Devi sat in her small crevice, gazing at the last remaining mana crystal. After accidentally exploding one before, figuring out how to break a crystal just enough to grind it into a fine powder was relatively easy, albeit nerve-wracking. The memory of a crystal literally blowing up in her face made deliberately breaking one a daunting task. However, she had reassurance that it could be done. Aks’ta had mentioned in their journal that the mana crystals could be converted into a powder, so Devi decided to attempt it once again.

This time, instead of adding more mana until the crystal exploded, she focused all her mana in a singular spot. It required significant mental effort to prevent the mana from dispersing, as it had caused the crystal to explode previously. Determined, she concentrated the energy within the smallest region possible and struck it with a rock.

The strategy worked as a large crack spiderwebbed its way through the crystal, allowing Devi to break it down further. It took a few more strikes with her rock to achieve manageable chunks, which she then easily crushed into a powder. By adding some summoned water and a bit of her own mana-charged blood, she transformed it into a thick purple liquid, perfect for drawing runes in the array.

With only one mana crystal remaining in her hands, the explosion had certainly left an impression on Devi, and if she could replicate it, it would serve as a handy weapon. She wasn't confident about facing the cursed beast beyond the stone doors, but having an exploding mana crystal as an extra tool would greatly enhance her comfort and confidence.

Devi believed she could control the process before the crystal exploded, creating a makeshift grenade that would only require a small amount of mana injection to set it off. She diligently worked, adding small amounts of mana and regularly inspecting the crystal for signs of imminent explosion. Over the course of an hour, she carefully infused as much mana as she could into the crystal until she felt certain that a little more would trigger a complete detonation.

Now armed with a magical grenade she was fairly certain would work, Devi felt a surge of confidence. In addition to the seven completed array disks and the necessary magical paint to complete the array, she was ready. All that remained was to pass through the massive stone doors and confront the beast that had already forced someone, likely more prepared than her, to retreat. It seemed simple enough.

That did remind her, she had been neglecting the blue notification boxes that had been popping up for a while, too focused on her tasks. Eventually, she had completely forgotten about them. They had blended into the background so seamlessly that she had completely spaced out on reading them. It was similar to when she received texts from people she knew. Devi would see the notification, but due to being occupied with something else, she would postpone responding until later, only to forget about it completely until stumbling upon the unread message while randomly scrolling through her phone weeks later. It often led to people getting upset with her for the delayed response.

Among the five messages congratulating her on creating a magic item, there were two level-up notifications: one for her Race and one for her Vocation. There were no messages regarding the exploding mana crystal or the highly probable grenade she had created. Only the five array disks were mentioned. It was uncertain whether her attempts with the crystals didn't qualify as magic items or tools, or if she simply hadn't completed the process yet. Both possibilities were plausible, but she had no way of knowing the answer for certain. The lack of information was frustrating.

She was tempted to venture out and hunt down a considerable number of bats to collect more mana crystals, hoping to create a better grenade. However, she decided against it. Her ultimate goal lay beyond the stone doors, and it was time to take her chances. Gathering her meager belongings, she began to exit the small crevice she had been hiding in for what felt like hours or even days. The passage of time was difficult to gauge in this mysterious realm.

Before long, Devi stood before the imposing double stone doors, clutching the key in her hands. With a hint of hesitation, she inserted the metal disk into its socket. There were no lights or glowing outlines of intricate runes adorning the doors. Instead, they swung open slowly, devoid of any sound. Not even the faintest whisper of grinding stone reached her ears, which was what she had anticipated.

She gazed in awe as the doors completed their arcs, revealing an opening that seemed to devour the feeble light emitted by her magic tool, causing it to flicker in the sudden draft. An unsettling feeling emanated from the darkness. Devi wanted to attribute it solely to fear, but she couldn't shake the sensation that there was something more to it. The journal had mentioned that the beast beyond the doors was cursed, and that didn't bode well. The oppressive darkness now felt intentionally malevolent, especially now that she had recalled that crucial piece of information.

No sense backing out now.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the darkness beyond, her light appearing dimmer than before. As her foot touched the ground, she immediately noticed a change. The uneven cavern floor had been replaced by worn stone tiles.

Her light illuminated a wide corridor that stretched into the darkness. The walls were constructed of large rough-hewn stone blocks. Though she couldn't discern the exact type of stone, the tiled flooring seemed to be made of the same material. Thankfully, it muffled her footsteps as she tried to tread quietly. There was no use alerting the beast before she had a chance to see it.

Each step she took heightened her nerves, unsure of when she might encounter the lurking monster in the shadows. She tightly gripped her crossbow, ready to shoot at the slightest movement, but she hoped to find a suitable location to draw the array before that became necessary. The array could be scaled to various sizes, from quite large to as small as the seven disks could be fitted together. She had some flexibility in its placement, but she wanted to choose a position that would give her the advantage, rather than allowing the beast to dictate the terms of engagement. Ideally, she sought a spot where she could shoot the monster from above without having to engage in close combat. The broken blade Aks'ta carried was her only option for close-quarters fighting, but she preferred to avoid that if possible. The blade served as a last resort and an experimental tool.

Up ahead, Devi heard a soft scratching sound, similar to the noise her childhood friend's dog would make while walking across the kitchen floor. However, she couldn't determine the size of the creature responsible for the sound, which did little to alleviate her fears.

Taking several deep breaths to calm her nerves, she carefully placed the seven array disks in a circular formation, making an effort to minimize any noise. Then, she retrieved the pot of mana-conducting paint and began drawing the symbols that would connect the disks, forming the array.

As she completed the final rune, the entire array faintly glowed, emitting the same white light as the disks. The soft radiance bathed the corridor, bringing a smile of relief to Devi's face. She hadn't been certain if the array would actually work, but it seemed she had succeeded. However, her newfound optimism quickly waned as the sound of clicking claws on the stone floor grew louder, approaching her location.

Emerging from the gloom, a beast revealed itself, its open mouth displaying rows of razor-sharp teeth while drool dripped from its jaws. Devi barely had time to process its feather-covered form before she swiftly fired her crossbow, determined not to let it take the initiative.

The creature attempted to evade the projectile, but the bolt struck it mid-jump, sending it crashing to the ground. Emitting a cry resembling that of a crow, it quickly regained its footing. Devi retreated, frantically reloading her crossbow for another shot, but the beast had different plans.

With a menacing snarl, it charged towards her, poised to pounce. Devi instinctively raised her forearm in a defensive position as the creature's jaws clamped down. Pain surged through her arm as it tried to tear into her flesh. Managing to maintain her grip on the magic tool, she released a blast of flame in its general direction, though the arm in the monster's mouth made it difficult to aim accurately.

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Startled, the beast released her arm, and Devi hurriedly distanced herself, unleashing another blast of flame to keep it at bay while she assessed her options. Her arm throbbed with pain, and her leather armguard bore the brunt of the attack, unlikely to withstand another assault. However, it had fulfilled its purpose, protecting her arm from more serious harm. The damaged armor was a small price to pay compared to a severe injury.

Devi locked eyes with the beast as they circled each other, both searching for an opening. She kept her injured arm close to her body, while the other firmly held her magic tool, ready to unleash fiery destruction if the creature ventured too near. The discarded crossbow lay on the ground, rendered ineffective in close combat.

The beast seemed hesitant to launch an attack, keeping a safe distance and affording Devi an opportunity to study it. It appeared to be a hybrid of a bird and a wolf, with feathery wings-like limbs in the front and dark fur-covered hind legs more reminiscent of a wolf. It utilized the wing-like limbs to flutter and hop around Devi in a cautious manner. Its two large purple eyes remained fixated on her, occasionally emitting calls that blended howls with caws.

Just as Devi prepared to make her move and strike, a call pierced the darkness, mimicking the creature's cry. Her blood ran cold as another echoed moments later. The distinct sound of more taloned feet drawing near reached her ears, prompting the beast in front of her to growl in response.

Fuck my life, Devi thought as she scanned the darkness for moving shapes. Two more? I thought there was only one big cursed beast.

Two figures stepped into the dim light emitted by the array, bearing a striking resemblance to the first beast, albeit slightly smaller in size. Their purple eyes glimmered with a malicious gleam as they assessed Devi. Facing off against one of these monsters seemed within the realm of possibility, but three presented a daunting challenge. Moreover, she had a nagging suspicion that none of them were the actual cursed beast she was tasked with eliminating.

With the odds heavily stacked against her, Devi resolved to tilt the scales in her favor. She still possessed five available points, which she allocated entirely to Agility, further bolstering her already significant attribute. Rather than enduring direct attacks, Devi preferred to rely on her agility to evade them. Utilizing an [Attribute Enhancement], she obtained an additional three-point boost. In a matter of seconds, her Agility surged from 22 to 30, and she immediately sensed the effects. The transformation was far more noticeable than when she had allocated ten points to Presence, as her body instantaneously felt lighter and more fluid.

She grinned at the three monsters.

“Let’s do this.”

One of the creatures lunged towards Devi, its wing-like forelimbs allowing it to glide an unexpectedly long distance. Acting on pure instinct, she swiftly ducked beneath its leap. In response, she unleashed a blast of fire at another monster that attempted to swipe at her, forcing it to retreat. Unfortunately, she failed to notice the third creature circling around, and it raked its talons across her unprotected back.

A sharp hiss of pain escaped her lips as she spun around, her magic tool poised for action. However, the monster retreated, seemingly satisfied with the damage it had inflicted. With no time to pursue it, Devi focused on the creature that had leaped at her earlier and was now charging back.

Digging into her bag, she retrieved the broken blade, slashing at a monster that had ventured too close in the process. The three beasts spread out, encircling her to prevent her from facing them simultaneously, a rather unsportsmanlike tactic. In her ideal scenario, they would line up and attack her one by one, a more chivalrous approach.

Regrettably, they did not adhere to her wishes. One of the three charged in, its mouth wide open, ready to deliver a savage bite. Denying its intentions, Devi sent a mouthful of fire in its direction, causing it to wail in pain as the flames scorched its sensitive mouth.

Her triumph was short-lived as she heard the sound of air whistling, and a barrage of black feathers shot towards her from the darkness. Devi managed to twist out of the path of the majority of them, but a considerable number still impaled themselves in her body. One managed to slip past her leather armor, digging into her side deeply.

While she was distracted by the conspicuous feather sticking out from her, another beast took advantage and swiped at her, causing a surge of pain to course through her thigh. Responding with a snarl, she swiftly spun around, directing a blast of flame at the offending creature. It whimpered as its face was singed, retreating while yet another monster stepped forward, launching an attack at Devi.

Swiftly evading the outstretched talons, she narrowly avoided being struck. In retaliation, she swung her broken blade, feeling the resistance as the blade connected with the creature's feathered body, leaving behind a trail of dark blood.

Relentless, Devi thrust her magic tool towards the monster's face, unleashing a scorching blast of fire. She grinned as it emitted a pained whine, its flesh burning from the flames. Swiftly ducking under another swipe, she sidestepped around the creature, slashing her blade into its flank in one fluid motion.

As another onslaught of feathers came hurtling towards her, Devi was prepared this time, swiftly ducking beneath the barrage just in the nick of time. However, seizing the opportunity, another creature lunged at her, causing her to be knocked down onto the hard stone floor. The creature's beak-like mouth slammed into the tiles as she rolled out of harm's way. Ignoring the blast of fire she directed at its belly, the creature chose instead to slash its front talons across her chest.

In a desperate attempt to fend it off, Devi thrust her blade upward with all her strength, not aiming for any specific target but simply wanting to free herself from the relentless monster. It screeched in agony as her blade made contact, rearing up on its hind legs and forcefully wrenching her only melee weapon out of her grasp in the process.

Another wave of feathers flew her way, but this time she was ready, ducking under the barrage just in time. However, as she did, another beast took the opportunity to pounce on her, knocking her to the stone floor. Its beak-like mouth slammed into the tiles as she rolled out of the way. Ignoring the blast of fire she sent along its belly, it chose to rake its front talons across her chest.

Devi stabbed upwards with as much strength as she could, not aiming for anything in particular but just wanting to get rid of the persistent monster. It screeched in pain as her blade connected, rearing up on its hind legs and forcefully wrenching her only melee weapon out of her hand in the process.

Fuck fuck fuck fu-

Her frantic thoughts were cut off as one of the other two beasts took the opportunity to pounce on her. She rolled out of the way, its claws giving off an ear-rending screech as they scratched over the stone tiles. Devi winced at the sudden sound, her whole body tensing up in pain, causing her to stumble.

Another wave of feathers caught her off guard, and pain blossomed in her shoulder upon impact. That shook her out of her pain-induced daze enough to realize that this fight was not going in her favor. She could outmaneuver one of them, possibly two, but three was a bit too much. Devi needed to take one out of the fight, and fast.

Luckily, she had something that could help with that: her hopefully magical grenade. Digging into her pocket, she brought it out, eyeing the three beasts as they advanced toward her. Devi concentrated for a brief moment, sending mana into the stone before launching it at the beast with her blade still stuck in its chest.

Come on she pleaded as she watched the crystal sail through the air.

It bounced off the beast and clattered to the ground at its feet, not doing anything. All four of the creatures in the hallway looked at the stone as it sat inert on the ground, beasts unsure of what it was, while Devi frantically hoped it would work. As it sat there, doing nothing, the beasts disregarded it and continued their advance.

Just as she had given up hope that it would do anything, a sharp crack rang out before the stone exploded into an iridescent shockwave of energy, catching the monsters off guard.

The energy ripped into the beast, throwing it against the wall, not even giving it time to let out a squawk of surprise before its head connected with the wall with a sickening crunch. The other two monsters were merely knocked off balance as the energy dissipated quickly, and Devi only had to raise a hand to protect her eyes from the wave of dust that followed.

Congratulations

You have defeated your opponent

XP has been awarded

Devi grinned at the remaining two monsters.

Round two.