike the sword only now the power accumulated in the sword and redirected around us hit the golems around us.

It seems they have converged on us at that moment. However that huge electric shockwave traveled hitting every single golem within at least 1000 meters. You might be wondering how I know this. Well don’t forget I can see in the dark and even mastered that particular skill although the range is not farther then 500 meters.

Its just the light coming of off the 360 degree shockwave was so bright I could see that it traveled far. This was not a single shockwave either it was like a huge spiral that continued to expand from within Tanis. After ever golem was struck the lightning dissipated.

Tanis then sat down.

We were still laying and even the rain stopped and still continued to lie there. The seen went from horrifying to nightmare to a clear sky in matter of minutes. It was calm and no sound came from anything around us. The golems that surrounded us were disintegrated to ash. Nothing was left from them. Not a single gem.

Tanis: Congratulations on reaching level 99.

Amelia: What?

Tanis: Congratulations on reaching level 99.

We still could not comprehend his words.

I quickly opened the only curious notification window. 

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NOTIFICATION!!! CONGRADULATIONS ON REACHING THE FIRST LEVEL BARRIER

You have reached level 99. This is considered to be the first barrier next barrier is level 199. The hint provided to over come this challenge is in the following phrase.

“BECOME NUMBER ONE”

Notice: If you are unable to solve the barrier challenge and wish to reset your level. You can talk to a certain NPC. This NPC will make the button available to reset your level.

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Zen: Amelia are you seeing the notification screen? Thanks you Sir Tanis and congratulations Amelia. I assume you also hit level 99.

Amelia: Yes I am and thank you.

Amelia got up walked over to her dad. Who currently was roasting a monsters leg he took out of thin air. Hugged him and whispered him something in his ear.

Tanis: Ho ho ho ho. It seems my daughter has not forgot her manners at least.

She then punched him in the arm.

Tanis: Aw aw aw aw.

Amelia: It doesn’t hurt stop making fun of me.

She could not see since she cant see in the dark but I could clearly see a little bit of Tanis’s arm through the exposed end of the sleeve. Even thought the clothes was intact his skin looked a little charred. I quickly ran up and pulled Amelia away without saying anything.

Tanis gave me a look of relief. He did not want to look weak in front of his daughter and even endured being punched in the burned up right arm of his. Once I turned her away from her father he moved his slips silently and said thank you.

Zen: I really appreciate what you did for me.

I then whispered to Amelia that he was indeed not a fake pretend to be dad. So we decided to tell him about everything except for the part where we slept together. So that’s when we sat down and told him the few things we left out. All he did was laugh and even sight with amazement.

We continued to stay at the campsite till morning before heading back. He assured us that no monster would dare to come to a place were we massacred a nest full of golems. He explained to us that earlier today the golems channeled all of their manna to the golems with lightning strike affinity. However since he not only stored up the lightning in his sword and unleashed it on the golems who are usually very resistant to lightning strike but because the shear power and temperature of the strike it self which combined this nest of golems was so strong it pulverized them.

I even asked him why they didn’t use other strikes like rock throw or other affinities. All he said was they had felt how strong he was and if they had any chance to live they would have to kill Tanis before anything else so they used the most effective strike against humans and literally one of the most terrifying offense strikes available to them.

Zen: So why did they attack if they didn’t feel like they can beat you?

Tanis: That’s because during the night all of the creatures over level 50 are enraged so much that they attack regardless if they live or die. They will also respawn in 10 days from now, since the center of their nest was eliminated.  The area they occupy is vast so to kill every single one of them in the nest would take a guild that can cover 1000 miles in every direction. 

Amelia: So Zen what are you going to use those stat bonuses on?

Zen: I think it wont matter since if we reset our levels later wont it just reset as well?

Amelia: Guess I too won’t waste time thinking about that right now.

That morning we got up and went walking this time towards the village.  Upon arrival we again did not see even one person. Only when we got to the center did Fiol showed him self.

Fiol: Well come back. So how was your night out of the village? I didn’t see you in the village last night when we were locking up the buildings.

Amelia: Want to take that lead of being the first?

Zen: Absolutely.

Amelia: You sure you want to reset your level?

Zen: Hmm. Yes I’m sure.  Fiol so how do I reset my level to join your village. I am level 99 currently.

Fiol: Already a level 99? Was that you guys over south playing with a lightning?

Amelia: That was my dad. He is so powerful, and strong.

Fiol: Oh. You guys not only did a great service to us but also exterminated the center of the next. It has made our lives much easier. As you might already be aware this city is actually within the nest as well.

Zen: Tanis told us that this nest would probably span 1000 miles on this side of the river to the north, south, and west. Except east they don’t cross the river.

Fiol: Mr. Tanis you are very knowledgeable. Perhaps you too want to join our little village?

Tanis: Sure. I am sure I don’t have to reset my level correct?

Fiol: You are indeed correct. It seems you are above level 200 and thus that requirement does not apply to you.

Tanis: Then I too will join your village although I will go build my dwelling on that island over there. Between the two rivers, and you don’t have to worry about my safety. Before that Zen wanted to be the first to join and Amelia would be next and then I.

Fiol: Indeed. Zen I have made the reset button available to you. Please press it.

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Notification!!!

You are resetting your level 99 to level 1. Are you sure?

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Zen: Yes!!

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Notification!!! Confirmation!!!

You are resetting your level 99 to level 1. Are you sure?

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Zen: Yes

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Notification!!! Confirming your Confirmation!!!

You are resetting your level 99 to level 1. Are you sure?

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Zen: YES

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Notification!!!  FINAL WARNING!!!!!!

You are resetting your level 99 to level 1. Are you sure?

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ZEN: YESSSSSSSSSSSS.

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Notification!!!

You have been reset to level 1.

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Amelia: Why so many Yes’s Zen?

Zen: Can you believe the system wanted to confirm my confirmation? Really? Really?

Amelia: That is funny. Fiol I am ready.

She did the same thing and started laughing while those confirmations screens popped up.

Amelia: That indeed was funny.

Fiol: Let me congratulate the first three adventures to have ever joined this little village. With time and reputations you will discover many secrets here. As of now the three of you are officially part of this village. There are 6 houses that were built a long time ago and stood empty. We would like to grant you those 3 houses to each of you. They are next to each other right over there.

The place he pointed was on the street leading out of the village. Since most of the houses here were in a circle with the exception of the street that had 6 houses on it.

Fiol: Just choose one of the 6 houses over there and it is yours. You wont need a key and once you place your hand on the bio signature pad it will register the house under your identity. I will tell you be careful how you store stuff since the village will not be responsible for stolen or broken things.

Zen and Amelia: Thank you Mr. Fiol.

Tanis: You can keep that house to your self. I already said I’m going to set my house in between the two rivers. In fact I already have a house ready just for this.

Fiol: Very well Mr. Tanis. Everyone else thank you for joining the village. The villagers are out gathering and tonight will host a small feast for new members of the village. Till later then.

Amelia: I’m choosing a house next to yours Zen.

Zen: Sure. We can even build a tunnel to connect our houses.

Amelia: That is a wonderful idea.  Hurry lets go choose.

The buildings were made out of round logs; it was one story with 2 rooms, bathtub, kitchen and a living room. No restrooms existed in the game so there was no need for a restroom. The only difference between our choices was the location of the houses and different types of roofs. Some had flat roofs and some had sloped rooms.

I chose the flat roof house. Since I imagined my self sitting on it or making barbeque on top. Then there was always an option to build a second story because of the flat roof. I also chose it closest to the edge of the village. So that when it expands in the future I can take up that land. Perhaps I can claim it before the village expands. I’ll have to ask Fiol about it.

Amelia chose the house not next to mine but across. She said it would be better that way since she can too claim the other side of the village’s lands when it expands. I personally think after I told her what I was thinking she copied me. That was the new start at a new place. Who knows what awaits these adventures.

Once we claimed the houses. Both Amelia and me decided to get some rest. Thus we stayed at our homes. Tanis took of immediately after being accepted in to the village and thus I poured some hot water in to the bathtub and decided to take a leisurely. We had hot water in the house under pressure as well. This was very weird; I made a mental note to investigate later on.

As I was about to undress to get in to the water, I huge a very loud shout, that even shocked me. It was definitely Amelia.

Amelia: ZZZZZZZEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNNN!

I hope she isn’t scared of some bugs. Anyway what’s up with that loud of a shout?

Amelia: ZEEEEEEEEEEEEEENNNNNN! ZENNNNNN!

I immediately ran across the street and in to her house.

Zen: What? What? What? What Happened?

I saw Amelia laying on the simple sofa in the living room. Oh yea I guess I did forget to tell you that these houses were furnished with simple things that a house should have. Like sofa, single bed, some dishes, 2 simple chairs a table, few wash cloths, couple towels, bed sheet, blanket, pillow and that was it.

Amelia: Zen did you see your Status Window yet?

Zen: No. What’s up? Are you in trouble?

Amelia: No but look.

Zen: Aghhh Amelia. You can’t do this. If you are not in danger don’t ever scream like that again. I was planning to take a look while taking a bath. Wha wa? Agh whatever. Im going back. Have a pleasant rest of the day and please don’t scream unless it is really necessary.

Amelia: Fine but letting you know. A level one without that special power you were given to see your stats should not be able to open it. So why was I able to open it?

Zen: I don’t know anyway. Will figure this out later. C ya.

Amelia: Sorry for screaming so loudly.

Zen: Forget it. Its ok, just don’t do it again unless you have to. Ok I’m off.

I was actually furious. No matter what it could be? It could wait I thought in my mind. So I headed back and undressed and took that long bath I never had in this game. I found a little soap bar and with that I was able to relax. In no time I actually fell asleep in the tub since it felt so real and very relaxing.

2 hours later I woke up and remember Amelia screaming at me earlier so I decided to check what that was all really about.

Zen: Open Status Window and Skills.

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Status Window

Name:         [Zen Trilen]

Level:           [1*]

Race:           [Human]

Class:           [NA]

Profession:   [NA]

>>>>>Health:         [5425/5425] + [6000FRD]= [11425/11425]

>>>>>Mana:           [2750/2750]

>>>>>Stamina:       [8000/8000] + [3000FRD]= [11000/11000]

>>>>>STR:           [450]

>>>>>AGI:           [325]

>>>>>DEX:           [305]

>>>>>INT:             [195]

>>>>>WIS:           [55]

>>>>>FRD:          [1500] (Fortitude Special Stat)

>>>>>DRG:           [45] (Dragon Special Stat)

>>>>>Bonus Stats awaiting allocation: 425

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Skills Window

Skills Information!!!

Silan Magic: (Inherited skill, is reset to Beginner Lvl.1)

Grizan Blacksmith: (Inherited skill, is reset to Beginner Lvl. 1)

Underwater Breathing: Mastered

Night Vision: Advanced Lvl 44. 67%

Devine Infinity: Intermediate Lvl 9. 99%

* Figure 8 Weapon Spin: Mastered

** Horizontal Infinity Spin: Mastered

*** Overhead Infinity Spin: Intermediate Lvl 39. 55%

**** 360-Degree Infinity Spin: Advanced Lvl 56. 43%

***** All Dimensional Infinity Spin: Novice Lvl 1. 1%

****** Undiscovered

******* Undiscovered

Ancient Digger: Advanced Lvl 5. 23%

* Mole: Mastered

** Miner: Intermediate Lvl 89. 1%

*** Enchanted Disintegrator: Intermediate Lvl 63. 2% (used by two skills)

**** Depth Reader: Intermediate Lvl 78. 96%

***** Driller: Intermediate Lvl 4.91%

****** Dual Tool Miner: Beginner Lvl 14. 5%

Elemental Hand Combat: Advanced Lvl 1. 99%

* Slicing Strike: Intermediate Lvl 35. 44%

** Shattering Strike: Intermediate Lvl 76. 55%

*** Earth Shaker: Intermediate Lvl 89. 22%

**** Shattering Waves: Intermediate Lvl 50. 34%

Arial Regeneration: Beginner Lvl 1. 0%

*(Nothing is known in regard to this skill. You must figure out what exactly it does and doesn’t)

Yell: Beginner Lvl 1. 5%

>>>>>Innovation: Beginner Lvl 9. 99%

>>>>>Old School Carving: Beginner Lvl 78. 65%

>>>>>Tracking: Beginner Lvl 54. 45%

>>>>>Observe: Beginner Lvl 34. 12%

>>>>>Perception: Beginner Lvl 38. 13%

>>>>>Threat Aura: Beginner Lvl 26. 33%

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So that’s why Amelia was shouting. Seems like our levels reset but not our stats or skills. This is interesting, very interesting. So should I start allocating my points now or should I wait? Lets wait. Since I want to get good in smelting ore, so that may be able to smelt that platinum of mine. I guess I will ask if there is a blacksmith in town.

As I was thinking, I happened to look at my watch and realized it was already 4 in the afternoon. Thus I decided to go out since there should be some welcoming party of sort. Well at least according to Fiol.

Thus I got dressed and walked over to Amelia’s place and nocked.

Knock’’’’ Knock’’’’ Knock’’’

Amelia: Come in!

Zen: You know you should answer the door instead of letting someone in.

Amelia: You know I knew it was you? So did you realize why I yelled earlier?

Zen: Seems like we kept our stats and skill only the number of the level changed and also had an asterisk beside it.

Amelia: Isn’t that weird. What do you think it means? Oh and what will you do with your bonus stat points? I still can’t figure out what to invest in.

Zen: Well I’m going to go ask Fiol. If there is a master smith here, I want to learn blacksmithing so that I am able to smith our platinum and if there happens to be some stat requirement I can allocate them then.

Amelia: Your right and I can ask if there is herbalists who can help me progress further. Maybe become an apprentice as well. Well then lets go.

Zen: Ok. Lets go.

We walked towards the center of the town and this time arriving at the center of the town. There was no one. Not even the caretaker. We waited 30 minutes and still no one showed up. As if this place became a Ghost town.

Amelia: This is too weird. Don’t you think so? Not much as a sound.

Zen: Your right. So what shall we do? Hmm lets wait 30 more minutes and then we will leave. Perhaps he went after them in the field or something.

Amelia: Perhaps.

We waited another 30 minutes and when we, were about to leave.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOM

BOOOOOOOOOOOM

BOOOOOOOOOOM

BOOOOOOOOOM

BOOOOOOOOM

BOOOOOOOM

At this point Mr. Tanis suddenly appeared next to us in the village center.

BOOOOOM

Tanis: What happening?

BOOOM

Amelia & Zen: Don’t Know!!!

BOM

KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

The entire sky lit up since it was getting dark. It looked like something blew up above the town in the sky.

All of a sudden!

People: WELCOME!!!!!!

People out from the surrounding buildings began to run and shout. When they got close enough they hugged us all. There were young, old and weird looking people. Some I dare not say human. For who looked like elves, dwarfs, humans, beast, and other types of beings I had no idea who they were.

Fiol: Welcome! Now officially you are part of the village.

Next to Fiol stood an old man with his beard reaching his waist.

Fiol: Please let me introduce First Grand Elder Avintus.

Elder Avintus: You can just call me Avintus. I don’t like people using honorifics since it makes me sound too old. Now you young lad must be Zen. You young lady Amelia and her father Tanis. Am I correct?

Zen: It is a pleasure to meet you. I am indeed Zen.

Amelia: I am Amelia. It is my pleasure to meet you.

Tanis: I am Tanis. Avintus nice to meet you.

As we were being introduced to everyone around and to tell you the truth I forgot all of the names except Fiol and Avintus. The people were greeting us and carrying out tables. Each table was stacked with foods and foods all over again.

Zen: Fiol why such a huge celebration?

Fiol: When youngsters such as you join a dying village it makes everyone happy. No the village is no longer dying. A village with young blood like you attracts many more visitors and perhaps will make them stay.

Zen: Fiol I wanted to ask you is there a blacksmith master in this small village by chance?

Fiol: You are in luck. We do have one and I bet you have met him already. Let me guess you want to learn Blacksmithing?

Zen: Yes that is indeed so.

Fiol: Come Ill further introduce him to you.

We pushed out pay through the crowed and came upon a tall skinny man. There were plenty of dwarfs but this person was far from a dwarf so it was too interesting.

Fiol: Master Darv.

He spoke to the man who was standing holding a huge leg from a monster that was perfectly looked while biting in to it. It was too bizarre. You expect dwarves to eat like that but he, he was eating it, and no better say devouring it like it was something small like a potato.

Darv: Well if it isn’t Fiol and that Zen lad. Let me guess you are here to reintroduce Zen to me.

Fiol: Well then I’ll leave you to it. Take care Zen and welcome once again.

Darv: Since we are already introduced, what is it you want? A weapon? Amor?

Zen: Master Darv, I would like to learn blacksmithing from you.

Darv: Oh, I see. Well then I should tell you my requirements. Your strength should be 500 and agility as well. Once you have that. I will give you a task and only after you complete that task will I teach you and even then before I even teach you we are in the process of making a forge right now so it will be a few months. The task I will give you should take just as much. So what do you say lad?

Before replying I opened the window and quickly poured in the bonus stats points I had equally in to agility and strength using both of them up.

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Stat Update

STR:           [500]

AGI:           [500]

Bonus stat available: 200

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So I used my bonus stat points to balance them out and make them each 500 stat points.

Zen: Master Darv. I have the required strength and agility for the task. Please give me the task and accept me as your apprentice.

Darv: Ok let me take a look at your stats and skills.

After he examined for a minute he raise his eyebrow as if he spot something.

Darv: Well lad. This is quite interesting.

Zen: What is it?

Darv: Ill let you a secret of mine. My race is Grizan.

I stood there shocked.

Darv: What’s really shocking though is you already have the Grizan Blacksmithing. From what I can tell you though after my father thought me this Grizan Blacksmithing he passed away and ever since I have yet to meet someone from the Grizan race. So I am curious how do you have it? Especially as a human!

Zen: I inherited from my father although I have never met him.

Darv: Hmmmm. Then I have decided. You will not do that small task that I thought of earlier instead since you have some skill in mining. You will help me mine, so that I may set up my forge while you mine. This will speed things up.

Zen: So what exactly am I mining?

Darv: To be more precise it’s a hole. A very very very very deep hole.

Zen: How deep are we talking here?

Darv: Now young lads don’t get scared and I’m not goanna hide it from you, but it’s a hole up to the point of blue lava. I saw you have 200 bonus points you can still allocate it. If I were you it would help to invest it in fortitude. Trust me you’ll need it down there. With having 1700 in fortitude it should also negate 85 points damage per second. Since closer to lava you get the hotter it gets and thus you suffer damage. I can tell you this, lava burns a person at 250 damage points per second and you will really need the fortitude to back you up. Not only will your health rise because of fortitude but it will also give you more time to work mining lava.

Zen: Hold on just a second. You know lava is flowing. You mine it a little more will come to fill its place. It is liquid form you know.

Darv: You just don’t know how we mine and let’s do this. Tomorrow come meet me here in the center of the village. I will show you the construction of my forge and how we are mining the deep tunnel. It will all make sense when you see it.

Zen: Ok. I have already decided to become your apprentice. I hope you take me under your wing. I just never heard people mining lava before and blue lava it actually exists? Well that just shows that I don’t know what I am doing in this blacksmithing or mining world.

Darv: Ha ha ha ha. You will learn to enjoy it when the time comes. In fact my dad used to say. That when you are able to swim in the lava as if it was your own swimming pool will you be able to find truly unique things no one has ever seen before. He even told me that there was a man who could mine bare skin in the cooler layer of the lava. Ha ha ha. I think its still far for that to happen to me but. Ill teaches you many cool things and I do accept such a promising student. Well then lad, go enjoy the welcome party. We will have a lot to do starting tomorrow.

Zen: Thank You Master Darv.

Darv: It is and will be my pleasure. Ha ha ha. Don’t forget tomorrow at 6 am be at the center plaza.

Zen: Yes Master.

Then I headed back to the party drinking and eating. They did have some alcohol but I didn’t want to over sleep so did not drink it. As for Amelia she was talking with some women the entire time and didn’t seem like it was about to stop. Tanis he well, he was drinking like there was no tomorrow. The dwarves sitting next to him seemed as if they were in contest with him.

I still remember that there was a guild coming this way, but I was in no hurry to see them so I didn’t give it too much thought. I went and had a quick word with Amelia saying that the Master Darv told me the next time I come out will be a few months and that I should prepare. Amelia at that time also said something similar. I am still puzzled at what it all means. I understood that anyone can comeback by nightfall of any given day but almost all chose to stay wherever it was they were staying at. Well I guess ill figure it out tomorrow.  Thus I went to bed at my place.

As soon as I went to bed, don’t know how much time passed by but I was woken up.

Wooosh””””””””Wuush’’’’’’’Wooooosh

I was woken up and all wet.

Darv: Now, now young lad. I said I accepted you in being my apprentice. Lesson number one. If you are on time you are late. For you to be on time means you must be 15 minutes early. Do you understand?

I hurried upped and bowed slightly.

Zen: Yes master.

Darv: Come along then.

While walking behind him I looked at the clock. “5:44 AM” Its true I even forgot to set the system alarm clock.

When we approached the center we saw that the entire village was gathered at the center. I even saw Amelia there. At exactly 5:55 AM elder Avintus began to speak and said a few confusing things as if in a different language. The only thing I understood was this.

Elder Avintus: Now that everyone who is supposed to be here is here. Let us start.

A crystal appeared in the center. Then a huge circle that came floating up from the ground and raised in to the sky.

“Piwwww”

We seemed to have teleported. The setting looked like a huge circle with 12 huge stairwells going down. This place was lit quite well. It seemed like it was nearly 150 diameter circle and the entire ceiling was made from a stone that emitted light. In the center next to us was a huge fountain. The height from the ground where we were standing to the ceiling was around 80 meters tall. So we looked like tiny things in this place. The floor was some sort of granite since it was polished it even reflected our selves. The only place that didn’t have granite floor was at one side of the fountain. It was a small garden with a Tree growing in it. Next to the tree was a beach chair and not far from the fountain was a tiny house. Perhaps only with a single room inside, although I could not see how big inside it was.

Zen: Master Darv where are we?

Darv: Oh that’s right it’s your first time. Ok so here is what you need to know. We are exactly 1 mile underground from the point where you stood just a second ago.

Zen: So how does one get out?

Darv: You can leave at any time, just drink the water from the fountain and you will be teleported straight to your house. To re-enter one must talk to the caretaker who will then teleport you in.

Zen: What if someone kills the caretaker?

Darv: They can’t. Since he has full body armor that covers him completely, even though it’s completely invisible and cannot be detected no matter what magic or perception.

Zen: Wow.

Darv: Now you must remember it is a secret so don’t tell anyone about this. Now take a look there.

Master Darv pointed to a specific stairwell and then said

Darv: Each stairwell leads to another place deeper underground. This entire space was my job to excavate and prepare. We have set up the basics however; my job ended at this and the stairwells. There are golems under the control of each master of the stairwell. Continue to excavate at the master of the stairs to their specific design. Now look at those stairs I just pointed to. How do you think we distinguish which is which?

I then focused on the stairwell and then all of a sudden a glowing light appeared above saying “Miner & Blacksmith,” I then looked at the other two stairwells next to it. To the left was “Structure & Design” and to the right was “Enchanting.”

Zen: You’re the master of the stairwell of Miner & Blacksmithing?

Darv: He he he lad. You can see those letters because you come from our village. Normal people will only guess.

Zen: What do you mean normal people?

Darv: All in due time, you will figure it out.

Zen: I understand master.

Darv: Follow me.

We hence began going to the direction of the Miner & Blacksmith stairwell. Upon arrival there was a visible bluish barrier.

Darv: Now I can tell you this. You can enter this stairwell with no problem. However you cannot go in to any other stairwell without previously acquiring the permission from the stairwell master. The Grand Elder can also give you permission to enter anyone of these stairwells. He will be staying at the small house back there. Please do not disturb the Elder if anything asks everyone else but him. Lets just say he is a bit tricky.  

Zen: Understood Master.

Darv: Ok I have given you permission to enter. Oh yes the reason you need permission to enter is because of the time limit. If one enters without the permission they will later be teleported far away. It’s usually random but is kept on this side of the world. No lets go.

We entered the stairs past the barrier and it was also polished granite floors with a ceiling that gave off light. Soon we entered a vast space that seemed like a storefront. With many weapons hanging down left and right. It seemed to be run by a thin golem looked like a human except seemed to be made out of granite that was standing behind the counter.

Golem: Hello Master and Masters Apprentice Welcome. No one appeared while you were away.

Darv: Good, good. Now lets get to work. Follow me Zen.

We continued towards the back room and entered. What I saw in the back room was a sort of storage and it was 150 meters in length and around 150 widths.

Darv: This is what you can see it as. It’s a storage were we keep cheap weapons we don’t mind handing them out. Over there you can see a metal cart it job is it automatically transports the things you put upon it from the forge that is further in. There is no need to push it back and forth. Once you press the crystal atop it will transport the material by itself. Now then lets go down to the forge.

We then walked in another door next to the rail-cart, which also had a blue transparent cover. There was a tunnel that seemed to span quite far. Next to the path there was the railing that transported the goods. We then walked for a bit or approximately 1 mile. Just before stepping in to the open space we once again stepped through a transparent blue cover.

All of a sudden, my vision went blurry. The heat wave that struck me was like nothing I have ever experience before. Before blacking out I activated my Spirit Blessing and in a few more seconds collapsed and fell to the floor.

2 hours later I regained my vision and was laying in the beach chair near the fountain.

Elder Avintus: Oh lad your alive and awake. Good, good, now get off my chair.

Zen: Excuse me elder.

I immediately got up out of the chair took a few steps and bowed.

Elder Avintus: You could have died if not for whatever blessing/ spell you made. Now while you were out I went and told our head priest to bless you with the four basic affinities. You should now have Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind affinities. The reason you passed out was because the blood rushed to your head because of the extreme heat. Even though you would of died over time, you were brought here by the golem. So your main assignment for now is getting used to that heat. You will go back in there and every time you will pass out. The golem will bring you in to the tunnel where the temperature is much better since its protected by that special barrier. No off you go.

Zen: Yes Elder.

I immediately ran back and went through the tunnels and this time I prepared my self mentally and walked in. This time I was in the room around 5 minutes and even then everything seemed to be too blurry. Thus passing out again.

I woke up in the tunnel next and it was about 2 hours since I went in. Thus I decide to look at my affinities.

Zen: Affinity Window

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Affinity Window

Water:  0

Earth:   0

Wind:   0

Fire:      0

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It seems this method is going to take forever, since there is absolutely no progress. I should tell that golem not to take me out since I can’t die with the blessing. I should tell him to pull me out if I don’t gain consciousness within 15:30 hours from now. Then will see if things improve or not.

That is exactly what I did. When I told the golem he did not mind at all. He didn’t seem to mind since it was as if he was only a robot.

I again went in and this time 2 minutes later I passed out. During all these encounters I could not even make out what was in the room. So I just lay there in total pitch Void.

While lying there I began humming in this dark void. Then began singing out loud as if it was my own dark world. It was tough since I could not tell time here. I knew I would be pulled out only 15 hours or so.

I began to dance, sing and even run. Though there seemed not to be any ground. Even I could not see my self; I still did all those things without any regard. This loneliness got to me at one point. Still I just tossed the feeling to the side and still continued to not care.

??????: You there! You are very strange.

I didn’t mind the voice that popped in my head. It was as if someone was talking to me. I just thought that I was really going crazy now since I could hear voices. Thus I didn’t pay attention and continued to play around.

I really did loose track of time. Then suddenly my conscious was back and I could start to faintly see the “Tunnel Again.” I was back in the tunnel. Man that feeling was terrible. I quickly summoned the Affinity Window.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Zen: Affinity Window

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Affinity Window

Water:  0

Earth:   0

Wind:   0

>>>>>Fire:      30

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That is weird seems like the affinity rises at 1.5 per hour.

~~What Zen did not know then is that, to rise ones affinity It takes about a day of exposure to heat to even gain 2 points. The extreme heat is a benefit for him. ~~

Just as I was about to walk in again, the master stepped in to the tunnel.

Darv: Seems your still alive. I have seen you in there all passed out without being removed. The golem told me what you told him so I left you there. But gosh you seem not to have any affinity in anything and how is it your skill in mining is so great? Well anyway I can tell you one thing for sure to be able to work in the forge you need at least an affinity of 90 in fire. So good luck and no there is no shortcut to this.

Zen: Yes master. Master why is it that I am not hungry even a bit?

Darv: Oh yea that. Well it’s a secret however you can rest assured there is one stairwell here that is in charge of the food. They supply the food directly to your blood stream while you are in the radius of 100 miles of this place. To be honest no one uses up those miles. Even the main mine I am making right now is only 10 miles deep and 8 meters wide. It’s actually the only mine and it goes directly towards the core of the planet. Every 10 miles I will make a rest area, where one can relax. So hurry up with this training so you can help me. I have even finished the first rest area.

Zen: Yes master. Are you currently digging?

Darv: No that will be your job for now. I am making things so that once you hit the lava we can deal with it.

Zen: When will we hit lava?

Darv: Hard to say but the next 10 miles are lava free.

Zen: What do you do with the dirt and other minerals?

Darv: I will show you everything once you can walk in that room without passing out. Well then I have to get going. Keep the good work.

Zen: Yes master.

I then waited a little for the blessing to reach 24 hours so that I may use it once again. 30 minutes later I used the spirit blessing again and walked back in. I did not pass out immediately. Although I still could see nothing. Everything in front of me seemed to be blazing so hot that it seemed like I was in a furnace. So I stepped to the right and crouched down waiting so that I may pass out.

I passed out after waiting for 2 hours. Again, that same old, same old Void.

???????: Your back quite quickly. I have never seen someone so eager to come back to this place.

Zen: Oh last time I though I was going crazy hearing a voice. Seems I was wrong. I was not going crazy.

???????: Are you sure you didn’t create me within your mind?

Zen: I know my mind and in my mind such voice as your self does not exist. Thus I know.

???????: Are you sure?

Zen: Yea. I am.

???????: How are you so relaxed if this is not your own mind then? What if I am a scary being?

Zen: If you were then the first time I came you would of done something.

???????: Ha ha ha ha ha. So Zen. Why are you hear again?

Zen: Seems like you know my name but I don’t know yours.

???????: Hmmm. Ok call me, right Void. It fits me right?

Zen: Ha ha h. Ok sure I can call you Void.

Void: So why are you hear again?

Zen: I was training my fire affinity. Due to the extreme heat I assume that I will be here from time to time.

Void: Oh you have a fire?

Zen: Yea a priest blessed me with it.

Void: Did he also give you a light affinity?

Zen: No just the basic 4.

Void: I see.

Zen: Where you scared to get hurt?

Void: Oh no. You can’t do anything to me here, no matter what affinity you have.

Zen: Is that so?

Void: Yes. That is so. So training ay? Do you want Void affinity?

Zen: If I get Light affinity will that have a negative effect later?

Void: No it just says you will be able to withstand certain spells and things like that.

Zen: Ha ha ha ha. What if this is a trap of sort? Hmm?

Void: Well you visited me twice in a row. At least it will help you not pass out at critical moments with higher Void affinity. Because you visit me so often already I will just give you the affinity even if you don’t want it.

Zen: Oh so you can force an affinity upon a person?

Void: Consider this my dark side of personality.

Zen: Ha ha ha. Void with humor, I bet I can make this in to a joke in the real world.

Void: Well whatever. Now, that you have this affinity that was solely given by me. I will tell you a secret. You can customize this space with whatever attribute you have. Since you have fire attribute you can create a fire with your mind in this place and it will illuminate the Void.

I then focused my mind on flame feeling and a simple flame appeared before me. It illuminated my body and now I can see that I was floating in this Void.

Zen: Very nice. So how do I enter this place whenever I want?

Void: Oh you can always say “Enter Void.” Though your body will become limp in the real world and you’ll lose consciousness so be mindful were you using this. Especially since you can be killed and then forced out of here. It won’t show up in the skills menu by the way.

Zen: Then I thank you for this gift. Can I see my stats and other things in here?

Void: No. It’s like a separate different place from where you were just before coming here. Oh and one last thing or never mind its to early for you to know this. My tip for you however is all of the affinities you can and then enter here to build your own world. Well good luck now off you go.

I never saw the being that talked to me but when he said off you go. I started to gain my consciousness in the game world. It was not as blurry as before and I was still in the crouched position near the door.

I stood up and started to walk around to get my blood flow going. I could make out objects in the room. Before that though I opened the affinity window, to see my progress.

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Affinity Window

Water:  0

Earth:   0

Wind:   0

>>>>>Fire:      59

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Seems like I was also almost out for 15 hours again. The time flew by faster or that void thing got tired of talking to me so sped up the time. This is quite interesting that void never showed it self.

Now walking around this place whit blazing heat. I could not tell how big this place was. Since my vision was blurred by the constant sweeting. I didn’t understand why it was so hot. From what I knew master hasn’t even reached the magma level. So why was it so hot?

I then found another spot and sat down because I was afraid of touching something too hot and didn’t want to experience excessive heat burn. I checked my health status which till now was at 1 hp. However now it was recovering slowly and currently at 25 hp. So I assumed that I would no longer die and entered the void. “Enter Void.”

I was back to the place I left earlier my fire that I created was still there. The biggest difference was that in my upper vision I saw a timer. It said “Time Limit: 10 hours.”

Zen: Hey Void. What’s with this time limit?

Void: It tells you how much time you can be in here by using Enter Void within 1 week. With further affinity in this you will be able to stay longer.

Zen: Why was there no time limit last time?

Void: You did not voluntarily come here but rather were forced to come here. Another tip, you don’t want people to know about this place. So don’t force them in to unconscious state for to long. Or else they will figure this place out like you did. With my help although.

Zen: I see. Thanks for the tip. Now let’s see how big of a fire I can make.

I then continued to summon small amounts of fire. Seems like my affinity with fire can only summon so much fire. However adding small flames to bigger ones I was able to make a fire the size of a bon fire. I still continued to pour small flames in to the bigger one and it only grew in size nothing else happened. When I tried to touch the flame it actually burned me. So I guess my affinity can summon it but it can still harm me. Perhaps I can double train like this. Hence I made 4 huge bon fires around me while sitting in the center. I could feel this body also start to sweat and even slightly burn.

Void: I am impressed that you have thought of this to make your affinity go up faster. Since you don’t have a way to confirm it yet. I can tell you it will work doing this. One more thing you will come to realize but ill leave it at that for you to realize.

Zen: Really? Can I die in here too?

Void: Yes and if you do no matter the protection on the physical body you will still end up dead. So I will tell you this don’t purposely burn yourself since healing will take some time.

Hearing the void say that I immediately pushed the bon fires that surrounded me further away from me so that I was no longer burning my skin. In fact I surrounded my self with more flames so that I was in the center. The flames were far enough for me to feel the heat but not burn. The closed room of flames temperature continued to rise until it reached a certain degree.

Zen: Why doesn’t it show up as an affinity in the other world?

Void: I did say this place is separate. Thus knowledge is power my young friend.

After all that I had only a few minutes left and thus I left. “Exit Void”

I felt being warped back and now I could clearly see everything around me. So I decide to check my Affinity. “Affinity Window”

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Affinity Window

Water:  0

Earth:   0

Wind:   0

>>>>>Fire:      100

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Now that I could clearly seen in this place. This is what was in front of me.

Since I stood next to the exit. I could clearly see around 250 meters to the left of me was completely empty. To the right of me I saw 8-meter tall tubes with a length of 50-meters minimum; they were stacked up all the way to the celling. They did not roll off or anything like that. The length of the room seemed to span 500-meters. So I assumed this place was a square shape of 500 meters. The height was a whooping 100 meters.

I then saw that master was working on the other end and hence I made my way to him. Getting closer and closer to him. I did not even hear any noise coming from his hammering. He was hammering one of those tubes. The tube was laid on the ground and it was only 49 long currently. To the left of him was a magic circle with a white flame in the center. Left of the fire magic circle was another magic circle that had different ores and even dirt, which compressed everything to a fist, sized raw ore that floated to the magic fire magic circle and was made in to molten liquid. This liquid floated towards master who was hitting the red rim of the tube. With more and more molten ore he advance quite rapidly in making this tube. The tube was spinning slowly as master was hitting it.

Wait a second I thought to my self and looked back to the compression magic circle. Where was the ore coming from? I noticed it was pouring from a whole in the ceiling. There was a trap door there as well. So I assume that’s how they got the ore there. As I was looking at that the door suddenly shut and the ore stopped pouring in. The last of the compressed material was hammered in and then the master stopped hammering.

Darv: Ha ha ha. I am lucky indeed to have a student who in only 2 days reaches this level of affinity to be able to walk around carefree.

Zen: Ha ha ha. I am nowhere near as strong although I do have a question. Why do you need the blue lava when you have this magic formation?

Darv: Magic is not free. Even blue lava is not free. To procure the lava all of these tubes are necessary. This flame is good but not as good as the flame I can make using a furnace and blue lava. I have to let you know these magic circles have duration. They will expire within a year and I either hit a good lava vein, which has blue lava, or continue to buy these magic circles, which are too expensive.

Zen: Why are the magic circles not free? Didn’t you create them?

Darv: Actually no I didn’t create them. What expensive is not the magic it self but the Mana supplied to these circles. The heat in there is actually hotter then blue lava. But as you can see we are not dead so there are not only protection symbols within that circle but other ones such as gravity and movement symbols that suck the manna as if it was eating a 10-meter wide waterfall.

Zen: So where does the Mana come from?

Darv: Even though I know its hard to explain. Our Enchantress worked with the Wizard and Priest to create these magic circles. They said something about buying the Mana needed for this from the spirit world. However the price, even I do not know the price. Only the Elder knows the Price. I don’t really care since I get to create my dream workshop.

I wonder would I get this back at the mountains?

Zen: Master tell me where does the ore come from to fill the compression circle?

Darv: Oh that. You see the wall behind the magic circles?

Zen: Yes.

Darv: Well if you take those stairs in that corner of the room. You will have to climb 200 meters up and then walk 200 meters to a door. Once you open it you’ll see there will be a storage room. It has a certain machine that I once acquired from the dwarves which separates valuable ore from riff raff. The heavier the ore the more precious, however there are exceptions to that too. Well it’s a complicated machine so don’t worry about it for now. There is railways set up to bring the ore and dump ore in to the machine. If you look next to that pile of tubes near the entrance, you probably didn’t notice but that’s were the railroad comes to. It then goes in a slight incline until it reaches the appropriate height and dumps it in to the machine. The machine manages 4 different storage bins, which have a size of 100x100x150 meters. So it’s like a rectangular bin. Even though the machine it self is not that big only the size of a carts load. I made the storage bins bigger so I don’t have to worry about space.

Zen: Wow Master Can I go see really quickly?

Darv: Ha ha. Sure. Ill just finishes this tube up and then come find me. Ill formally introduces the process of digging.

Zen: Yes master.

I quickly ran to the stairs and up in to the room. Everything was illuminated by that rock. I could see how vast this place was. It must be 400 meters in length. I came in right above the machine and the railroad tracks cam out of the wall not far from me on the left. I then made my way to the place where cart dropped ore. Placed the storage marker on it so that we can save time on the hassle of transporting the dirt I excavate. I had a feeling the track system was good but later on it would be slower then my excavating/ mining speed.

Next to the dispenser on the track stood what I assumed was the transport used to transport the ore to this place. It was a cylinder of around 4 meters in diameter, however it was nearly 45 meters long. It seemed like this cylinder can bend like a rubber hose, although that was another mystery.

After placing the storage mark I proceeded back down. Entering the forge. I saw master next to finished tube. I quickly ran to him to see what was waiting for me. To say the least I was very eager.

Darv: So how did you like that contraption?

Zen: It wasn’t bad but what’s up with that long transport tube?

Darv: Guess it’s about time I told you how the excavation works. So listen carefully.

This is what I gathered from what he explained it to me. Any sort of underground facility would require some sort of air support. Cleansing the air and supplying the air in to the mine and everywhere around this place was done the magic division. They placed special rocks all over this place to circulate air and cleanse it. This was done so that magic was not used and only natural resources. Although when in the mines that has not been established yet. One must wear a special helmet, which will supply him with the needed air. As for food and water being supplied directly in to a body was, because the Master of Nature utilized spirit gnomes to transport the food he cultivated to the bodies of the villagers directly. Those gnomes could not be seen even if you are able to see spirits because they are very shy and hide incredibly well.

Those spirit gnomes however came with a small price as well. Each one of them would get 1/10 of the food they transported. Since the food provided by Master of Nature is not only good for the body of regular person they are very beneficial to the spirits since it allows the spirit to rise in personal power rather faster. As for the kind of food and why it was special Master Darv did not know.

Now then the actual excavating was don’t like so. These tubes would be lowered with the person excavating. All of these tubes had special latches to connect them together making a one piece in the end with no holes left or right. Ok so they are lowered in to the hole and then the person mining would mine everything underneath him as well as everything underneath the tubes. With gravity they slide down because the weight of the rings is really heavy. As for when it hits lava, the rings will fall till they reach a hard surface. Then one would have to scoop the lava out till they hit the hard surface as well. If there is no hard surface and the length out of the tunnel reaches they would place the next tube over it and continue to drop tubes either when they reach blue lava or until they hit another hard surface to continue excavating.

I got to look inside a tube and it was not hollow all the way through. It had hatch at the top end of the tube or at least what was to be the top end of the tube. So to describe the tube it was 8 meters wide. It had a 1-meter thick wall of that compressed ore. Both sides were very smooth as to cause less friction. The hatch at the top end of the tube was 5 meters in diameter, the hatch was made from 4 pie shaped pieces. When they came together they made a perfect cover, which then had special latches to give it a good seal. Around the hatch were countless magic circles drawn. What Darv said about those magic circles was that they were going to pull up the blue lava ones we reached it. The also work as emergency shield and restrict the flow of lava upwards so that it wont explode from pressure like a volcano. The hatches are closed either manually or with that same magic circle. They can also be opened via magic or manually. Ones you enter the lowest tube you have to close the closest hatch so that the lava doesn’t decide to enter the tube because of the low pressure and low resistance once you get closer to the center of the planet.

It seems that these tubes can withstand even white lava but to get to white lava it would be to far down and probably no being could survive that heat. Not only the heat but the gravity it self seems to be get stronger. Plus the unknown variables since this type of endeavor might have never been constructed before.

Well my entire job was simple for now. Dig under yourself and under the tubes. The ore was going to transport via that special container that I saw earlier on the rail tracks. That is why it was 4 meters wide, so that it could fit in to the tube and be sealed behind it. That container had a special magic that attracted loose ore and would even swallow lava. Anything besides ore, dirt or lava it would not suction it in. Once it was full it would be pulled up via magic to the surface.

I have to say even if I forgot to say about an aspect everything was thought out to the last detail and the architect of this was not my master either. Well he was happy if he reached his end result.

Right now I am floating downwards with my master within the tube. It’s been two hours since we floated downwards at an incredible speed. The latches opened and closed automatically without us having to stop and wait for them. We have finally landed.

Darv: Here we are. So how do you like the look of this rest stop?

What I saw before me was a space of 100 meters in diameter. It was a circular shape. It had a pond that was about 20 meters in diameter and two trees next to it, with a hammock connecting the two trees. The walls were filled with those stones that regulate the climate. There was a particularly interesting obelisk closest to the tube.

Zen: Its looks very peaceful as if a paradise in middle of endless tubes. But how am I supposed to access it once the tubes go past this point?

Darv: I knew you would of asked this question. There take this stone and place it somewhere safe. If you loose it I have a few more so it’s fine if a couple get destroyed. They’re pretty common but what you will need to do is follow the stone and when it is shining brightly it will signify you are on the same level as one of the obelisks. Then make sure the latches above your position is locked and then come back to the place where the stone was shining it will make the wall transparent and you’ll be able to walk through. This particular stone is attuned with special magic to recognize the obelisk, so a stone of the same type without the special magic imprint cant open this. Well enough of that.

Zen: So many magical items this is crazy.

Darv: ha ha ha. They are not cheap I tell you. But with my blacksmithing skill I buy what’s important. I have done this for far longer then you can imagine. Now let me give you a demonstration.

We stepped upped in the middle of the tube. He then told me to use the command “Up Up” an I floated up and then used another command “Stop Stop” to stop while floating nearly 10 meters away from master. He took out a pick and started to do that omega-mining symbol completely around him hitting the walls and rocks beneath him. All of a sudden the tube began to sink the latch above me opened and I stepped to the side the tube began to suck the dirt/rocks/ore in to the storage container. Within minutes the tube sank about 10 meters as if it was going thorough soft butter. The entrance was now completely closed to rest stop and then master stopped digging.

Darv: Ok come down and let me show you.

I did how he told me and floated down with appropriate command “Down Down.” You can go faster or slower using these commands depending on how of many time you say down or up, although the limit was X10.

He looked up to see if the hatch was locked which it was and then took out the rock and indeed it was shining brightly. Then a light appeared on the other side of the 1-meter thick tube and the obelisk became visible. Soon the wall disappeared and we could enter very simply. We then walked out and he handed the crystal to me and as soon as I put it away the light dimmed and the gap closed. He told me not to worry one will not be cut in half if hides the rock while in the position of the wall. Since the person would be forcibly pushed out of the way.

Darv: Well young lad. I will go continue making those tubes. You know what your job is and I can reconfirm that the next 10 miles there are no veins of any kind, water, oil or even gas veins including. All there is, is rock, dirt many ores, but nothing as hard as platinum. Currently there is enough tubing to go 20 more miles deep. So go at your full speed. I doubt you’ll beat me at the rate I’m making the tubes. But if you happen to beat me, I will come up with an extremely good reward for the effort.

Zen: Master Darv, other then mining what benefit will this task bring me in the future? I just want to clarify.

Darv: Hmm. How about I will tell you how to make Katonium?

Zen: I already know the composition and how to make Katonium.

I said it out loud to him the recipe and his jaw dropped.

Darv: How do you know this?

Zen: It was left on this pickax, which I also inherited.

I took out the pickax from the storage and it seemed to appear right in front of him. His jaw by this time closed and didn’t drop again.

Darv: Ha ha ha ha ha ha. You are indeed special. To be able to show me a Katonium pickax and even take it out of thin air. This must mean you have some sort of storage device. Even if it’s a simple grade storage device they are extremely rare. However even I have a simple storage device. It is not as rare as this Katonium pickax. So an inheritance items I see. Well then ill-use my trump card now. If you help me reach the blue lava I will award you with a chance to acquire the most unique skill I believe exits in this world. To be precise it’s a treasure passed down from father to son and now I happen to have it. Ones you read the content you will get a very unique skill and 1000 bonus stat points or I can tell you how to pass any level barrier up to the level of 600. I my self have not reached that level but my father passed his wisdom to me before he died for each of the level barriers up to level 600 so that means I do not know how to pass the level barrier of level 699. So what say you?

Zen: I can’t be to greedy I accept. I will decide later with what I want to go with if its ok with you.

Darv: Great. Now I get the feeling like this it’s going to go faster then I expect.

Zen: One thing is for sure. I don’t really know if your storage transport thing will be able to keep up with me in a few months.

Darv: Ha ha ha ha. I like your enthusiasm. Just don’t let the storages size full you. Its bigger on the inside. Ha ha ha ha.

Zen: Well then we will see.

Darv: I will take my leave then. Good luck Zen and one last thing. Since you are not a dispensable golem who’s mining. Here take this crystal. It is a one time use teleport crystal so don’t use it unless there is no other way for you to survive or somehow get carried away by the currents of lava later. It will teleport you to the Elder so please don’t use it unless it’s an emergency due to imminent death.  To use it just say or scream emergency teleport, you don’t have to touch it just have it in your storage device and that should also be enough.

Zen: Thank you Master Darv. I say let the race begin.

Darv: Ha ha ha. Don’t go to crazy breaks are allowed you know.

Zen: Yes Master.

Darv: Ok have fun.

So the master left and now I am again by myself. I set the active storage to only take 90% of the loose stuff within my mind and set it to active storage. The other 10% was going to go in to the transport. The reason why I didn’t want 100% of it to go in to the storage transfer skill that I have was because then master would not know how to pace him self. If he saw the transport come and go at intervals, he would know if he should hurry up or slow down. It would also tell him that I’m actually doing work. My goal was to see how fast I could completely fill the storage units that would hold these ores and dirt and stuff. Thus without further ado I began using the same technique he used, however this was the first time I was making an 8 meter wide tunnel. This made me hold the pickax at the furthest part of the handle making it harder to control.

Since my skill in mining in particular underneath me wasn’t great. I was making progress slowly.

It has been 6 months already. All I did was mine and mine and the line with an arrow pointed just beneath me pointed to the center of the planet. I was using that gift that the spirit or was it the dragon king gave me. I am not saying I mined non-stop rather I had a routine, which I set up. Mine for couple days and then get out of the game in to the real world eat clean take care of the garden and so forth. It seems my family and neighbors all had roughly the same routine set up although not exactly at the same time. We still continued to clean the neighborhood and even take care of the plants. After that, I would talk to Amelia via the telephone method since both of us were in different part of this underground expanse. We did realize that both of us might have not completely 100% loved the repetitive work we did for now but what we comforted us was this was all for our goal. In turn we spent several hours talking on the phone and then re-entered the game.

Within the actual game every two months we would drop everything we were doing and meet up in the central place near the fountain. Although we never went back to the surface as it was quite nice here. Amelia’s Dad never seemed to comedown in to this place although he could if he liked too. She even told me that her dad told her that there were nearly 50 griffins searching above ground for the said (Zen) person.

They never bothered him as he would just ignore them and the few times they tried to make him speak he would punch them, which sent them flying more then 300 meters although always barely enough to let them live. Thus they left her father alone assuming he was a strong NPC. Guess there really was no way to distinguish a player or NPC just on appearance. He said that after two months of searching they moved further north thinking there was a town further north that could be the said village were the player they were looking for. They knew for certain that the player only begun playing not long ago so they knew to look for a newb. 

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Status Window

Name:         [Zen Trilen]

Level:           [1*]

Race:           [Human]

Class:           [NA]

Profession:   [NA]

>>>>>Health:         [16250/16250] + [6000FRD]= [22250/22250]

>>>>>Mana:           [3650/3650]

>>>>>Stamina:       [19350/19350] + [3000FRD]= [22350/22350]

>>>>>STR:           [812]

>>>>>AGI:           [610]

>>>>>DEX:           [415]

>>>>>INT:             [205]

>>>>>WIS:           [135]

FRD:          [1500] (Fortitude Special Stat)

DRG:           [45] (Dragon Special Stat)

>>>>>Bonus Stats awaiting allocation: 200

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Affinity Window

Water:  0

>>>>>Earth:   24

Wind:   0

>>>>>Fire:      109

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Skills Window

     Skills Information!!!

Silan Magic: (Inherited skill, is reset to Beginner Lvl.1)

Grizan Blacksmith: (Inherited skill, is reset to Beginner Lvl. 1)

Underwater Breathing: Mastered

>>>>>Night Vision: Mastered

>>>>>Devine Infinity: Advanced Lvl 34. 99%

* Figure 8 Weapon Spin: Mastered

** Horizontal Infinity Spin: Mastered

>>>>>*** Overhead Infinity Spin: Advanced Lvl 89. 55%

>>>>>**** 360-Degree Infinity Spin: Advanced Lvl 76. 43%

>>>>>***** All Dimensional Infinity Spin: Intermediate Lvl 51. 1%

>>>>>****** Impenetrable Defensive Attack: Beginner Lvl 21. 22%

>>>>>******* Infinite Attack Wave: Locked

(Note. Find the secret to unlock the final step in Devine Infinity. Hint:

>>>>>Ancient Digger: Advanced Lvl 15. 23%

* Mole: Mastered

>>>>>** Miner: Mastered

>>>>>*** Enchanted Disintegrator: Advanced Lvl 43. 2%

>>>>>**** Depth Reader: Advanced Lvl 3. 96%

>>>>>***** Driller: Advanced Lvl 14.91%

****** Dual Tool Miner: Beginner Lvl 14. 5%

Elemental Hand Combat: Advanced Lvl 1. 99%

* Slicing Strike: Intermediate Lvl 35. 44%

** Shattering Strike: Intermediate Lvl 76. 55%

*** Earth Shaker: Intermediate Lvl 89. 22%

**** Shattering Waves: Intermediate Lvl 50. 34%

Arial Regeneration: Beginner Lvl 1. 0%

*(Nothing is known in regard to this skill. You must figure out what exactly it does and doesn’t)

Yell: Beginner Lvl 1. 5%

Innovation: Beginner Lvl 9. 99%

Old School Carving: Beginner Lvl 78. 65%

Tracking: Beginner Lvl 54. 45%

Observe: Beginner Lvl 34. 12%

>>>>>Perception: Advanced Lvl 8. 13%

Threat Aura: Beginner Lvl 26. 33%

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As you can see what my stats looks like right now. Just why did my wisdom and intellect rise? Weird. It may be because I focus on two things, such as day dreaming and working or is it because I enter a sort of trance when mining. Hmmm

I am currently 20 miles deep from the forging room above. While mining all this time, my perception reached new heights since I would train it by trying to sense everything around me. I can currently sense up to 1 mile around me. However I can sense 5 miles in to the earth around me because of the additional skill Depth Reader. Master said that max is 10 miles although you can get additional skills to help with that. Well either way the rocks here are really dense and it has become harder to advance. Even though they are not as hard as titanium the pressure of the surrounding earth causes it to be harder to mine. Although we wanted to make a new rest area, master decided to make a new location where we can insert more tubes.

So this 20 mile mark was going to be a way station for further mining operation. Since many good ores were available at this level. He did say there is one other reason although he wasn’t going to tell me yet. Thus I left it alone. I was happy with my stat improvements since this was no joke of a job. The benefit was that I never worried about food the entire time. To mention I never forgot to activate my Spirit Blessing. The thing that was good for a change was the temperature 20 miles away from the furnace was not as hot as it was in the furnace room, but I should not get comfortable because we could hit a vein of lava sooner or later.

In the past 20 miles I came across a tunnel that was 100 meters tall. Master told is about it before I hit it and he reassured me that even if there were a monster there they would not attack the tube or me. I was surprised that he said so. He just said that someone gave them permission to dig this tunnel and no monster was going to be in our way or destroy our work. No wonder no digging worm attacked me even though I could sense it from time to time. I have to say there were miles and miles long and 100 meters tall. What surprised me even further was that at the point were I was drilling I never encountered an underwater spring or a gas reservoir, even an oil reservoir was never in my way.

Thus when thinking the person that gave them this property right. Actually pin pointed were they were able to drill. So I assumed they would not allow one to get access to the resources that were not purchased from who knows the being in charge of this. Well it was a game so I thought anything is possible within a game thus I left the though alone.

When the tubes behind me no longer followed me I assumed I have reached 20 miles since Master said that he will not make more tubes up there. So he was going to move everything down to this spot once we make a room 100x100x100 meters.

Darv: I am astonished boy.

Zen: What’s up Old Man.

Darv: O told you don’t call me that. Call me master. Got it?

Zen: Eh? Again with that, I thought we agreed 3 months ago that if my mining speed surpassed your blacksmithing speed I would be able to drop the honorifics stuff.

Darv: Did we have a talk like that? Hmm.. I don’t remember. If we did then don’t call me old Man, just Darv is fine then.

Zen: Deal.

Darv: Wait what? Did you just trick me?

Zen: Na we did make that deal.

Darv: I feel cheated somehow.

Zen: It’s I who is cheated. I know nothing and yet I do this for practically free.

Darv: I am amazed you stuck with us thus far. Well I guess you pass the final test.

Zen: TEST!!!! REALLY???? TEST????? WHAT IS WRONG WITH ALL THIS????

Darv: Here take this.

He handed me a simple card.

Darv: Break the card.

I did just as he said. Then suddenly a window appeared in front of me. I could see a holographic image of our entire mine. There were even a few hidden rooms back in the Forge. They were also displayed with instructions on how to enter.

Darv: Well you have done so much work that I decide to make you the senior manager of this place. You deserve this much at least. I am still the boss of the stairwell but now you my second in command in here. As such I will give you 95% of the rights for this stair well. The other 5% can only be obtained form the Elder.

Zen: What do I get with the last 5%?

Darv: You can enter the house near the fountain. I sill tell you this. It’s a dimensional door to another world.

Zen: REALLY? I assume there is a catch in getting the last 5% right?

Darv: Indeed. You need to be able to get 95% full access in all of the stairwells. Once you have that he will give you another card with 100% access to this dungeon.

Zen: Wait wait wait. You just said dungeon.

Darv: Indeed I did.

Zen: Any more information on that?

Darv: Hmmm. Ok. So you know how when you beat the final boss in a dungeon or I should say in a particular dungeon. The reward is you get teleported to the fountain in the main hall. Once the adventures get there they can only choose one stairwell to go in to. They however cannot see the names of the stairwell as you can see them. So once they enter that stairwell they have few choices. Buy a certain item that belongs to that stairwell or learn a secret skill that also belongs to that stairwell or finally utilize the facilities available to that stairwell. However, per say the activity they do like mining and stumble upon an earth being in these depths if they are not careful they will get killed. Since they are not protected under our villages contract. Or per say there is a cave-in and they dying from it. Well the penalty included is 30% of their level and all of their items and coins. So they can use the facilities but if they don’t know what they are doing then they are doomed with a severe penalty. If some survive they can teleport out by going to see the golem at the counter.

Zen: That is severe. So why don’t people just join your village then?

Darv: Sadly for over a few years now, the people that came to the village where high level players although they never even once wanted to restart just to join a small town with nothing in it. Thus they would leave. Then they would not know the secrets I am telling you now because the commitment required to be put in to this, is so high and only when the Elder deemed one worthy can the masters of the stairwells bestow such knowledge upon their apprentices.

Zen: So does that mean the master told you I could become more then just a mere apprentice now?

Darv: I wanted to tell you sooner but Elder Forbade. I even tried persuading him seeing how hard you worked without even a hint of complaining or seeking reward. Thus Elder finally Judged that you and Amelia were worthy enough to know a part of the secret. As to the dungeon name it self, only Elder knows what dungeons final boss would reward you with being teleported here.

Zen: I see. Now what?

Darv: Oh right. You can access these schematics by saying “Stairwell 10 Schematics.”

Zen: I assume these 3 flashing blue dots on the schematics are the locations of people/ beings in this stairwell?

Darv: Indeed, that golem, you and me.

Zen: Then what is this flashing yellow dot all the way in this unknown place?

Darv: Oh right. That is Amelia. She is in the other stairwell after all. You can only see her since she is still in your party. For the people on your friends list you will see them in the color white.

Zen: Why does it look like the distance is more then 100 km?

Darv: You can ask her. Just do remember that all this is a secret. I also have to tell you one last thing the Elder said.

Zen: What is it?

Darv: This information is so sacred that he monitors the all of the information sources of its leakage and will rain down revenge upon anyone who betrays him. He also said he can monitor even the world you are from in regard to this information. There is always a contingency plan and relocating everything if something does leak out but he doesn’t want people to know that there is another way to enter this place other then the dungeon reward method.

Zen: My lips are sealed but I can still talk about it with Amelia or Tanis right?

Darv: Yes however, Tanis has not proved himself to the master yet so you cannot tell him what I have told you today. Yes he knows the basics about this place since he learned it from the caretaker but the information is limited for him. Once he proves himself then you will be able to talk to him about all this.

Zen: I understand. So now what?

Darv: We make this Area 100x100x100 meters so that we may continue to drill down to the blue lava. I will set up the furnace here and continue from here onwards.

Then there was a minute of quite time as if pondering on something. I examined the hologram projection. It was quite handy. I zoomed in where I set my storage location and there I saw a small sign. So I further zoomed in and saw that the storage symbol had a certain mark on that. Darv looked at me looking at it.

Darv: Did you think I didn’t know? As soon as you placed it there I wanted to see what was that mark. Later I notice it was a sort of storage transfer symbols a type of spirit magic I have not seen anyone use aside from the Elder. Thus I wanted to see what it was going to do. Steal the transported material or transport material there instead. I kept quite and even though I could of taken it off. I saw how useful it was that’s why I did not erase it.

Zen: I didn’t know you could see it much less erase it.

Darv: This dungeon is no ordinary. It is backed by all of the hidden rulers of this plane. You perhaps even met the Spirit King or some sort of older ruler who bestowed that transfer spirit magic to you. It doesn’t show up on any skill do to its secrecy. However if you miss use it I don’t think you will be able to escape unscathed and without further penalty.

Zen: Yea, yea. That person told me to be wise in the ways I use it.

Darv: Be glad you have it. Since even I don’t. Nonetheless I can erase it. Even you can erase it now. If future adventure that make it here place something like that. A notification will appear telling you about it. You need to examine the notification window and if they used a spell to steal or attack something within the stairwell besides the enemy monsters that don’t belong strictly to the stairwell. You need to kill them.

Zen: What if the player is stronger then me?

Darv: Oh right. On the notification screen it will say: Accidental, Pardon, Kill, Notify Stairwell Master, or Notify Elder. If you kill them they will incur the penalty I mentioned earlier.

Zen: How would they know all these rules?

Darv: When they teleport in. They will all be given a small pamphlet with rules and their options to read. They will be silenced using magic until they enter a stairwell. Anyway, we should begin. Clearing this area. By the way used that transfer magic 100% and ill use the tube storage for faster results.

Zen: Get ready! Set! Go.

Darv: Wow still eager huh!

Zen: Darv. Lets not make it a square block. Rather lets make it oval and perhaps even put a building with a lake here. It is after all also a rest stop.

Darv: No matter the size it just has to be able to take those tubes with at least 50 meters high.

Thus we began savagely digging in this area. It took us 30 hours to dig it out. I told Darv I was going to do the ceiling and he did the floor. Thus the celling now looked as if it had stony icicles hanging down with sharp edges.

Darv: That ceiling looks really dangerous are you sure about this?

Zen: Come on. Where is the fun if you excavate an underground cavern without icicles?

Darv: Guess your right.

As we were talking the Elder appeared in the cavern we just built.

Elder Avintus: Oh my. This place, I like the design a bit better then the central chamber. No offence Darv, but the kid has slightly better imagination then you.

Darv: Non taken. I would be surprised if my imagination surpassed a kid. Ha ha ha ha. You know what they say. As you get older so does your imagination.

Elder stretched his hands out. “ You two get in to the tunnel above.” Thus we did as instructed and then I looked back and a huge wave that melted the ground and made it look like the granite floor in the central chamber. There even appeared the lake I wanted and a nicely designs small house with several trees around this tiny lake/ pond.

Elder Avintus: You can come down now.

I entered and looked at the ceiling and saw the icicles turned transparent and even shined like lanterns. It was amazing.

Darv: That will never get old seeing it over and over.

Zen: Just what in the world happened?

Darv: Didn’t I tell you that our Elder far surpasses in skills the all the masters combined?

Zen: Ah no you didn’t

Darv: Well you can see why. It only took him a second not only to melt things and make them look like granite but also build and construct in just a second. There is no way I can describe something like this in a mere simple discussion. You have to see it to believe it anyway.

Zen: I don’t think seeing and believing will yield fruitful all across the board.

Elder Avintus: You should listen to the boy Darv. He says a true thing indeed. I think ill spend some time in this cavern since the scenery is different and I also transferred your Magical Furnace to that corner over there.

Darv: Thank You Elder.