Len and Rick stood on a hillock looking over the region. Len was pretty sure it was where the God Emperor’s palace had been built.

“There?” Len pointed.

Rick studied it for several seconds. “Worth taking a look.”

They moved through the forest, it looked nothing like the city Harmonia that it would become.

An hour went by without any recognizable features.

“Must be further south,” Len said.

“Wait,” Rick cocked his ear, holding up his hand to Len.

He waved his hand for Len to follow.

They moved through the forest to an area that had shown signs of battle. Trees had been clawed at, and the undergrowth crushed. Beasts fighting one another?

Beyond this was an opening to a cave descending into the ground. Rick sank down to one knee, Len stepping up next to him.

"Looks like a mana dungeon instead of a spatial dungeon," Rick said. Len nodded.

Mana dungeons were naturally formed areas where mana gathered in greater density, unlike spatial dungeons, which appeared in places formed of broken storage devices.

This meant that they wouldn't have the loot of a spatial dungeon, though it would naturally create more mana-mutated materials, plants, and creatures.

"Looks like it already has defenders," Len gestured with his sword at the ravaged open space.

"Some of it still looks pretty fresh," Rick said. "Shouldn't be too strong."

Mana dungeons could produce mana fiends, but more likely they attracted mana beasts from the surrounding area that would fight one another to live within the dungeon.

These beasts would be able to absorb the increased mana and consume the plants that may be within.

Unlike the natural world, it was normal for there to be many beasts in a dungeon. They might fight each other as they moved throughout the cave system or flee as a stronger beast moved through their area, creating an unstable ecosystem within the dungeon where only the strongest survived.

They would fight one another and anyone that entered, such as Rick and Len.

"What do you think about trying to smoke them out?" Rick said.

Len glanced around the clearing. There was certainly enough material that they could burn and force into the cave.

"I don't know how deep it is," Len said, using his mana sight to try and peer through the dungeon. “Could only smoke out a part of it.

"All the mana is interfering with my sight too," Rick said.

“Doesn’t look anything like I remember either. I think what happened when Aurora found this dungeon, they built the city upon it and altered it to suit their needs," Len said.

"Which means it's going to be totally different than what we experienced when it was Dennis' vault," Rick surmised.

"Exactly," Len said.

"So, through the front door then?" Rick looked over to Len.

"Seems like the best way to do it," Len grinned.

He was eager to test the strength within his body and use it against something stronger. That was the heady part about cultivating and tempering the body. The stronger you got, the more eager one could become to test out their power.

After all, you've gone through so much work to become stronger, to surpass your limits. Wouldn't it be a waste not to use that strength?

"Drop the packs out here." Len put his sword down, taking off his front pack and then backpack. He checked his pockets for gear, making sure that he had everything he needed. The bow and arrow would probably be useless in an enclosed space. He kept his sword, made sure his dagger was free, and pulled out his canteen, drinking from it.

Len slipped his canteen away and checked the straps on his armor, making sure they were tight before he picked up his sword again.

“I’m good.”

Rick went through the same process, removing his packs, drinking and checking all his gear.

"Good to go," he said, clapping Len on the shoulder.

Len rose from his crouch, moving towards the cave's opening, Rick trailing behind.

Blood had coagulated in the dirt and on the rocks in the area in front of the cave. Furrows had been drawn in the dirt in rough, jerking motions. Len pointed to them with his sword.

"Looks like they were hungry," he muttered, not slowing his pace, his eyes flickering about to watch for movement. "They must have dragged their dead opponents into the cave to eat them."

One of the fastest ways for beasts to increase their overall cultivation and tempering was through fighting and then consuming the bodies of their victims.

Every living thing earned a portion of mana for defeating another living thing that held mana. Though one could also consume cores, mana-mutated plants, and meat which would release mana that could heal their body and the excess mana used to increase their cultivation.

It was why with each fight, beasts and people got stronger.

It was also why so many people dedicated themselves to guilds and roving bands of fighters.

While Len and Rick's cultivation was surging, it was only because of a combination of talents, understanding, and ability, honed over decades, that they were able to do so.

For the regular person, killing a beast, harvesting plants, and eating them was one of the fastest ways to become stronger.

Fighting another human would make that even quicker. And cannibalism was not, unfortunately, too uncommon between people. Some of the sentient races saw it as a right for the killer to consume their opponent, thus gaining their strength.

Len entered the dungeon, feeling the increase of mana density as he did so. He grimaced at the smell coming from the cave.

While the beasts within had their own territories, entering or leaving the cave would always be a fight. So many would sleep and live in the caves as much as possible.

The cave entrance wasn't too big, just a meter taller than Len and descending deeper into ground. Thin veins of mana stone glowed along the walls, barely illuminating the space. It didn't matter much to Len and Rick as they used their sight.

Though the density is really messing up how far I can see.

"No wonder Dennis and his guild wanted this place so badly," Rick pointed out over to a large vein of mana stone. "Tons of mana stone, even at the mouth of the cave. And see that coloration around it?"

Len glanced over. "Mithril?" He asked.

"Damn right, Mithril, right at the entrance to this dungeon," Rick clicked his tongue.

"Lots of holes in the walls," Len said, looking around the cave as they moved lower. The space widened slightly before contracting again.

Going from ten meters wide, opening up to fifteen meters, then coming back in to being almost five. These kinds of open spaces and almost doorways between areas in a dungeon was normal.

It was part of the natural formation the dungeon created, capturing the mana and concentrating it.

Each area or room could be different from one another completely, as elements and the features of the different rooms were exaggerated and empowered with the increased mana.

Len tilted his head, hearing a squeaking noise. "Something in the walls?" He looked around, spotting the holes he'd seen before.

They'd reached about three quarters of the way across the room by now. Something moved in a few of the holes, drawing his attention.

"We're not alone," Len said. The creatures seemed to understand his words. Shrews, as big as a barn cat, rushed out from the holes, several trying to drop from above. There had to be three dozen of them.

Rick turned, putting his back to Len. Len kicked a rock, shattering it and spraying the creatures with the shards, learning from his fight with the birds before.

Len slashed at two shrews jumping for his head. He had to keep the blade tight to himself lest he hit the ceiling. Missing the first, he attempted to dodge the second. There, claws scratching his helmet, pulling it to the side, jerking his neck.

Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!

Len cut out again, bisecting the beast and throwing it away. The others were charging from the floor, just closing in on him.

The shrews, while big, were still at an awkward height, about shin tall, forcing him to bend down to cut them apart.

He kicked up rocks trying to hit the creatures as two jumped on his legs, biting down.

One met the steel of his leg bracer, the other’s teeth digging into his calf.

He slapped one creature away, with the side of his blade and caught another in the swing.

"Will you fuck off?" Rick yelled, cranking his foot back and kicking one of the small shrews.

It detonated upon impact, scattering its remains through three others behind it and splattering the wall beyond.

Len kicked two on his side with a similar effect.

The beasts squealed and squeaked rushing back for the holes.

“No you don’t!” Len and Rick kicked and sliced at everything that came within range till there were no more living beasts in the room.

“Still some in the walls,” Rick said, his head twitching around the room to try and track them.

“Lets get the cores and keep going, hopefully that scared them enough to stay away,” Len said.

“I got you.”

Len quickly pulled out the cores in the shrews, all of them red vapor and the one that big his calf a red liquid.

For some, all that was left was the core.

“We're really gonna need to start gauging how strong we are again," Len said. “When we raised our cultivation before, everything was stronger than us. Now, I think we're stronger than most things. Think of the birds and all the beasts along the way. Most of them have only reached red liquid cores. While we’re four stages ahead of that.”

“Yeah, makes it feel a lot easier. Your legs bleeding.” Rick said.

“One of the shrews got me. Its taking a bit more mana to fix up. Had some kind of poison. Last core.” Len held it up as he stood.

“Nice.”

Len continued moving further in. The shrews still looked out from the holes in the walls but stayed there.

Len stopped as he reached the entrance to the next dungeon room. Rick followed behind.

The room was circular, with an entrance off to the left, disappearing deeper. Len couldn't see what lay beyond.

He took his time studying the room, scanning all of the walls, the roof, and the floor. His eyes were drawn back to the roof. It was shifting.

He raised his sword, pointing to the ceiling. A tongue flickered out from the ceiling, tasting the air. Len made sure not to look at the creature's eyes.

"Basilisk," he said out of the corner of his mouth to Rick. “Young one.”

"Rocky kind as well," Rick said, sheathing his sword and pulling out his hammer. "I got this one."

Len moved to the side, sword at the ready. Rick shifted his feet, placing himself and closed his eyelids. He pushed off the floor, taking one bound, then another.

The head of the basilisk dropped down, its coils still adhered to the ceiling, turning its glare on Rick.

"True sight, bitch." Rick’s hammer connected with the confused basilisk's head, blowing out its internals through its jaw across the ground. The life drained from its eyes as it hung from the ceiling.

"Well, that's room two done," Rick said. Walking to the other side of the room and tugging on the tail of the basilisk.

It dropped to the ground bonelessly.

“You grab the core, I’ll cover the doorways.” Len moved between the coils to reach the opening leading further into the dungeon. He stood away from the room's exit, watching it and the entrance, which led to the shrew's room. "I got you covered."

Rick slipped his hammer into his belt, as he walked over the Basilisk corpse, drawing out his blade.

He cut the serpentine basilisk's scales open, reaching inside. "You know, it feels kind of wasteful leaving all this beast meat and materials behind."

"We'll see about getting it on the way out," Len said.

Rick cleaned the gore from himself, pocketing the core. "I think that's the first orange vapor core we've seen so far," he said, drawing his hammer as he went to meet Len, looking past him to the tunnel beyond.

"I don't see anything," Rick said. "Looks like it curves down and away."

"Nowhere to go but onward," Len said.

"Fair enough." Rick stepped into the tunnel. Len followed behind, casting a glance in the direction of the shrews. They shifted around in their room, looking at the basilisk body.

That should keep them distracted.

He followed Rick.

The cave beyond was rough, less worn with time. As they walked Len picked out familiar features. The cave became narrower before opening back into tunnels.

“Hasn’t been changed around by being a dungeon or Dennis’ fiddling yet,” Len said.

“Mhmm,” Rick said, sinking back into silence as they continued forward.

"This was where the last door was," Len said, passing through. He could picture the door, recessed into the rock.

“Looks like it, obelisk should be right ahead.” Rick moved forward, scanning for any threat.

Len followed him. The tunnel diverted, not going straight as it had.

Maybe its different?

They moved to the left, the tunnel curled around to an opening. Rick stepped forward first, Len was a step behind him.

"Well its real," Rick said.

Len had but caught a glimpse as he turned from the empty side of the cavern to look at the obelisk.

Its runes were dormant, half wrapped in rock.

The ground glowed slightly with the mana veins below.

"They must have excavated it out of the rock, cut through the wall to make that entrance we used," Len said.

"Well, how do we destroy it?" Rick asked as they walked towards it.

"I'll alter some of the runes, break the linkages, then it'll draw up mana from the veins, destroying it." Len reached out to clear some obscuring rock from the obelisk.

Movement shot towards Len. He turned, drawing upon his full strength. His sword cut through the leaping panther's claws before coming back and taking its head from its body. Len pivoted to the side as it tumbled to the floor in four pieces.

"I hate it when they jump out like that," Len said.

"Sorry about that, my dude. He must have been hiding in the shadows," Rick said, moving over to the creature. Its hide shimmered with the floor underneath it. "Some kind of mana mutated adaptive camouflage."

"No worries," Len shook his head. "I was too distracted by the obelisk myself. The mana in here is so high it's obscuring our own sight”

“The sight is incredibly useful. And it's easy to become reliant on it," Rick said.

"Well, let's take a quick look around, make sure there's nothing else here," Len said. They went through the entire chamber, finding where the panther had been sleeping.

"Well, you don't see that every day," Len said, pointing at the plant growing from the wall. Its roots were dug into a mana vein, drawing out the mana to create several fruits that hung from its three drooping limbs. Each flaring with powerful mana running through them. The smell of them was sweet and rich. Len felt his mana regeneration increase just by breathing it in.

"That's some powerful plant there," Rick said.

"It's affecting our mana, so it would probably make a really good mana potion. Maybe even augmentation," Len said.

"It would be a waste to destroy it," Rick said. "And well, looks like it needs mana stone to grow." Rick looked at the roots.

"You think of a way to get it out of there?" Len asked.

"You really are building a farm, aren't you?" Rick said, studying the plant and the wall it was attached to, closely.

Len shrugged. He wasn't sure himself. “Seems like resources are really damn scarce. Which makes sense. Till we had the apocalypse, mana mutated resources and then the realms and tears open up, common and uncommon was about the highest grade of resource you could go. This.” He gestured at the plant. “Its probably just an uncommon.”

Rick grunted and raised his hammer he tapped it against the wall, listened, then shifted and tapped another spot, nodding to himself he hit a bit harder. The rock cracked and Rick moved his hammer down the wall, tapping then striking, another crisp note of broken stone.

He did it two more times, hold out a hand to the wall as the plant and the section of wall it was attached to slid out.

“There we are,” Rick held out the plant to Len.

“Thanks.”

Len studied it, the roots were bundled up in the stone, stuck into the manastone.

“Good vein of mana stone here.” Rick tapped his hammer in the hollow he’d created. “Goes deep and its pretty concentrated. Have to come back and really mine this all out. I wonder what metals are down there.”

“A job for another day, can you hold this actually?” Len held out the rock and plant.

“Sure.” Rick put his hammer away and tucked the plant under his arm.

Len moved back to the obelisk, Rick following him. They came to a stop a few meters away from the obelisk.

"You wonder what will happen if we destroy it?" Len asked.

"Dennis doesn't become the God Emperor."

"The Apocalypse is still going to happen," Len said.

"Future Len and Rick problems," Rick grinned.

Len sighed, but his friend's simplistic answers held weight.

Len patted the book in his breast pocket. Even if he didn't remember then it could help his other version in the future. Dennis' greatest crime wasn't becoming the God Emperor. It was killing all others that could possibly become stronger than him. He'd soft capped humanity.

As the beasts and races had become stronger, he was no longer able to hold dominion over the entire planet, his reach tightening to just over Harmonia.

Those without his protection had perished, their cultivations artificially lowered to not gain his ire.

Len remembered the sounds of fighting above their heads nearly a century and a half later. Had he won that battle or was he coming back to get Daniela to wind the clock back? "Will we remember anything? Will the apocalypse still happen?"

"Mana's here already," Rick shrugged. "I think the lypse is coming no matter what we want. What's the use in working with what ifs?"

"You're right." Len pulled out his booklet and worn pencil. "Don't you need to record anything down?"

"Got all I need," Rick said, pulling out a sheet of paper.

"Doesn't seem enough," Len said.

"What you writing down?" Rick asked as he unfolded the paper.

"About this location, telling myself that to make sure the obelisk is destroyed and to mine out the mana vein below," Len finished his notes. It still felt like he was missing so much.

Rick turned his paper, there were little tidbits written around five words.

‘Trust Len you Idiot-Rick’

Len looked up to Rick who waved him off with a smile. "Got all the good cultivation and smithing bits on the back." He turned it over where it was liberally covered in information.

Len snorted and opened the first page of the book and held it out for Rick to read.

Rick is an idiot, but he's also your best friend. If nothing else, trust him -Future Len.

"Guess we got soft in our old years," Rick smiled.

"Hey I'm seventeen."

Rick pushed him away. "Blow up the obelisk, rune granddad!"

“Rune grandad?” Len grimaced.

“Chisel daddy?”

“Definitely not.”

“Enchantment papi?” Rick fluttered his eyebrows.

“Forge domi?” Len asked.

Rick’s grin inverted into a grimace.

“Does your metal go smack me Step-Hammer?”

Rick looked like he was actively trying to pull his face to the back of his skull.

“Yeah yeah that might be too far,” Rick said.

Len gave a look that warned him there was plenty more of where that came from. He tucked away his journal and pencil and looked over the runes and channels through the obelisk. It was thick with them, using his sight he could peer through the layers, there were several through the obelisk, the complexity was stunning.

Beyond even what he could have done in his prime. The obelisk reached down into the ground, its core was made up of mana stone that fused with the stone below.

Just by threading your mana through the stone you can move the interior sections like a tumbler for a safe, turn them into alignment you require.

There were so many runes that he’d never seen before. He didn’t try to trace the pathways and their interactions. He didn’t want to retain any knowledge of how the obelisk truly worked.

“Len?” Rick asked.

“Right,” Len took out his journal and wrote down the runes quickly, he passed mana through just them, seeing how it transformed the passing mana, revealing the purpose of many, others he could only guess generally.

There were several sections deeper he couldn’t peer into due to the sheer amount of mana passing through them.

I might have to go for a spear or a sword with a large handle. If he could make a rotating enchantment it would improve his overall casting while still maintaining some flexibility in what he was casting.

I could also add it to armor?

He finished up and put away the journal, looking at the runes that guided mana throughout the outer section of the obelisk.

He took out his chisel studying it all and looking how to break it catastrophically.

“Here we go.” He sent mana through the chisel, empowering the mana blade, pausing before it bit into stone. “Get ready to run on my signal.”

“What’s the signal?” Rick asked.

“Me sprinting my ass off.” Len said. Hope we put the packs far enough away.