I approached the Aerlyntium, my hand hovering over it. Doubts gnawed at me. Did I even have time for this? My team—did I deserve to call them that?—was waiting on me, and organic matter was scarce. Batteries had downsides, but mana was essential, reminding me that I was running low.

“Elizabeth, how do I gain mana from my batteries?” I asked, my voice barely steady.

[Oh, that's easy. You kill them,] She replied, her tone deceptively casual.

“What?” I froze, my heart skipping a beat, and a chill running down my spine.

[I kid, I kid,] she added with her trademark chuckle. [Just place your hand on it and say, 'Mana drain.']

I exhaled in relief, the tension easing from my shoulders. "So, I won't harm them?"

[You will drain out however much mana you need,] Elizabeth explained. [These fellows should be fine, but if you ever get the Mana battery spell back, be careful not to drain them to 0 health]

I nodded, confident I wouldn’t forget. “Got it.”

With a deep breath, I approached GluttyKnee and commanded, "Mana drain!"

My fingers tingled as mana flowed through my pet and into my hands. The sensation was almost electric, sending chills creeping up my arm and spreading through my body. I shivered as the cool mana surged into my veins, flowing towards my heart.

[Mana recovered to full,] Elizabeth announced, her voice too loud in my mind.

With my mana replenished, I turned towards the door, racing about what lay ahead. Thoroughly planning on running through to whatever gauntlet was next, I hesitated as Elizabeth interrupted my thoughts.

[Aren’t you forgetting something?] she inquired, a hint of amusement in her tone.

"Oh, right," I muttered, glancing back at the orb. "It's best to leave the orb, although I should gather the corpses. Who knows how much material I’ll need to bring Thomas and Klericho back.”

I sighed, the weight of responsibility heavy on my shoulders. I moved to the fallen bodies, my steps clicking loudly in the silence. With a reluctant kick, I sent the five remaining corpses to Elizabeth for storage. They vanished, one by one, leaving a stark emptiness in their place.

As I left the room, I looked at the Aerlyntium, its faint glow casting eerie shadows. I just hoped neglecting them wouldn't come back to haunt me.

~Run 7, The Silver Mirage, Floor 2, The Fallen Merchant City of Aerlyn~

The door creaked open, revealing the dimly lit maze beyond. I steeled myself, ready to face whatever lay ahead. I stepped into the room and bit back an exclamation of anger. Feeding my struggles with wrath wouldn't be wise, nor did I want to alert the assassin to my presence. Despite the shield of turn-based combat, I couldn’t risk the monster getting the drop on me and one-shotting me.

Instead, I stepped aside and ordered, "GluttyKnee, roll forward and take the lead."

With him at the front, I felt a semblance of security against ambush. No monster, however smart, could resist such an easy target. My hunch was confirmed moments later when the assassin froze and lunged to backstab the giant blob. Its dagger sank deep into GluttyKnee's flesh, eliciting a roar of pain.

Then, GluttyKnee died.

I stared, dumbfounded, realizing my horrible mistake. I had drained GluttyKnee, leaving him without a chance to recover any health. I resisted the urge to facepalm or scream in frustration. My jaw clenched as the weight of my error sank in. Time froze for the assassin, and I decided it was time for payback.

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Despite my low health, I knew some point-blank fireballs to the head and hands would end anyone. I approached, glaring at the mob that had ended such a powerful ally. Its gross face, covered in snot and pus, had a recessed mound of acne slowly oozing yellow liquid.

Determined, I muttered, "You’re going to regret that."

My left hand reared up a second later, and I launched the Fireball point-blank. The spell’s energy was too much; my fingers cracked and crumbled to ash as the blast exited. I screamed in agony, clutching the stump of my hand.

I yelled, my voice echoing off the dungeon walls.

I stared at the clump in my hand as the pain faded from my mind. No matter how many times it happened, I would never get used to the dungeon turning off my pain receptors. My breaths came in ragged gasps, and I kept staring at the useless hunk in my hand that didn’t return.

"No matter how powerful Malikap made me, it wasn’t worth this cost," I whispered. "I’m done casting Fireball, that’s for certain."

I wandered around the maze, the adrenaline slowly ebbing away. My heart jumped when I almost scared myself silly, thinking Grendelkin was another mob.

Thankfully, he screamed, "HUNGRY."

Given my lack of a hand, I laughed a shaky sound that seemed out of place.

"Glad it's just you, Grendelkin," I said, patting his head.

Somehow, I’m taking this surprisingly well. I’d better get this back on my next run, or there will only be two gods running around.

I continued my search, my eyes scanning every corner. Finally, I found it hidden in an alcove behind a two-way mirror that reflected wrong angles. The chest wasn’t locked and was somehow rare.

"Thank the gods," I muttered, kneeling to open it.

The room’s oppressive silence seemed to lift slightly as I opened the chest, its hinges creaking. The die rolled across the dusty floor, and I held my breath, hoping for a potion. My luck had been amazing, but I needed a potion—the market! How could I be so stupid? I had nearly 2500 gold, probably more since I stopped counting. I could just go back to the market and buy potions. I still couldn't cast the fireball spell, but at least I wouldn’t have to worry about dying in a single hit from whatever absurdity tried to stop me next.

No dice on the potion, but the Scroll of Mana Regen I received was an excellent find. It would likely help once I inevitably lost my Grendelkin.

I looked at Grendelkin, who eyed me expectantly. I pulled a goblin corpse out of my inventory with a small sigh. "Eat. Stay," I instructed, hoping the simple-minded mana battery could follow such basic instructions. I watched as he tore into the corpse, then booked it back through the rooms to the entrance.

"Hello, fine merchant," I greeted awkwardly, feeling out of place.

The merchant, a wizened old man, looked up from his wares. "What do you want?" he croaked, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

“Do you have any health potions?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

He grunted, scratching his chin. "Can’t regrow hands, nothing that powerful. But I have health potions. Got the Aurums?"

"How much do they cost?" I asked, my stomach tightening in anticipation.

"100 Aurums each, 450 for five," he replied, his grin showing a row of crooked teeth.

I swallowed hard. It was a lot of money, and I felt he was ripping me off. But being able to heal fully was a godsend and something I needed without access to Klericho’s spells. I weighed my options, and the metaphorical sack of gold at my side suddenly felt lighter.

"Alright, I'll take it," I said firmly. But I'm sampling the merchandise after I pay for the first one. If it doesn't work as you claim, I'm taking my business elsewhere."

The merchant chuckled, a raspy sound that grated on my nerves. "Alright, alright. It works, it works," he assured me, holding up his hands in mock surrender.

I handed over the gold, my heart pounding as he passed me the first potion. I uncorked it, the smell of herbs and something faintly metallic hitting my nostrils. Taking a deep breath, I drank the potion, feeling its warmth spread through my body. I looked up at the merchant, who was watching me closely.

"Seems to work," I admitted, my tension easing. "I'll take the rest."

He nodded, his eyes glinting with satisfaction as he handed over the remaining potions. I secured them in my pack, feeling a sense of relief. This would give me a fighting chance.

As I turned to leave, I caught the merchant's eye.

"Thanks," I said, surprising myself with my sincerity.

"Good luck out there," he replied, his voice softer than before. "You'll need it."

I nodded, heading back into the maze, feeling more prepared for whatever awaited me next.

I almost swallowed the yellow-orange liquid in a single gulp, but before making that mistake again, I asked Elizabeth, "Can I drink it all in one go, or is it like the regen potion?"

"You can drink it in one gulp," Elizabeth replied slowly, using her talking to children voice. "It will heal you completely whether you drink a sip or all of it. It’s a lovely potion, but you already drank one and don’t need to drink a second. How do you dress yourself in the morning with how often you forget things?