There was a subtle gradient in the walls' texture as they ventured ever deeper, with the crystalline formations gradually fading from existence and giving way to more bedrock. Water trickled from tiny cracks in the ceiling to gather in puddles on the ground, often causing a slip-and-slide mishap amongst the clumsier individuals in their midst.
But apart from that brief disturbance, there were no other surprises beyond occasional rumblings reverberating all around them—each tremor growing increasingly less pronounced with every step taken further down the passageway.
Dust motes danced about lazily in the beams of Orby's headlamp and the glow-crystals some of the miners carried.
Ebonheim remained vigilant throughout the trek nonetheless—her keen senses alert for anything out of the ordinary lurking within the shadows. She'd also kept Divine Sight activated all the while just to make sure they wouldn't be caught off guard by whatever lurked around the next bend or turn ahead.
"Do you suppose those Netherlings would be amenable to study?" The question slipped off Serelle's tongue so effortlessly as if she'd merely commented on the weather or the color of her hair ribbon. Her eyes twinkled eagerly behind her spectacles as though already imagining various methods and experiments she could utilize in said endeavor.
She continued, "The opportunity to observe a brand-new species firsthand like that doesn't come about very often...and with their apparent affinity towards arcane energy and crystals especially so. Fascinating, wouldn't you agree Orin?"
Orin's eyebrows raised in tandem with a wry smile creeping across his lips as he regarded her. "Well...to each their own. But yes, they are certainly a peculiar bunch," he acknowledged, adjusting his monocle as his gaze shifted from Serelle to glance at Ebonheim instead. "...Any thoughts on that matter? Perhaps your godly intuition may shed light on things we might otherwise miss."
"Honestly...I'm not sure yet," Ebonheim admitted after a momentary pause. She glanced at them both with a faint grimace. "Something about their presence bothers me. Can't quite explain why but...it's almost as though they belong somewhere else entirely different than here. Kinda like someone misplaced a jar and now everything inside has spilled everywhere—does that make sense? Maybe I'm overthinking things though."
"Misplaced jar?" Orin repeated quizzically while stroking his chin in contemplation. "An interesting metaphor. Still vague though. What exactly do you imply by misplaced? Like an entirely distinct plane altogether separate from ours perhaps...?"
"Exactly!" Ebonheim immediately agreed with an emphatic nod before frowning once more and giving a helpless shrug. "Again...not sure why I feel that way though. It's a gut feeling if anything. And no, I haven't sensed anything resembling planar breaches or anything related nearby so far. Then again, I haven't spent too much time inspecting for those. To be honest, I didn't expect to stumble upon these kinds of questions before heading down here in the first place."
She let out a soft sigh afterward and gently shook her head. "Let's just keep going for now."
"Fair enough," Orin conceded as he and Serelle turned to focus on their own musings once more.
There wasn't much conversation beyond brief snippets here or there between others following suit—until eventually their footsteps ceased altogether shortly thereafter as they came to stand at an impasse barring passage further ahead. Beyond lay a chasm opening wide before them spanning roughly twenty meters across.
They stood on a small ledge overlooking its precipitous edge.
Orby's lamp shone out over the emptiness before them, revealing a steep drop below to jagged rocks jutting upwards in a harsh panorama like the gaping maw of a titanic beast waiting to devour anyone unfortunate enough to stumble off their precarious footing. On the far side of this rift, the tunnel resumed once again, with little hint as to where the continuation might lead to from here.
Orin let out an appreciative whistle as her gaze swept over their surroundings.
"Welp," Ebonheim said dryly as she peered over the precipice. She glanced back to Lilin. "Don't suppose you can fill in this gap with your earth magic?"
Lilin shook her head. "Not entirely without shifting a lot of other earth along the way. But I could try conjuring an earthen bridge...only problem is how stable the foundations can get. One bad tremor while we're crossing..."
"...And we're in trouble," Ebonheim finished for her.
She closed her eyes and perused the Akashic System's list of available powers. She wanted something to span the distance safely. Something secure. No divine bridges spanning the chasm made from divine radiance appeared on the list. Shame. She'd have enjoyed making one of those.
Instead, she settled on a rather unassuming power:
[Wall of Stone] Grants the ability to erect a wall of solid stone in front or behind oneself. Size, thickness, and overall shape can be influenced by the user's will. This wall of stone can either be permanent or temporary depending on the intent behind its casting. Only one such structure may exist at any given time per user. Cost: 20 Essence; Duration: 1 hour. A permanent duration requires the expenditure of 20 Quintessence.
Well...seemed simple enough.
After mentally 'purchasing' her new ability for fifty quintessence points, Ebonheim stepped forward, palms facing outward and fingers splayed wide. With her will focused on manifesting her desire to cross the rift ahead, a loud rumbling noise reverberated throughout the cavern as a slab of bedrock rose from the depths, stretching outward like a tongue lapping water on a hot summer's day.
When the end of her conjured pathway finally reached the other side—now bridging the gap entirely—the rough stony surface smoothed itself over and flattened out into a walkway about two meters across. For added safety measures, two guardrails emerged parallel along the sides of her creation.
"...Huh. Well done," Lilin said. "Better than what I could've pulled off on my own. Guess divine magic has its perks after all."
Ebonheim shrugged noncommittally as she turned her attention back toward the newly created crossing with a satisfied nod. "Anything to help out."
With her task completed, she moved aside and allowed others through ahead of her before following suit. Orby's headlamp shone across the remaining length of this newly forged span ahead until eventually reaching the end and vanishing into yet another passageway similar to what lay behind them.
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"Oi! Think I found somethin' 'ere!" One of the miners called out ahead in excitement upon spotting something further along their path.
Ebonheim followed alongside Lilin as they both approached where he squatted. The man gestured toward a shimmering deposit stretching between the surrounding rocks. "Take a gander at this!"
"What have we got here..." Lilin asked as she leaned closer for inspection herself.
The ore vein pulsed with an inner light, a spectrum of colors that danced across its surface and reflected off the walls, creating a kaleidoscope effect around them.
Her eyes widened in recognition and surprise as she turned to face Ebonheim and the others. "Never thought I'd run into these below the Eldergrove."
"What is it?" Ebonheim asked curiously while kneeling beside the group to get a closer look at this new discovery. She couldn't recall seeing anything like it before.
It didn't resemble the gold or silver deposits she'd seen in the other mines. Its shimmering hues shifted ever so slightly when examined under different angles.
"Vesperia," Lilin explained. "A rare ore only found within certain regions with extreme geothermal activity, such as in Gorgandale—Obsidion's domain."
Ebonheim's eyes widened at those words. "Geothermal? You mean this whole place is volcanic?!"
She glanced about warily toward the chamber's far reaches for any signs of molten lava or steam rising up between cracks and crevices lining these rocks.
Lilin must have caught on to her fears—given the smirk spread across her mouth while she patted her shoulder reassuringly.
"Nothing to fret over. There aren't any volcanoes actively erupting nearby...or even close by either based on our scout reports. Just enough residual seismic heat within these rocks for Vespera to exist here. If anything, I would've expected obsidian or basalt deposits instead. Although they could well be present too."
"So, no volcanoes?" Ebonheim questioned further. "You're sure about that?"
"Absolutely! This entire mountain chain is quite stable. But don't get me wrong. While there aren't any active ones nearby, the remnants of ancient volcanic activity have heated the rock formations within these ranges significantly enough to generate Vespera deposits."
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
Serelle approached them before carefully running gloved fingers along the shimmering veins adorning the walls. "Is there something wrong with volcanic activity? The Eldergrove rests within one giant rift valley, after all. It is entirely conceivable—even normal—for geothermal forces to play a significant role in shaping the environment around here."
"Nothing wrong per se," Lilin clarified with an emphatic shake of her head. "But sometimes old volcanoes can cause trouble down the road. Especially when magma wells shift ever so slightly and leak into aquifers beneath ground."
She reached forward and gingerly chipped off a small piece of the strange ore from its surrounding stone before turning around and offering it to Serelle who promptly accepted her offering with a smile of thanks in return.
Ebonheim let out a heavy sigh as she gazed at the shimmering material again.
She already had plenty of worries to deal with topside as it stood. Adding another concern involving giant underground insects and now geothermal activity simmering below their feet—seemed like too many unpredictable factors piling atop existing problems she still hadn't solved yet.
With a disgruntled huff at her misgivings, she rose to her feet once more. "So, I'm assuming this Vespera stuff is valuable?"
Lilin's expression brightened considerably at her question. "Very much so. Very precious in fact. When refined and processed, Vespera creates a special conductive alloy used in various applications for Magitech devices. Artificers love this stuff."
Ebonheim glanced over to the back of their group where Evelyne had finally caught up with the rest after having fallen behind while carefully maneuvering Orby around tighter corners. "Did you catch all that?"
Evelyne nodded through her mech's viewport. "Sure did. This discovery could prove immensely useful once we can figure out a way to properly harvest the stuff. Seems a shame leaving so much sitting untapped like this."
Orin chuckled lightly beside her at those words. He offered a reassuring pat on Orby's steel casing. "Remember, your guild's not the only one with a stake in the results. Our company wants its fair share as well."
"Oh. Right! Um. Of course," Evelyne quickly replied before nervously clearing her throat and smiling weakly through her mech's viewport again. "What I meant to say is...well...it's good news regardless for everyone involved."
Ebonheim's eyebrows rose slightly at this exchange—she never considered profit-taking or claim staking to come into play regarding this venture till now. Was this going to cause issues between these two groups? Could this expedition turn into a race for riches?
Lilin cleared her throat before interjecting herself between them with a casual wave and forced smile. "Let's put a pin in any claim disputes. We should stay focused on the task at hand and remain on the lookout for anything else useful on our way out—like a new exit for example."
With her concerns now voiced, she turned around and resumed heading further in alongside the miners, gesturing for the rest to follow suit.
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Three days.
It had taken them three whole days to get from where the initial cave-in occurred to where they were now. Hours of excavating, climbing, squeezing through narrow spaces, and crawling about cramped areas—all interspersed with brief bouts of sleep whenever fatigue crept upon them.
But eventually, they emerged at long last from deep underground, arriving back at one of the smaller caverns along the periphery of the main network—a familiar one close to where the Netherling Cryptids had been first encountered. Although they hadn't found the Underrealm, they did at least manage to retrace their way back out safely...more or less.
Orby lay sprawled near the center amidst scattered debris and rubble—the once-pristine steel plating and joints covered from top to bottom in grime and grit. Its chassis bore countless scratches alongside dents dotting the hull here and there—a testament to the numerous scrapes Evelyne faced during this ordeal as she struggled to maneuver her mech through tight spaces underground.
As for the others, everyone wore matching grimy appearances. Hair matted with dried sweat and caked with layers of dust and dirt, skin marred by patches of dried mud and streaked with various shades of earthy stains. Most also carried a host of minor scratches and bruises earned from negotiating perilous terrain or tumbling down unexpected inclines.
Still, everyone came out relatively unscathed thanks to the relative ease provided by Ebonheim's divine powers and Lilin's expertise. Thankfully no serious injuries befell anyone throughout their journey despite minor mishaps along the way.
"Well...that certainly didn't turn out like I had hoped..." Orin remarked sullenly upon emerging from a pile of boulders that blocked the way ahead before finally opening to this small cavern. He pushed another chunk of rubble aside before crawling free with a tired sigh.
"That's an understatement," Evelyne grumbled from within Orby's cockpit. Her voice came through crackled and distorted as several damaged components within her mech caused audio distortions. "At least Orby held together well enough throughout all this mess."
Lilin hopped atop one such boulder overlooking Orby's prostrate form and rubbed her eyes wearily. "Alright, alright. We'll make camp one last time at the cavern with the Eclipsium before calling our expedition off."
Ebonheim stood nearby while everyone else tended to their own affairs for a bit. She could only imagine how exhausted they must feel at this point...her included. But unlike her mortal companions, her divine constitution provided ample resistance against weariness and physical depletion. Though she felt fatigued, her mind remained sharp and focused.
Regardless of fatigue though—or perhaps because of it, Ebonheim wanted nothing more than to hurry home and soak within a hot bath full of soapy bubbles till she practically melted away. The prospect alone brought a weary smile to her face.
Maybe afterwards she could indulge in some delicious mushroom stew and soft buttered bread followed by several glasses of sweet wine before finally falling asleep wrapped snugly within fluffy blankets on a nice featherbed instead of a flimsy bedroll laid across the hard ground.
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Ebonheim slipped quietly away from her sleeping companions, making her way through the tunnel leading towards the Netherling Cryptids's lair. She moved cautiously along the narrow passage as she drew near where she'd encountered the strange bugs during their trek earlier.
Her divine sight illuminated everything around her. She caught a glimmer of movement up ahead—Netherlings skittering about their dark chamber beyond—just before entering its depths. Ebonheim paused at the entrance and observed the creatures intently.
They appeared different than when last observed: now fully visible without light obscuring them completely.
Each Netherling had six legs and a slender torso with a pair of antennae protruding from either side of their oblong heads. Their bodies were encased in a shiny carapace resembling obsidian. She couldn't discern a mouth or eyes from this distance—only smooth chitin plating across their entire forms.
Ebonheim watched one creature pause amidst its work and turn its head in her direction, antennae twitching wildly before resuming whatever task kept them busy. The rest paid her no mind, scuttling to and fro without seeming aware of her presence at all. A few others crawled toward her before disappearing within shadowed cracks between rocks lining the walls or ceilings. None approached closer towards her despite clearly noticing her.
Well, at least they didn't seem hostile so far...
With renewed confidence she began moving into their chamber, carefully stepping gingerly across loose debris spread throughout.
The Netherlings scattered away from Ebonheim's footsteps. Many disappeared further within darkened tunnels while a few remained close by but still keeping enough distance between themselves and her. Their long feelers quivered furiously as she ventured deeper within the room where most activity took place.
A large opening gaped from an outcropping above where several Netherlings assembled together along the chamber ceiling. They carried chunks of quartz extracted from nearby fissures, using their mandibles to grip and haul the minerals towards the crevice. Once deposited inside, these cryptids returned to retrieve another batch before repeating the process anew.
While curious about their activities and motivation, she grew increasingly worried about pressing deeper. The last thing she wanted was provoking something nasty by straying where wasn't invited.
As if sensing her growing apprehension, three Netherlings separated themselves from the others and approached her from above. They scurried along stalactites until standing before Ebonheim within striking distance.
Uh-oh.
"Easy now..." she murmured in a steady tone while raising both hands placatingly towards them. Not that the bugs could understand words at all—let alone recognize non-verbal cues—but sometimes speaking calmed herself amidst tense situations. "Just here to observe...nothing more."
Nonetheless, she manifested her divine aura as a precaution. Golden energy radiated from her frame while casting warm rays upon nearby surfaces. The Netherlings flinched momentarily under this radiance before resuming their earlier movement closer toward her.
One cryptid tried biting her with its jagged mandibles, but it glanced off her aura harmlessly. The other two attempted similar attacks without inflicting damage despite repeated attempts. Each chitinous head struck against her barrier with loud clicking noises that echoed loudly throughout the cave.
Their behavior reminded Ebonheim a lot of angry wasps defending their territory. But unlike those aggressive insects...these insects weren't trying to overwhelm her outright with greater numbers. No swarm emerged to surround Ebonheim in response. This seemed almost like an inquisitive probing towards her. An examination.
The first creature that had attacked her backed away before spewing a fiery orb between its mandibles towards her. The projectile splashed against her aura and fizzled harmlessly away. Ebonheim couldn't tell if this was a type of warning or a genuine effort to attack. Whatever the case, the other two also followed suit shortly thereafter.
She stood motionless while waiting patiently for them to finish.
Eventually, they ceased harassing her. One crawled back along the cavern wall onto a rocky alcove before vanishing into shadows while the remaining pair darted upwards into an adjacent crack previously occupied by another Netherling carrying loads of quartz crystals.
Ebonheim sat down on a nearby rock outcropping and watched them resume their work among the surrounding tunnels without further incident.
"That could've gone worse," she remarked quietly to herself after letting out a relieved sigh.
She'd expected much more violent reactions given her prior experiences dealing with wild fauna within the Eldergrove. The Kungwans came to mind, but they weren't native to this realm.
She'd assumed Netherling Cryptids might prove no better. While they didn't exactly greet her warmly either—likely more out of caution than hostility—the fact they didn't immediately swarm her did bode well towards learning more about these strange creatures at a later juncture.
Their lair's proximity to the underground outpost worried her a bit though—assuming this was the only one. She could only hope they wouldn't eventually cause problems in the future.
They didn't pose much of a personal threat to her unless they had some variants that could bypass her aura. Dealing with them, should trouble arise, shouldn't prove difficult otherwise.
But if their numbers were significant...she could imagine things becoming ugly fast. She estimated the Netherlings already present within this cavern numbered around two hundred at least. Maybe even more scattered among other caverns beyond her sightlines. And those she observed might constitute just one single colony within these depths.
"A whole new set of challenges." Ebonheim shook her head ruefully as she stood back up and prepared to leave.
Her gaze lingered upon their nest briefly while contemplating how to manage possible future confrontations between miners and these strange creatures—if any should ever arise—before turning and exiting the chamber.