The day after we cleared the valley, the three of us needed a break. Even after casting Heal Muscle, I still felt sore, more from mental exhaustion than physical pain. I set up some lawn furniture outside the house, and we spent the day with our feet up, reading. The only sounds were the rustling of pages and the soft wind.
Even Rue, usually on patrol, napped beside me with his head on my lap. His soft fur tickled my skin, and his rhythmic breathing had a calming effect. The only thing I did all day, besides reading, was scratch his ears occasionally and snack on fruits and candy. I figured I deserved the treat after yesterday’s effort.
Lumis had an incredible mana level. I went to bed with just under five hundred mana and woke up fully replenished, feeling the energy flow through me. I didn’t check my regeneration rate yesterday, but not having to worry about mana was a relief. The air seemed to hum with magical energy, a subtle vibration I could almost taste. I asked Al and Mahya about it, and they said they could feel the higher mana levels, but not like I could. I figured it was a wizard thing and left it at that.
The next day, Mahya approached me. “Can you give me all the crystals you’ve collected from the monsters?” she asked.
I nodded and started pulling out the crystals from my Storage, laying them on the breakfast bar. As the pile grew, Mahya’s eyes widened. Together, we counted them.
“Five hundred and thirty-seven crystals,” I said. They ranged in size from a grain of rice to a lentil.
Mahya picked up one of the smaller crystals and turned it over in her hand. “Can you combine them into larger crystals about the size of a grape?”
I focused my mana, feeling the magic flow through my hands and into the crystals. They merged, the smaller ones melting into each other. By the end, we had seventy-four crystals of the desired size, each humming with condensed magical energy. I also discovered my regeneration rate was twenty-eight units per minute, which was pretty good.
Mahya returned to working on her motorcycle, Al returned to the kitchen to his mushrooms, and I returned to practicing my flight skill. I connected to the wind again, feeling the familiar rush of air as I floated. The second day was just as frustrating as the first. No matter what I tried, I couldn’t get myself to move. The wind whipped around me, but I stayed put in the air.
It wasn’t until the afternoon that I figured out I could lower myself by slightly reducing the connection and rise higher by strengthening it. But that was about it. I tried to think, intend, or will myself forward, backward, or sideways, but nothing worked. I started sweating from concentrating so hard and even got a slight headache—but with nothing to show for the effort.
The wind wasn’t cooperating either. Trying to convince, persuade, or coax her into moving me didn’t get me anywhere. I could feel her amusement at my helplessness. I figured she wasn’t helping because she found it funny to see me hanging there, stuck in place.
She wanted to keep playing with paper airplanes, so I made some and sent them flying. She grabbed and tossed them all over. Rue got excited about the game and started chasing the planes, his paws thundering against the ground as he ran. Occasionally, he tried to jump up and catch one, his powerful legs propelling him into some pretty high jumps. Every time he did this, the wind would lift the plane higher, just out of his reach.
I thought he might get frustrated or angry, but judging by his tail wagging, he loved the challenge. His tongue lolled out, and his eyes sparkled with joy. After a while, he approached me and said, “Wind good friend. Rue love wind,” with a childlike glee filling his mental voice.
“You can communicate?” I asked, surprised.
“Yes! John wind friend. Rue wind friend.” His tail wagged even harder.
It seemed I had an elemental dog. The realization was both exciting and overwhelming.
“Have you tried to connect to another element?”
“No! John friend element. Rue friend element. John first.”
How come my dog knew things before me? I shook my head in resignation.
In the late afternoon, Al approached me with a murderous look. I immediately sensed something was wrong.
“What happened?” I asked.
Without a word, he turned around, revealing holes in his pants and blood trickling down. “Pim,” he said through gritted teeth.
I chuckled inwardly—no reason to get him more upset—and quickly healed his butt. Feeling generous, I even cast Mend on his pants.
“Thank you,” Al muttered.
“I thought you were in the kitchen all day. How did the pim get to you?” I asked, alarmed.
“I went to gather more mushrooms,” he replied, shaking his head. “A single one of those cunning critters was lurking under a huge cap.”
On our third day in the valley, I left my wind training. The constant failures annoyed me. I knew nothing would work with that mindset. I found the to-do list I’d made for myself earlier:
* Practice mind-splitting and increase the number of splits.
* Practice mana control.
* Learn advanced aspects.
* Create a loot spell instead of just mana manipulation—may need two spells, one for monsters and the other for the rest.
* Build a ranged spell.
* Continue practicing affecting matter through mana.
* Learn how to channel external mana.
* Learn to channel mana through Rue.
* Wind or air spell.
* Find a painless way to enlarge the secondary channels.
* Selective Profile popping out.
The Selective Profile seemed the simplest, so I practiced it first. After about two hours, I could easily display only the parts I wanted from my profile. Satisfied, I deleted the item from the list. I stuck my tongue out at the wind to let her know what I thought about her lack of cooperation.
She ruffled my hair and sent me a feeling of mirth.
I just shook my head—resigned.
Next, I added to the list the things Lis instructed me to practice. However, I still didn’t feel confident enough to practice with the stones as he had instructed:
* Mana Sense.
* Mana Oneness with all the elements and progress to Unity.
* Moving things all over the Mana Sense Field.
* Rotating the stones around me.
I spread my mana sense as far as possible, pushing it further with each attempt. I estimated my mana sense had already reached nearly twenty meters around me. This felt like a monumental achievement, especially since I remembered Mahya mentioning that she could only extend her mana sense to three meters after years of training.
This piqued my interest, and I went looking for Al. I found him in the kitchen, chopping mushrooms. “Al, can you spread your mana sense?”
He looked up, slightly puzzled, but nodded. “Of course.” His hands continued their steady work.
“How far?”
“In the immediate surroundings, about ten meters around me.”
“How long did it take you?”
“Over the course of several years,” he said. “What distance are you capable of reaching?”
“About twenty meters,” I answered, trying to sound casual but unable to keep a hint of pride from my voice.
He stopped chopping and looked at me like I was the alien.
Hmm, in Lumis, I was actually an alien. That thought made me chuckle—I didn’t miss the irony.
“What is the source of amusement?” he asked.
“I just realized I’m an alien here.” I grinned.
“Yes, that also brought me some amusement in the first world I traveled. Now, I have gotten used to it.”
I stepped outside, taking a deep breath of fresh air to clear my nose from the mushroom smell—it was much stronger than regular mushrooms. I spread my mana sense again. The world around me came alive, every living thing buzzing with its own unique energy. I sat there for what felt like hours, pushing my senses further. The sun tracked across the sky, its warmth shifting on my skin, indicating the passage of time.
At some point, I noticed denser mana coming from a specific direction. My curiosity kicked in, and I honed in on it. I stretched my mana sense like a lance instead of a sphere in that direction. I figured I reached about thirty? Forty? Meters, but I wasn’t sure. The mana in that direction was richer, so I went to check it out.
As I moved closer, I felt something off—dirty mana creeping into my sensing range. Determined to be smarter this time, I pulled out my crossbow. Within a minute, I spotted a pim. Its yellow eyes gleamed with malice, claws scraping the ground as it closed in. After taking it out and converting it into a crystal, I kept moving in the same direction. Along the way, I had to deal with seven more pims, each one a blip on my mana radar. My crossbow twanged again and again, bolts hitting their marks.
Finally, I came across a large rock with a black portal in its center. It looked eerily familiar, just like the portal of doom I’d seen in Tuonela. The dark energy pulsing from it made me shiver.
It was a dungeon!
Despite my excitement, I was also hesitant. Quickly, I rushed back home to tell Mahya and Al about my find. Bursting through the door, I found them sitting in the living room.
“I found a dungeon!” I exclaimed.
They both looked up. Al set down his book, and Mahya stopped tinkering with something that looked like it came from the bike, a wrench still in her hand.
“That’s amazing!” Mahya said. Al nodded in agreement, a grin on his face.
“I thought thirty-something mana worlds like Lumis didn’t have many dungeons. How did I find one in the first place we came to?” I asked.
Mahya leaned back, thinking for a moment. “It’s not surprising at all. This valley is completely enclosed by mountains, with no way in or out. So no one discovered this dungeon.”
“Yeah, that makes sense.”
It was already late afternoon, so after consulting, we agreed to visit the dungeon the next day.
----------------------------------------
The air turned colder as we approached the dungeon entrance, sending a chill through my bones. The black portal looked ominous, as always.
We stepped inside, and the first floor was eerily silent. The layout mirrored the outside, with ponds and large, glowing mushrooms giving the place an otherworldly vibe. The air was thick and heavy, carrying a musty scent.
“Rue smell something dangerous,” Rue said, sounding excited but also cautious. “Big teeth and sharp claws.” His fur stood on end, his body tense.
“That’ll be pims,” Al said, hefting his mithril shield and sword. “Stay alert.”
Mahya turned to us, her eyes sharp, and in a businesslike tone, said. “John, be ready to heal. Al, take the lead. Rue, stay close to John and flank when necessary.”
I nodded, gripping my two shorter Katanas. We moved forward cautiously.
The pims emerged from the shadows, their big yellow eyes gleaming with malice. Mahya was the first to move, her MK47 carbine spitting out shots before she dashed forward with her sword. The loud bang of gunfire filled the space as her strikes hit their targets with deadly accuracy, each strike being followed by the solid thud of her sword. I closely watched her back, ready to heal any wounds she might take.
Rue charged in, his size and strength making him a terrifying force. His jaws snapped shut on a pim, the crunch of bone loud even amidst the chaos. Holding his position, Al used his shield to ward off the pims’ strikes while his sword swiftly dispatched them.
One of the pims lunged at me. I skillfully raised one of my swords and deflected the creature, the sound echoing loudly. With a quick strike, I finished it.
The battle was over quickly. After the valley clearing yesterday, we were experts in dealing with pims. The air hung heavy with the scent of blood and spent gunpowder.
“Everyone okay?” Mahya asked, checking for injuries.
“I’m good,” I replied, casting Clean on my swords. The blood and grime vanished from the blades. Rue wagged his tail completely unscathed, and Al grunted in the affirmative and nodded.
“Can we use the sleeping potion?” I asked.
Al shook his head. “No, it will not work on monsters. Monsters do not fit into the category of true living entities.”
Bummer. It could have been so easy.
On the first floor, there was a creepy atmosphere created by the ponds and glowing mushrooms. The water was dark and still, reflecting the mushrooms’ soft glow. The air was filled with spores, visible as tiny motes dancing in the light. We encountered more pims, but they were no match for us. I fought occasionally, but mostly healed the small bites they received.
As we progressed, the air grew thicker and the spores denser. The soft squish of our boots on the damp floor and the occasional splash, as we navigated around the ponds, were the only sounds breaking the silence.
We found the first-floor guardian in a large chamber. It was a massive pim, larger and more menacing than the others. Its eyes glowed with eerie light, and its claws scraped against the stone floor as it advanced.
“Spread out,” Mahya instructed. “John, keep us healed. Focus on taking it down, everyone.”
Mahya and Al moved in from opposite sides, their weapons at the ready. Rue circled, looking for an opening. The guardian roared, the sound bouncing off the walls of the chamber. It lunged at Al, who blocked with his shield. The force of the blow knocked him back, but he managed to stay on his feet, redirecting most of the impact to the side.
Mahya struck from behind, her sword biting into the creature’s legs. It howled in pain and turned to swipe at her, but she was too quick. Rue leaped onto its back, biting and clawing, his weight causing the guardian to stagger. The creature’s roars of pain filled the cave. The guardian was stronger than the small pims and its hide was tougher and more resistant. But our teamwork was stronger. As it staggered from Al’s strike, I shot it with crossbow bolts, one after the other.
With renewed vigor, Mahya and Al attacked in unison, their blades cutting deep. The guardian’s blood, a strange phosphorescent green, splattered the ground. Rue tore at the creature’s back, his telepathic cheers spurring us on.
The guardian roared one last time before collapsing to the ground, defeated. The chamber was quiet now. I quickly converted the guardian into a crystal.
“One floor down,” Mahya said with a tired smile. “Now, let’s collect everything.”
It took us hours to harvest all the mushrooms and plants. The work was tedious, but necessary. We carefully uprooted each plant, the earthy smell of freshly turned soil filling the air. The mushrooms were slippery and sometimes required careful maneuvering to remove without damaging them.
Al let out shouts of joy every few minutes, his enthusiasm infectious. “This species is incredibly rare!” he would exclaim, or “The alchemical properties of this fungus are extraordinary!” His eyes sparkled with excitement as he carefully packed each specimen away.
After we finished collecting all the plants, I handed the ones I gathered over to Al, since I had no use for them. Then, we collected the soil. After the soil, we collected the stones. The stones varied in size and color; some were smooth, others jagged.
When we finished with the stones, Mahya said, “Now the water.”
I looked at her in shock and asked, “The water? Are you serious?”
“Yes,” she replied firmly. “We told you, we take everything.”
Fortunately, some of my water tanks were empty. I felt uncomfortable storing water and letting it float around in my Storage. Collecting the water was time-consuming and messy. The water was icy and had a strange, metallic taste that lingered on my tongue when I accidentally splashed some into my mouth.
Following several hours of work, the first floor was finally empty. The once lush and mysterious cavern now looked barren and lifeless. We were exhausted, our clothes damp with sweat and dungeon water, our bodies sore from the constant work. We had no desire to move on to the next floor, but I remembered that if we left, we wouldn’t be able to return until the dungeon regenerated.
Mahya positioned her camouflage poles, and I took out my glamping tent, which I hadn’t used since Shimoor. The familiar sight of it was comforting in this strange place. We ate some takeaway food, and the taste was a pleasant reminder of home after the otherworldly experiences of the day. All those things helped ground me and gave me a sense of normalcy that was very welcomed. We split the night into shifts, each taking turns to watch while the others rested.
When we woke in the morning, a few new plants were emerging, tiny green shoots pushing through the barren floor, but no pims. That was a relief. The air felt fresher, as if the dungeon was slowly recovering from our thorough harvesting.
The air grew colder as we descended to the second floor, the darkness pressing in from all sides. My and Mahya’s light ball spells barely penetrated the gloom. There were more monsters on this floor and they were more aggressive and with better coordination. I constantly used my healing abilities, using Healing Touch to heal injuries and regrow flesh for deep wounds.
Mahya’s speed was invaluable in the open spaces, darting between the glowing mushrooms and ponds. Al held his ground against the nonstop attacks. Rue telepathically communicated vital information, helping us navigate the treacherous terrain. His voice was a combination of enthusiasm and resolve. “Danger ahead! Rue smell lot’s bad things!”
The monsters here were larger and more cunning than the pims, attacking in coordinated waves. We had to adapt our tactics, fighting back with everything we had. Our teamwork and individual skills meshed more and more with each fight.
At one point, we entered a vast cavern, the ceiling lost in shadows. The sound of dripping water echoed around us, creating an eerie rhythm. The ground was slick with moisture. While we advanced cautiously, a pack of creatures resembling giant wolves ambushed us, their eyes glowing a menacing red in the dim light.
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“Rue, flank them!” Mahya ordered, raising her rifle to provide covering fire.
Rue darted to the side, his telepathic laughter filling our minds as he engaged the wolves. “Rue is fast! Rue is strong!” His giant form was a blur of motion in the gloom. Mahya moved like a specter, her blades cutting through the air with deadly precision. Yelps of pain from the wolves followed the whistle of her sword. Al stood beside me, deflecting the wolves’ assaults while slicing through them. The clash of claws against his shield and the sound of his sword hitting its target created a grim symphony of battle.
One wolf pounced on me, fangs gleaming in the dim light. But I was ready. I channeled mana into my sword, feeling the energy course through my arm and into the blade. I released a burst of energy that knocked it back, the wolf yelping in surprise and pain. With a swift motion, I decapitated it.
The fight was fierce, with the wolves fighting with ferocity. Their howls of rage and pain echoed throughout the cavern. But we were stronger, and our combined skills overwhelmed them. As the last wolf fell, we took a moment to catch our breath, heal our wounds, and regroup.
“Everyone okay?” Mahya asked, checking for any wounds.
Even though our voices were tinged with exhaustion, we answered in the affirmative. The toll of constant fighting was wearing on us, but we kept going, determined to finish the floor.
We continued through the second floor, encountering more wolves and some larger pims. Every time, they tried to surprise us, but they couldn’t surprise Rue’s senses. Deeper into the floor, the air thickened and became filled with faintly glowing spores, creating an eerie atmosphere. The scent of decay and something alien filled my nose; it was sweet and cloying, like a strange stinky perfume.
The second-floor guardian was a serpentine creature, its scales glimmering in the light. It looked like a classical snake, with over a hundred small legs. Freaky. It moved with terrifying speed, its fangs dripping venom that hissed and smoked where it hit the ground. I had to cast Neutralize Poison repeatedly, even when it only touched our skin.
The guardian was formidable, its attacks swift and deadly. Al took the full force of the blows while Mahya and Rue attacked from the sides. The sound of the creature's fangs screeching on Al's shield echoed in the chamber, while Mahya's sword landed accurately and Rue's teeth pierced the scaly skin of the guardian. I focused on healing, using every ability at my disposal to keep us in the fight.
As they fought, the guardian’s movements grew more erratic as it took damage. Its hisses of pain got louder. I couldn’t contribute much to this fight because of the poison that kept flying around. With a final, coordinated effort, they brought it down. I quickly converted it into a crystal the size of an orange.
We took half an hour to rest, drink, and eat something and then started harvesting. After hours of work, the second floor was finally completely empty. On this floor, we collected similar things to the first one, but more of them and some ore. The process was exhausting. The ore was challenging to extract, requiring careful maneuvering to avoid damaging the valuable minerals. My mining skill got a workout, at least. It didn’t rise in level, but I felt I got better at it.
We were exhausted and didn’t want to continue to the next floor, so Mahya set up her camouflage poles again. After the intense battles and harvesting, I set up the glamping tent. We ate, split the night into shifts, and went to bed, grateful for the rest.
The third floor was a labyrinth of twisting passages and hidden traps. There were roots that tried to entangle us, thorns shooting out of the walls, and sudden mud pits that twice we had to pull Al out of. The air was heavy, filled with strange echoes. We moved cautiously, Rue’s keen senses alerting us to the dangers ahead. He gave us a constant stream of warnings, “Trap ahead! Smell danger! Lot’s creature near!” The monsters here were smart, using the terrain to their advantage. But we adapted.
At one point, a group of monsters ambushed us. They were black, and it was hard to distinguish their shape; it seemed to change from something resembling felines to lizard-like to black blobs. Freaky stuff. They seemed to melt out of the shadows. Mahya dashed along the walls, her blades flashing as she cut them down. Moving so swiftly, the only signs of her progress were the brief flashes of steel and the sharp sounds of flesh parting. Al and Rue held the line, their combined strength holding off the attackers. Al’s shield rang like a bell, deflecting blow after blow while Rue bit any creature that got too close. I focused on healing, shooting bolts, and occasionally using my swords. The space was full of the sounds of battle—the twang of my crossbow, the clash of metal, and the yowls of the creatures.
As we ventured further into the maze, the corridors appeared to twist and turn with no discernible pattern. The walls seemed to shift and change, making it hard to stay oriented. The monsters kept attacking from the shadows and using the labyrinth to their advantage. This confusing maze was giving me a slight headache. The sudden shifting confused my senses, and our footsteps echoed strangely in the twisting passages.
We fought our way to the third-floor guardian, a hulking black brute, with three legs and two tails that he used like clubs. It stood in a large, circular chamber, its tail-clubs leaving craters in the floor with each impact. It swung wildly, the force of its blows shaking the ground. Al stepped forward, acting as a buffer against the onslaught of attacks. Mahya and Rue attacked simultaneously from different directions. The sound of the tails impacting Al’s shield was like thunder, reverberating through the chamber.
I continuously used my healing abilities, repairing wounds almost as rapidly as they happened. It was so fast that even Mahya and Rue were hit occasionally. I tried shooting it, but the bolts bounced off its hide.
Al kept it focused on him, blocking its strikes, giving me the cover I needed. With his protection, I positioned myself and drove a glaive into the monster’s side, aiming for weak spots. Rue bit its leg from behind, and Mahya used the walls to run up, jump on its head, slash at its neck, and jump away. At least it was stupid. She did it over and over, and every time, it looked for her, but when Al cut it, and I stabbed it again, it returned its attention to us, giving Mahya another chance to strike.
At last, we defeated the guardian. The ground shook as it fell, and then silence descended. We harvested the floor after converting the Guardian into a large crystal. Now, there were fewer plants but a lot of stone and ores. The work was grueling. To continue working, I continuously cast Heal Muscle on the three of us. I had to enlarge my Storage again. I suspected I went overboard with my shopping on Earth—amount-wise. Now, my Storage was 85,184 m³—the size of a warehouse. The thought was both exhilarating and a little frightening.
It took us two days to harvest the floor, and we occasionally got lost in the labyrinth. But finally, it was a bare space. After another day to rest and recuperate, we moved on.
The fourth floor was a stark contrast to the previous ones. It felt colder, and I could feel magic in the air. It took me a while before I pinpointed it as dark magic or mana. The walls seemed to close in, the sense of dread growing with each step. Strange whispers echoed in the darkness. The monsters here were twisted and deformed, and each encounter left us feeling drained, not just physically, but mentally as well. I used Neutralize Curse to protect us from the dark magic, feeling the evil energy dissipate. I also occasionally cast Fortify Life Force to counter the life-sucking effect of this floor and the creatures.
Mahya’s ability to bounce around every possible terrain was crucial, and her blades blurred as she cut through the monsters. Al was a blessing since he mostly protected me, allowing me to cast and neutralize the effects of the floor, at least partially. Rue kept saying, “Rue, strong! Rue protect friends!” And didn’t stop fighting for a minute.
The monsters on this floor were stronger, their attacks infused with dark magic that seemed to sap our strength with each blow. At one point, we found ourselves in a large chamber. The floor crunched under our feet, littered with bones, and the walls exuded dark mana. As we moved cautiously forward, a group of monsters that seemed to slither out of the walls ambushed us. Their forms constantly shifted, making it hard to land a solid blow.
“Stay together,” Mahya instructed, her voice tense but controlled.
Mahya glided silently, her blades effortlessly slicing with lethal accuracy. Al was by my side, using his shield to bear the force of the creatures’ assaults. Rue quickly darted back and forth, biting the monsters. I alternated between healing and offense, my hands glowing with healing energy one moment and wielding my weapons the next.
We fought for what seemed like hours, but in reality, it probably lasted no more than ten or fifteen minutes. Shrieks filled the air, a cacophony that made my ears ring. As the last creature fell, the chamber fell silent, save for our heavy breathing and the persistent whispers that seemed to come from the walls themselves.
“Everyone okay?” Mahya asked again.
“Just a scratch,” I replied. Rue wagged his tail, uninjured, and Al gave a thumbs up.
We pressed on, encountering more twisted creatures. Each fight tested our endurance and skill, but we pushed through. The oppressive atmosphere of the fourth floor weighed heavily on us but also made us push hard to complete it as fast as possible.
The fourth-floor guardian was a nightmare made flesh. It was a mass of writhing tentacles and eyes. Besides lashing with its tentacles, it shot darts of black mana that sapped our strength and made me feel wobbly. It was hard to keep track of all its moving parts and darts, and I felt like being attacked from three hundred and sixty degrees simultaneously.
I used Fortify Life Force to keep us going. My mana reserves dwindled as the battle continued. The guardian’s lightning-fast tentacle strikes tested Mahya’s acrobatic abilities as she dodged them and sought vulnerable spots with her blade. Al protected us both, while Rue found openings to tear off chunks of the guardian’s flesh.
The guardian grew more desperate in its attacks as it continued to take damage. The atmosphere crackled with sinister energy, and it felt like the very nature of reality was distorting and refocusing. It was very confusing and disorienting. Thankfully, with each successful strike, the guardian’s form seemed to destabilize further, and the disorienting effect lessened.
With a final coordinated attack, we brought the guardian down. As the guardian’s form began to disintegrate, I rushed forward and converted it to a crystal, feeling the rush of mana as it transformed into a large gem.
After the intense battle, we agreed to harvest the floor only the next day. We were too tired. As we set up our camp, the unsettling whispers of the dungeon seemed to grow quieter, and the black mana seemed less condensed. It took us another three days to harvest the floor thoroughly. I was still good on Storage, but not for long.
The moment we stepped onto the fifth floor, the surrounding air changed. It became heavy and oppressive. The darkness swallowed the light from our light balls. Strange, shifting shadows danced at the edge of our vision, always disappearing when we tried to focus on them.
“Stay close,” Mahya whispered. “Something’s not right here.”
As we cautiously moved, the floor beneath our feet shifted and changed. What started as solid stone gradually gave way to a strange, spongy material. The walls, too, began to twist and undulate. The air smelled strange, a mix of ozone and something organic.
“By the Spirits,” Al muttered. “What manner of place is this?” His grip on his shield tightened.
Before anyone could respond, a deep, reverberating voice echoed through the chamber, seeming to come from everywhere and nowhere. It didn’t speak any language I knew, but I understood it.
“INTRUDERS,” it boomed. “YOU HAVE PERSEVERED THROUGH MY TRIALS, BUT YOUR JOURNEY ENDS HERE.” The voice was ancient and powerful, filled with malice.
Suddenly, the organic matter around us came alive. Tendrils shot out from the walls and floor, grasping at us. We sprang into action, and our earlier training on the other floors paid off. The surrounding space filled with the sound of tearing flesh as we fought against what felt like the living dungeon itself.
Mahya’s rifle cracked, each shot severing a tendril with precision. Al cleaved through the attacking appendages. Rue's teeth clamped down on any tendril that came too close. “Rue protect friends!”
As for me, I alternated between offense and defense. My twin swords sliced through the organic matter while my staff deflected attacks aimed at my friends. It took me a few minutes to get the timing between storing the swords or staff and getting the next weapon, but I quickly got the hang of it.
But for every tendril we cut down, two more seemed to take its place. The voice spoke again, its tone mocking.
“FOOLISH MORTALS. YOU CANNOT HOPE TO DEFEAT ME. I AM THE DUNGEON GUARDIAN. I AM ETERNAL.”
With those words, the chamber’s structure began shifting. The ceiling descended, threatening to crush us. The floor rippled and buckled, throwing us off balance. And from the churning mass of organic matter, a colossal form took shape.
It was a nightmarish fusion of every creature we had faced in the dungeon. I could see elements of the pim, the wolves, the giant snake, and the tentacled creatures, all melded into a chimeric black abomination that didn’t have a stable form but kept shifting. At its center, pulsing with evil energy, was the creature’s heart—it alternated between pulsating black and red, sending out strange mana that tasted like blood and rots in my mouth, and then it disappeared, covered with the malleable flesh.
Mahya reloaded her rifle with practiced ease. “That thing looks like it could shrug off a barrage of artillery,” she said in a worried tone.
Al hefted his shield. “We will need to increase our efforts,” he said, his voice steady despite the fear evident in his eyes.
I quickly assessed our situation. The guardian was immense, its various parts working in deadly harmony. We needed to disrupt that harmony, to create an opening for a decisive strike.
“Okay, here’s what we do,” I said, ducking under a swipe from a massive, clawed appendage. “Mahya, I need you to target its sensory organs – eyes, ears, anything that looks like it might be used for perception. Al, keep its attention. Make it focus its attacks on you. Rue, you’re our wild card. Use your speed to harass it from different angles.”
“What about Rue’s John?” he asked.
I grinned. “Me? I’m going for that core. I’ll use every trick in my arsenal to get close and take it out. But I’ll need all of you to give me that chance.”
My friends nodded.
“Alright then,” I said, gripping my swords tightly. “Let’s show this dungeon why it should never have let us get this far.”
With that, we launched ourselves at the Guardian. While Mahya shot the creature’s sensory organs and Al made it angry with his swings, I powered up my mana for the most crucial battle ever.
The battle against the dungeon’s guardian was unlike any challenge we had encountered. Its massive form twisted and writhed. The air crackled with malevolent energy, and the very fabric of reality seemed to warp around us. Strange, discordant sounds filled the chamber.
Mahya’s rifle emitted a rapid succession of shots, each one hitting its target. Al was a formidable opponent, his shield ringing like a war drum as it blocked blow after blow. His sword moving in deadly arcs. “Whatever plans you may have, John,” he grunted between strikes, “it is in your best interest to act quickly. I am unable to sustain this indefinitely.”
Rue dashed around, his massive form belying incredible agility. He skillfully avoided the guardian’s attacks and chewed on its weak spots. “Rue best wild card ever!”
I was pushing myself to limits I never knew I had. I alternated between a glaive and swords. But I knew that conventional weapons alone wouldn’t be enough to bring down this monstrosity. The guardian’s regenerative abilities were astounding, wounds closing almost as quickly as we could inflict them.
I wove my mana into increasingly complex patterns, combining my healing and offensive abilities. My Control Blood ability, usually used for healing, I now turned into a weapon, disrupting the flow of vital fluids in the organic parts of the guardian, allowing us to cut them off it. I somehow combined Purify and Clean into one spell that was very effective. Every time I cast it, it hit the guardian and seemed to weaken it and disrupt its cohesion. But the guardian was relentless. Every wound we inflicted seemed to regenerate twice as fast, and its attacks grew more frantic and desperate.
Then, I saw our opportunity in a moment of clarity amidst the chaos. The guardian’s core, pulsing with dark energy, became visible for a split second as it reared back for a massive attack.
“Everyone, to me!” I shouted. As everyone gathered, I gave them a quick rundown of my plan. “I’m going to create an opening, but I’ll need every ounce of power you can give me. When I give the signal, hit it with everything you’ve got!”
Without waiting for a response, I channeled every unit of mana and life force I could muster. I drew upon every ability I possessed, weaving them into a single, concentrated point of power. Everything around me started to look strange, as if reality was warping because of the crazy energy I was playing with. I could feel the mana flowing through me, more than I had ever channeled. I thought that I might have even absorbed some mana from the environment, but I wasn’t sure—it was too hard to concentrate on anything else.
“John,” Mahya’s worried voice cut through my concentration. “Whatever you’re doing, it’s tearing you apart!”
She was right. I could feel my body beginning to break down under the immense strain. My muscles burned, my vision blurred, and I could taste blood in my mouth. But I couldn’t stop now. We were too close.
With a primal roar, I released the pent-up energy in a searing beam of pure, unfiltered power. It struck the guardian’s core like a battering ram, creating a spiderweb of cracks across its surface. The sound was deafening. The air itself seemed to ignite, filled with crackling energy. I roared so loud that I felt one of my eardrums rupturing.
“NOW!” I screamed.
My friends were quick to act. Mahya emptied her rifle into the weakened center, each shot widening the cracks. Al charged forward, his sword plunging deep into the fissures. Rue jumped and bit down hard on the fragile surface. His mental voice was a wordless howl of triumph.
For a moment, everything seemed to hang in perfect stillness. The chaos of battle faded away, and I could hear nothing but my heart pounding. Then, with a sound like a thousand thunderclaps, the guardian shattered like glass.
The effect was immediate and catastrophic. The guardian’s shape crumbled, its monstrous blend of creatures and elements breaking apart. Waves of energy pulsed outward, hitting the very foundations of the dungeon, sending cracks through the whole thing, and throwing us into the walls. The chamber’s walls crumbled, and the air filled with dust and debris, making breathing hard or seeing difficult.
“We need to get out of here!” Al shouted, already moving towards what looked like an exit.
“We need the core. I’m not leaving without it,” Mahya shouted back. She ran up the crumbling wall, defying gravity, and jumped from one falling stone to another to grab the core hovering near the ceiling. She landed beside us, clutching the pulsing heart of the dungeon with both hands—it was huge.
“Touch it to get the rewards,” she said urgently.
When I touched the core, a staff and armor fell to the floor. I stored them without checking. I was too out of it.
Al and Mahya ran around, storing all the falling stones and everything else around them, and began moving toward the exit.
But as I tried to follow, I found my legs wouldn’t respond. The massive expenditure of energy had left me completely drained. I could feel consciousness slipping away, my vision growing dark. The world seemed to tilt and spin. I was moments away from collapse.
The last thing I remember was the sensation of being lifted, Rue’s mental voice echoing in my mind. “Rue not leave John!” The loyalty and determination in his thoughts gave me a last surge of hope.
As darkness claimed me, I caught a fleeting glimpse of light ahead—the exit, our salvation. We had done it. We had conquered the dungeon, defeated its guardian, and lived to tell the tale.
----------------------------------------
I woke up in my bed with the worst headache I’ve ever had in my life, and my mouth felt like the Sahara Desert. When I tried to move, I found that my whole body hurt, too. I tried to cast Healing Touch on myself and whimpered in pain. All my channels burned. I lay in bed, feeling miserable. After some time, I took out a water bottle from my Storage. Even that small action made my channels burn and my head spin woozily.
After a while, Mahya checked on me and saw I was awake. “Thank the spirits you’re awake!” she exclaimed.
“How long?” I croaked. That was the most I could do.
“Three days,” she replied, her eyes full of concern.
“Wow,” I muttered.
Mahya didn’t waste any time. She brought me food and drink, carefully helping me sit up to eat. Her gentle touch and soothing presence made the ordeal more bearable. She dabbed my forehead with a damp cloth and whispered words of comfort.
Over the next three days, Mahya stayed by my side, tending to my needs. She often placed her hand on my forehead, checked for fever, and meticulously measured the potions she gave me to aid my healing.
It turned out that Al had been working tirelessly for two days straight to prepare potions that would help me recover.
“You’re getting stronger each day,” she said, her smile warm and encouraging. “Just take it easy.”
Slowly, my channels returned to normal, and I could finally cast Healing Touch and Fortify Life Force on myself without the searing pain. Each successful cast brought me closer to feeling human again.
I finally felt well enough to sit up without help on the sixth day. “Thank you, Mahya,” I said. “I don’t know what I would have done without you.”
She blushed slightly, waving off the praise. “Just doing what needed to be done.”
Feeling significantly better, I remembered the two items I got from the dungeon. With some effort and slight pain, I pulled them out of my Storage. As the items appeared before me, I was stunned by their magnificence.
I used Identify on the staff:
Mystic Healer’s Staff
* Item Type: Magical Staff
* Description: Skilled artisans used enchanted oak, passed down through generations, to create this beautifully designed staff. Intricate mithril inlays adorn the elegantly crafted staff, forming a continuous pattern of runes along its length. A sizable crystal orb crowns the staff, emitting a gentle, shimmering light.
* Properties:
* Enhanced Healing: Amplifies the strength of healing spells and abilities by 50%, facilitating quicker and more efficient healing.
* Mana Conservation: Reduces the mana cost of healing spells by 30%, allowing the user to cast more spells without rapidly draining their reserves.
* Rejuvenation Aura: Emits a passive aura that gradually replenishes the health and mana of nearby allies within a 10-meter range, offering a constant flow of healing energy.
* Radiant Glow: The orb at the crown of the staff emits a gentle light that brings solace and renewal, contributing a tranquil aura to the surroundings.
* Appearance: The Mystic Healer’s Staff is six feet tall with a smooth, polished surface. The mithril inlays catch the light, creating a mesmerizing visual effect. The crystal orb at the top emits a mystical glow, capturing attention.
* Lore: An ancient order of Druids created this powerful staff, known as the Mystic Healer’s Staff. Throughout the ages, each owner added magical enhancements, making it one of the most revered healing relics in existence.
Next, I Identified the armor:
Aegis of the Light
Item Type: Magical Leather Armor.
Description: Crafters combined Lunar Wyvern leather with mithril plating for added protection to create this extraordinary set of armor. The armor emits a divine aura, symbolizing invincible strength. The ensemble includes a jacket and pants worn over regular garments. It offers excellent maneuverability and comfort while guaranteeing powerful defense. Intricate engravings decorate each piece, emitting a subtle golden glow.
Properties:
* * Dark Magic Resistance: Grants a 60% resistance to dark magic, forming a powerful shield that absorbs and repels dangerous spells and curses.
* Enhanced Fighting Prowess: Enhances combat abilities by 25%, boosting the wearer’s strength, agility, and endurance.
* Radiant Shield: Projects a shield of light that grants temporary invulnerability to dark magic and reduces physical damage for 10 seconds.
* Valor’s Aura: Provides a morale-boosting aura to allies within 15 meters, enhancing their combat effectiveness and fear resistance.
* Appearance: The Aegis of the Light includes a fashionable leather jacket and pants in a stylish dark blue crafted from the Lunar Wyvern’s mystical hide. Strategically placed mithril plating enhances protection. Intricate engravings adorn every item, radiating a delicate golden shimmer. The armor offers unmatched mobility and defense.
* Lore: With the guidance of a powerful archangel, Master Smiths crafted the Aegis of the Light from enchanted Lunar Wyvern leather and blessed mithril. They gifted this revered armor to a renowned hero appointed to fight the emerging darkness. Many great champions have worn the armor, passing it down for generations, and each has added their blessings and enchantments.
“They’re amazing,” I said. Mahya’s eyes widened as she examined the items.
“Mystic Healer’s Staff,” she murmured, running her fingers gently over the runes. “This will amplify your healing abilities significantly and help conserve your mana.”
“And this armor,” I added, admiring the Aegis of the Light. “It’s designed to protect against dark magic and enhance fighting prowess.”
Mahya nodded, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “With these, you’ll be a force to be reckoned with.”
Well, I always claimed that I didn’t want to fight. But if those were the rewards, I thought I might reconsider my stance. I still didn’t see myself as a fighter, and I would defuse situations when possible. However, as far as I was concerned, dungeons were fair game from now on.