4

An eerie silence marked the journey to the final stretch of Ätherisch. The path to the exit was unknown, as the catacomb had shifted after so many unfortunate travelers met their end. Only death and the dry echo of their footsteps accompanied Mandeln and the others.

It was especially hard for Qhana. Unlike Mandeln, who had the misfortune of encountering tragedy before, Qhana wasn’t used to facing such a dire struggle. While it’s common knowledge that any journey carries the risk of ending in disaster, it doesn’t make it any easier to experience it so close to home.

And yet, no words of consolation were offered to ease the young girl’s heart—not out of coldness, but out of sheer necessity.

The group walked slowly and silently, mindful of their steps to avoid triggering a trap by mistake. Precise gestures guided them through the maze, as they couldn’t afford to make any more noise than necessary. Even though everything seemed clear, they didn’t have the luxury of trying their luck and attracting unwanted attention, so they agreed to keep communication to a minimum. Schützen was even mindful of the sound his armor made, adding pieces of cloth between the joints to keep it as silent as possible.

Mandeln remained calm, all things considered—a remarkable feat for someone who was the most defenseless in the group. Despite the danger, she couldn’t help but look around, eager to learn firsthand about every corner of the dungeon she could observe. As they passed through some sort of separation, as if a slice had been taken from the dungeon, they entered a large open space where a bridge connected both sides of Ätherisch. Looking down, she saw a faint blue light emanating from the depths, accompanied by echoes of past lives and laments reverberating around her.

On the other hand, Fichte would probably be creeped out by the moans of the damned—if this weren’t a crisis, of course. She likely forgot all about the dungeon the moment she stepped outside the camp, concentrating entirely on any strange sound that might signal danger so she could protect Mandeln without hesitation.

The rest of the group was alert but in a practiced way, as they likely had some experience exploring dungeons. Even Qhana, young as she was, seemed somewhat seasoned, moving with dexterity despite the turmoil in her heart. Their movements were fluid and confident, and they used gestures that Mandeln still hadn’t fully learned.

They knew the route so far, all thanks to Qhana’s familiar. Mandeln had been careful to leave a mark on the walls at every turn they knew it’d led to a dead end. That way, they can escape more easily if something goes wrong. But it would also be useful if they were lucky and no deaths happened around them—after all, this would be the route that future travelers would have to follow to exit Ätherisch.

About an hour into their journey, Qhana signaled for everyone to stop, informing them that this was as far as her familiar knew the path. From this point on, they would be venturing into a fully unexplored section of the dungeon, meaning it was time to implement the second part of their plan.

They slowed their pace even further. Now, in addition to monsters, they would need to worry about unmarked traps. According to Mandeln, the civilization that carved this dungeon into the mountain was known for its detonation magic, meaning one wrong step could result in being burned or obliterated to bits.

As planned, Fichte took the lead, walking about ten meters ahead of the rest. She periodically returned to Mandeln for guidance on where to go next or to double-check if there was a trap ahead.

Eventually, they saw Fichte freeze and crouch. After moving a bit deeper and checking around a corner, she drew back and made the signal nobody was very enthusiastic about—there were monsters ahead. Upon closer inspection, the group could see four Kaltehölle spiders directly in their path.

As Qhana prepared herself, she positioned her staff straight and began softly reciting the incantation. While listening to her soft murmurs, the others readied themselves in the chance the spiders might notice the sound.

"... And whilst she tarried there, the chill of the night would cease to trouble, Athar," Qhana whispered.

Thankfully, the spell was successful. And an enormous amount of heat started to emanate from Qhana’s staff, along with a warm and comforting light. Maybe too comforting, as shortly after everyone started to sweat. It took around a minute for the spiders to notice the heat and calmly walk away into a colder room.

Aside from the unexpected heat, the group hadn’t discussed how to deal with the spiders once they moved. So, after a brief tactical retreat, they decided that to conserve Qhana’s energy—since she was still not fully accustomed to Athar—it would be Mandeln who would seal the passageways and trap the spiders.

Sneakily, Mandeln approached with long, silent steps, reciting her spell as she moved. So by the time she reached the doorway, she would only need to say the last bit

Fichte could feel her heart blocking her throat as she powerlessly saw Mandeln get much closer than she expected.

“…and the earth who made us all. Ru whenua!” Mandeln whispered and tapped the floor with her staff, holding it by the base to extend her reach. As soon as the light tap echoed, a rumbling sound emerged from the other side, but the stone rose so quickly that the spiders didn’t have a chance to cross. The passage was neatly sealed.

At Mandeln’s smiling peace sign, everyone approached with caution, but with a sense of relief.

“Did you really need to get that close to do it!?” Fichte whispered, tears in her eyes as she softly hit Mandeln. “My heart almost stopped for a second there!”

“Well done, Qhana, Mandeln,” Decken murmured before positioning himself according to the plan once more.

“That was awesome!” Qhana whispered excitedly, while Schützen gave a firm nod.

At Decken’s signal, they began the process all over again.

Things were going smoothly all things considered. Aside from spiders, they encountered some undead that Mandeln inevitably needed to use magic to deal with. And every time new spiders were found, they were shooed by Qhana and sealed by Mandeln if necessary.

The part they had probably expected but still took a toll on their minds was finding the remains of other travelers who had fallen victim to the monsters. From lone wanderers to entire groups, all dead—some killed by Ätherisch’s original inhabitants, others by the invading creatures.

After ensuring the path was clear and offering brief prayers to what appeared to be a father and his daughter, Qhana broke the silence, tears welling in her eyes. “Such tragedy…!”

“One of the greatest in recent history, I surmise,” Decken whispered, his expression dark.

“Agreed,” Rawaqi grumbled. “Dungeons and death are often close companions, and while most who enter them have accepted that fate, this might be too much to ask,”

“To these people, Ätherisch was merely a convenient path across the mountain range,” Fichte said, pursing her lips. “…Do you think they’ll turn into Specters if we leave them here?”

“Most likely,” Mandeln replied after finishing her prayers. “I can feel their energy growing increasingly chaotic. I don’t have enough materials to help everyone, but it would break my heart to leave this child to roam for eternity in a place like this. Please give me a moment.”

“Yes, we don’t have all the time in the world, but I concur with you,” Decken said as he went further to guard in case anything came.

Indeed, Mandeln hadn’t prepared for something like this, nor did she have the time to give everyone a proper sending. So, she limited herself to offering short prayers each time they found someone, knowing full well that it might not be enough to prevent them from turning into Specters or ghouls.

In this case, however, she couldn’t let it pass. She carefully arranged some leaves in the same way she had for Önemsiz recently and gave the deceased girl a proper ritual.

She could almost see herself in that girl, after all.

At around the sixth-hour mark, Fichte noticed two Kaltehölle spiders near a ventilation tunnel and gave the signal.

At the request, Qhana positioned herself and began her incantation. As usual, a warm light and familiar sensation began to pour from her, but after only ten seconds, the light abruptly faded, leaving only her soft gasps filling the air. Noticing the change, Mandeln signaled for a retreat, and they took refuge in a small embalming room about five minutes back.

“She’s exhausted,” Fichte whispered empathetically. “And Mandeln shouldn’t cast much more either; we need some rest.”

“Hmm, we lasted less than expected,” Decken said, rubbing his chin.

“I-I’m sorry, Miss Mandeln, everyone…” Qhana said weakly.

“No need for apologies, you did well,” Decken reassured her. “Mandeln, please seal the exit but leave a small gap for air. We’ll sleep here.”

“Alright,” Mandeln agreed, then began her incantation. “Let me sanctify this place just in case too. Specters love to ambush in our sleep.”

As she spread silver powder around the area and recited her chants, strange sounds echoed from afar. Gradually, the atmosphere seemed to lighten, and the tension that gripped everyone began to fade.

“Huh, weird,” Fichte said, glancing around. “It kinda feels like we’re back at the camp right now.”

“That’s because the camp is located in one of the most sacred places in Ätherisch,” Decken said, removing his chest plate. “The place’s been holy ground for millennia.”

“So, the relief I felt yesterday wasn't just from escaping the spiders?” Schützen asked.

“Cool, isn’t it?” Mandeln smiled as she finished sanctifying the area. “Despite being so far apart in time and culture, somehow we all tap into the same divine power.”

The power from the goddess. Fichte thought as a weird sensation settled in her stomach. It wasn’t that she wasn’t faithful, but like with ghosts, she felt a bit apprehensive about things beyond understanding. “Nemeris…”

“Does it really come from her, though?” Mandeln mused, touching a finger to her lips.

“M-Miss Mandeln!?” Qhana exclaimed, her voice rising as if she’d heard something outrageous. “Do you really think so?”

“Not really,” Mandeln giggled. “It just like to think about it as a thought experiment.”

“Hear me out for a second,” she continued. “In essence, holy magic aims to alter reality while singing in honor of the goddess. But Goddess Nemeris, on the other hand, cradled this world after Antila mourned her lost brother. Why would a goddess, characterized by care and stability, want to alter what she’s so diligently taking care of?”

“That’s…” Qhana muttered.

“Maybe she just wants the best for us, so she changes things for our convenience?” Schützen added to the conversation.

“Then why does she allow things like these to happen?” Mandeln said, gesturing around her. “Are you saying this was her intention?”

“No, I…”

“Following that point,” Mandeln continued, turning to Qhana, “healing magic, right? It’s a sister discipline to the holy school, using the same principle of modification. If you think about it, healing magic returns something to what it was before. But if Nemeris intended for you to die by giving you a mortal wound, isn’t healing it an act of defiance against the goddess herself? Why would she allow that? Why would your destiny deviate from the will of the goddess?”

At this point, Mandeln was fully immersed in her monologue. You could see it in her questioning eyes—the craving to explore ideas that others prefer to avoid, just like delving into a dungeon.

“Magic that invites change and a new order over caring stability, and magic that reverses causation, denying intention. It’s almost as if…”

“It’s almost as if destiny and the goddess are on opposing sides,” Mandeln said with fascination, breathing heavily with excitement as she concluded her monologue.

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Almost everyone in the group had stopped what they were doing at some point and was now silently watching Mandeln. The silence lingered as she slowly came out of her trance, realizing she had been mostly talking to herself for a while.

“Miss Mandeln…” Qhana began, unsure of how to continue.

“For a Holy Mage, you surely think of the most pagan stuff, huh,” Decken said with a smirk.

“Hey, is your friend always like that?” Rawaqi asked Fichte, who was the only one still doing her own thing.

“Yep, and I don’t know how to reply most of the time,” she said, readying her towel to wipe herself. “It happens like every three days or so. Don’t worry about it.”

“I-I-I mean! It's just a silly thought, alright?” Mandeln said, moving her hands and blushing brightly. “In the end, only the goddess knows. My faith is strong!”

“Miss Mandeln, I really, really admire your thirst for uncovering the truth,” Qhana said, revealing her honest thoughts. “But questioning Nemeris herself is going a bit too far.”

“I’m sorry…!” Mandeln despaired as she hugged her upset junior. “Stop looking at me like that! I repent!”

As the day passed and Mandeln buttered up Qhana back to her usual self, the group decided both girls should get the most sleep that night. As magic users, they were key to the plan’s success. The rest of the party took turns standing guard, just in case.

The next morning, everyone new to the dungeon discovered why you should never sleep more than once inside Ätherisch.

“Ow…” Mandeln said, trying to fix her disheveled hair. “My head…”

“… It never gets old,” Rawaqi grunted as he sat up.

“Ugh, what the hell?” Fichte said, still half asleep. “This has to be a bad joke.”

“Did you guys also see giant birds throwing people from a waterfall?” Schützen said with a shiver.

“No, I saw fire, so much fire,” Qhana said, wiping the tears from her eyes. “…What was that?”

“Visions, nightmares, whatever you want to call them,” Decken said calmly. Apparently, he hadn’t slept at all. “It always happens on your second and each subsequent time you sleep inside Ätherisch.”

“And every time it gets worse,” Rawaqi yawned. “Know some stories of people who got lost in here—poor bastards who decided to end their suffering themselves rather than keep looking for an exit.

“A little heads up would have been nice,” Fichte said awry. “Did you know any of this, Mandeln?”

Mandeln shook her head. “No, but it all makes sense now. “Everything I’ve read about Ätherisch mentioned secrets and mysteries but never revealed any of them.”

“And that’s why we kept quiet,” Decken said. “The more you know, the deeper it pulls you down. That’s probably why it gets worse each time after the first.”

“Are we going to be alright?” Schützen said with an uneasy expression.

“Ätherisch connects not only life and death but also time.” Mandeln thought loudly, remembering what she said shortly after entering the dungeon. “This is huge, we probably saw something that either happened, it’s happening, or will happen.”

“Not much point in thinking about it further,” Decken said. “Also, we don’t have time for another monologue. Eat something and get out—we’ll use this room to relieve ourselves.”

With the room now fully sealed, the group continued through the dungeon.

This time, things were going much smoother thanks to Mandeln being well-rested and able to cast magic more freely. She and Qhana took turns when casting Athar, that way didn’t tire so easily.

Slowly but surely, they shooed or trapped most of the spiders while also dealing with the undead that appeared from time to time. As always, patience was one of the main virtues of dungeon raiding.

It was past midday when they arrived in a wider area. It was a round and tall room, with columns tracing the borders, supporting the heavy structure. After thoroughly checking the surrounding areas to confirm there was no nearby threat, the party finally breathed a bit easier. Still, they kept their voices low, just in case.

“Still, I don't like how wide this is,” Rawaqi said, looking through the corner of his eyes. “Let's make this break quick.”

“This is so tiring, and all I’m doing is walking,” Fichte whispered as she took a seat and munched on a strip of dried meat. “Raiders are really something to do this for a living.”

“This is no beginner’s dungeon,” Decken said. “There's a reason why people need guides, and everything is so tight and delimited.”

“We should be grateful, really,” Mandeln said with an apologetic smile. “Spiders are scary and all, but I can't imagine how it'd be crossing Ätherisch in its fully, activated prime. I told you, right? Ätherisch was once the home of a powerful being who took over it to get stronger. He was then neutralized, and the dungeon calmed down.”

“I’ve been meaning to ask this earlier,” Qhana said, leaning forward slightly. “Miss Mandeln, I know you’re very wise, but how do you know all this stuff?”

“She's just a nerd,” Fichte said mischievously. “Imagine how much she gushed about this dungeon on our way here.”

“N-nerd!?” Mandeln squeaked.

“That’s not it—information about dungeons doesn’t come by easily,” Qhana explained. “Types of dungeons, their layouts, you even seem to have some hint of what’s lying at the bottom! Not to mention, you seem to know a lot about monsters. The library at my school didn’t have any of that… D-Don’t think I’m suspecting you! I actually admire it, and it’s something I’m really curious about.”

Fichte’s attempt to derail the conversation seemingly failed. She didn’t know why, but Mandeln could be very secretive when it came to her origins. In fact, the only thing Fichte knew about Mandeln’s past, aside from her childhood story, was that she had escaped from home and couldn’t go back.

Mandeln showed a rare, uncomfortable expression, glancing from side to side as if unsure of what to do. “Well, to be honest, I—”

But she couldn’t finish her point, for the entire dungeon suddenly trembled as if it were screaming. Far down the dimly lit corridors, they could see the dungeon shifting erratically. The entire group sprang to their feet and readied themselves.

“W-What's happening!?” Fichte said as she pulled out her daggers. “It wasn't me, right?”

“The dungeon is changing!?” Decken shouted with concern. “Everyone, get closer!”

“But what was that sound!” Schützen said, trying to keep his foot. “And the tremble won't stop, it's almost like… wait.”

Schützen looked at Mandeln in urgency, and her expression said everything. Pale as a sheet, she returned the glance. “It's a swarm, a big group is coming this way! I-I can't tell which direction!”

“No way around it, then,” Rawaqi declared, bringing both of his weapons forward. “We’re fighting, everyone!”

“Mandeln!” Qhana shouted. “Let's make as much heat as possible and evaporate their poison!”

“There’s too little time!” Mandeln exclaimed, her voice laced with panic. “It might work, but even poisoned, they can still overwhelm us with sheer numbers!”

The group put their backs against each other, trying to pinpoint where the swarm was coming from. Eventually, the sound shifted and focused on the path towards the exit, exactly where they needed to go, growing louder and louder.

“This is nothing like what we faced two days ago…” Mandeln muttered in terror. “We’ll be overwhelmed.”

“Mandeln!” Qhana shouted. “We need to start casting!”

“O-Okay…” Mandeln replied as she readied her staff.

“Wait… I have a better idea,” Fichte said slowly. “But if it fails, we'll probably die.”

“We'll die either way at this rhythm!” Schützen yelled. “Just do it!”

Swiftly, Fichte positioned herself behind the two magicians. “Alright, just do as I say. Mandeln! Start chanting your earth spell. Qhana! I need you to prepare your most powerful fire spell, hot enough to melt rock!”

“…! But that would- Okay, okay, I'll do it!” Qhana said in a trembling voice.

“If it fails, we’ll try to slow them down so you can escape,” Decken said, taking position close enough to shield the girls.

“So you better make it work!” Schützen said, thrusting his greatsword into the ground on the other side, his hands trembling considerably.

Amidst the girls’ voices and the frightening rumble of hundreds of steps approaching, the group waited. Soon enough, from three separate directions, they saw a mass of spiders—too many to count—swarming toward them.

At the sight, Fichte felt her blood freeze, yet she leaned forward. “Mandeln, after the spiders enter the room, I need you to create the biggest hole you can make.”

The moment the spiders entered the room, Mandeln felt her stomach drop as an incredible number of them literally overflowed from the passages. Spiders poured into the room from every direction, as if they were a liquid.

“…Now!” Fichte shouted, her voice slightly trembling.

Following Fichte’s command, Mandeln completed her incantation. A massive hole, nearly covering half the room, opened before them—too wide to cross and too deep to see the bottom.

Like a waterfall, an astonishing number of spiders fell or crawled down the hole. Mandeln immediately began firing small fireballs at those clever enough to traverse the walls and ceiling, while the others that managed to cross were handled by the rest of the group.

The spiders kept falling, and Fichte’s nerves began to fray. She had never expected such a massive number coming at them—if they had chosen to fight them head-on, they’d be dead by now.

Fearing the spiders would start crawling back up to get them, she gave Qhana the signal. “Now! Hit the hole with that spell—with as much output as you can!”

“… where even ash may perish! Bahr alburkan!” Qhana yelled, thrusting her staff toward the hole.

At first, nothing seemed to happen. But just as Fichte began to wonder if it had worked, a deep orange glow appeared below—a glow that quickly intensified, becoming so bright it was impossible to see down the hole. The entire room was now bathed in a hellish orange color.

“Hot!” Mandeln yelled, covering her face. “Awesome, but too hot!”

“Seems to be working though!” Fichte said, squinting and trying her best to see below.

“Not that it matters if we get incinerated in the process!” Schützen shouted, shielding his eyes. “It keeps getting hotter!”

“That’s what I wanted to say, but there was no time!” Qhana cried in protest. “What do we do now!?”

“Qhana,” Mandeln said urgently. “Let’s cast plimmýra and hold it. That might work.”

“O-oh! Good thinking!” Qhana nodded.

The spell Qhana cast was so powerful that even the spiders climbing the walls were swept into the hole. As the heat grew in intensity, the party was enveloped by Plimmýra’s water, shielding them from harm. Yet even the water was quickly becoming lukewarm.

The moment the water became too hot to bear, the girls stopped their spells. Fortunately, the fire was beginning to subside, making the heat more tolerable.

Massive flames erupted from the hole, but it seemed no spider had survived. The group cautiously approached to ensure everything was in order.

At Decken's approving signal, Qhana fell to her knees. “By the goddess! I’m so gla—woah!”

“You are incredible!” Mandeln exclaimed, jumping to Qhana and pulling her into an embrace. “To be able to cast an Adept spell under these conditions—who cares if it almost killed us too, you did it!”

“W-Whoa, whoa!” Qhana squeaked as Mandeln picked her up and began spinning her in circles. “M-Miss Mandeln! Wait a s—Hyaa!”

“An Adept spell,” Fichte repeated, echoing Mandeln’s words. “Is that good?”

“Quite good!” Mandeln beamed, her good humor evident as she stroked Qhana’s head. “"Magic levels are divided into categories, from Basic to Nemeris—the more advanced, the stronger it is." The thing is, Adept is famous for being a roadblock for young magicians since the amount of training needed to go from Advanced to Adept is quite high. And this cutie did it perfectly, even with her life on the line. I’m so proud!”

“S-Stop with the praise…” Qhana murmured, shrinking as her face turned the reddest it had ever been.

And apparently, Mandeln is in the process of mastering a divine one? Fichte realized in surprise. What in the world would that do?

As Fichte pondered, a heavy pat on her back sent her stumbling forward.

“That was some fine thinking on your part too, Fichte,” Rawaqi said with a satisfied smile. “Maybe your mind is the sharpest tool you have after all.”

“…It was just putting one and one together,” Fichte replied uncomfortably, still not used to compliments. “Anyone could have done it.”

“Anyone? Sure,” Decken added. “Anyone, when literal hundreds of Kaltehölle spiders are coming their way? I don’t think so.”

“…If you say so,” Fichte said softly.

“Fichte is shy!” Mandeln giggled in amazement. “She’s even blushing—so cute! It’s my first time seeing it!”

“Oh, shut up!” Fichte said, covering her face. “Enough already!”

For the first time, the group felt the rare luxury of relaxation. What they’d accomplished was nothing short of remarkable. If more people had been there to see it, songs might have been written about it.

That’s why nobody noticed when something started to emerge from the largest hole. A limb, two, three… five meters long, landed softly on the edge of the hole. Then a second, a third, and so on, each just as long as the first.

It was only when Qhana—the only one facing that corridor—fainted that the rest of the group noticed the monster that had entered the room without any sound: a Kaltehölle spider, nearly five meters tall, so massive it barely fit in the room.

Mandeln’s breath got caught at the sight of the monster.

She knew about dungeons—almost everyone who went through them said they were dangerous, treacherous, and could surprise you at any moment. All the accounts pointed to the same idea: dungeons are not something to take lightly.

Still, something of this magnitude—would all dungeons be like this? Was this a curse, or a play by destiny to ensnare them? As understanding as she usually was, even though she logically knew such situations were incredibly rare, she cursed her luck in frustration as Ätherisch refused to let its grip on them soften.

Now, as if it were a cruel joke, they were facing a foe far beyond their abilities.

That’s the one. Mandeln thought, gripping her staff tightly, unsure of what to do. That’s the one who took us out two days ago. How in the world did you move through here?

The venom oozing from its fangs made a grotesque sound as it hit the floor, the only reminder to the group that this was not a nightmare.

Still, as if frozen in time, the creature stood, looming over the party as though waiting for something.

In response, no one in the party moved either. One of them was because it was knocked out, the others simply found their bodies unable to respond to their desperate commands.

Then, with no warning, the matriarch of all Kaltehölle spiders in Ätherisch moved at a frightening speed.