Cassandra

Year 820 | Month 7 | Day 14

Several days pass by without much of any peace as I run into elite salamanders at least twice a day and run from them for hours each. All while I slaughter the Tier 3 salamanders without hesitation. Gradually building up my EXP, even if it’s not as much as the Tier 4s would give me.

Simply because I can’t find the Tier 4s. No matter how hard I try.

And it’s honestly rather infuriating. I’ve only managed to level up to level 36 over the course of the time I’ve been in here. Which is slower than the rate I was getting EXP outside before the golem demons became a problem. Although it’s not that slower than when they became a problem, seeing as I couldn’t hunt almost at all at that point.

It’s also interesting how no one has come inside of this corrupted dungeon in the time I’ve been here. Even though those golem demons must’ve spotted it by now.

It was obvious no one came in before me because of that message I got, so I never even so much as considered there being someone else in here from before my arrival. But after my arrival is a different matter since it would be shocking if those demons didn’t find the dungeon.

Yet none of them have come inside.

Which means one of a couple different things.

Either the golem demons were just programmed to ignore dungeons and search solely for me. They know about corrupted dungeons and avoid them. Or they’re just too stupid to even realize what it is.

Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised with any of the three possibilities.

I let out a sigh as I walk through yet another tunnel within this endless expanse of tunnels and caverns. Only to freeze up when I sense something enormous. A slowly moving source of Wrath energy so great that I’ve never seen so much of it in one creature other than the archdemons I ran into before.

That said, I didn’t have as good senses then, nor did I have the upgraded Wrath Manipulation skill or was I Tier 4. So this feels more… overwhelming now that I do.

Now that I have a better grasp on it and can sense it more clearly.

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And what I’m sensing has me immediately extending my claws and digging my way into the wall of the tunnel before closing it back up and hiding myself with Wrath manipulation.

Then the walls, no, the entire tunnel begins to shake all around me as the source of Wrath energy draws closer and closer. Only to eventually pass by while making parts of the ceiling and walls in my little hole begin to crumble a bit.

But only a bit. And soon enough, the trembling begins to lessen. As if the source was walking away.

Which I can tell they are through my senses.

And after who knows how long passes when I’m no longer able to sense the creature, I finally let out a deep breath. Without even realizing that I was holding it in the first place.

Holy shit…

I feel my hands trembling a little bit as I begin to dig my way out of the tunnel wall and into the tunnel itself.

Where I find the tunnel covered in grooves all the way around it, along with a trail of footprints.

The grooves on the walls look like something’s one single claw dragged along each side, while the grooves on the ceiling look like something horns drilled through it. Meanwhile the footprints are enormous. Large enough that I could easily lie down inside of them and still have plenty of space.

I take in a deep breath again before letting it out as I look at both sides of the tunnel, down past where the grooves all are. At the caverns on either side. And at the path of salamander corpses left behind by the Tier 6 monster.

By the drake.

I gulp down the saliva building up in my throat just to deal with the dryness I’m feeling there before slowly beginning to make my way in the opposite direction of where the drake went. Because I do not want to meet it.

At least, not now.

Actually, no. Not ever.

Slaying the drake is an optional objective. And there is no way I would be able to kill the thing when I’m not even at the cap of Tier 4 yet, much less Tier 5 or Tier 6.

I also don’t know what exact level in Tier 6 the drake is.

All that said, there is one thing I can do.

If the drake is nearby, that means its altar might be nearby too. And judging by the partially eaten salamander corpses that I find as I traverse through the cavern it had passed through while heading in my direction, the thing seems to be looking for food.

Which means if its altar is indeed nearby, the drake probably won’t be returning soon.

So I pick up the pace and begin to quickly move through the cavern and the tunnel on the other side of it. Just following the path that I see made by the drake’s passing.

I move through one tunnel and cavern after another until I finally find where the path came from.

Although at this point it’s not very hard to figure out where its lair is.

Not with the numerous grooves dug out from the drake’s repeated passings through the area.

Which makes sense. After all, if this is its home, then it’s no doubt gone in and out and passed through the nearby caverns and tunnels a lot.

Which would leave plenty of marks.

Like the ones I’m staring at as I pass through a tunnel before stopping halfway through.

At the point where all of the footsteps on the ground are entering into an opening in the tunnel.

I close my eyes to sense for the drake, and when I don’t sense it anywhere nearby, I immediately head inside.

Let’s see if I can’t knock out one of those objectives now.