I kept at my flight training, and I’ve got to say, progress came pretty fast. I played it smart this time by wearing a motorcycle helmet and an orthopedic neck brace for protection. The first day was rough—I was still crashing into things, ending up bruised all over and needing some serious healing. But by the second day, I cracked the code. The trick was being super precise about my destination. Instead of aiming directly for the mountain, I had to aim to get near or over it. Same with getting home—if I aimed for the house, the magic would try to land me inside, obstacles and all. Aiming just near the house made everything easier.

I explained the process to Rue, and he picked it up right away—didn’t even need a helmet. On the first day, we played catch in the air, but midway through the game, he landed.

“What happened, buddy? Why did you land?”

“Rue not have enough mana.”

That was the first time it even crossed my mind to check if my flying was consuming mana. Naturally, I facepalmed. By this point, I was sure I had a permanent palm print on my face. I flew around with my profile open and checked my mana. It didn’t go down in single units. Every minute or so, my mana would drop by ten units and then regenerate. The mana regeneration in Lumis was just remarkable.

“We need to widen your channels,” I told Rue.

“Yes!”

“Let me know if your channels start to hurt, okay?”

He nodded, and I cast Absorb Mana on him. After about two minutes, he cried out, “hurt, hurt, hurt.” So, I stopped the spell right away.

I checked his channels with my mana sense, and they looked fine—no tears or damage.

“Ready for another round?” I asked.

“Rue hurt. Hurt no fun.” His mental voice sounded unhappy and accusatory.

“Sorry, buddy. I know it doesn’t feel the best. But it pays off in the end. When your channels are wider, your mana regeneration will be better.”

“John do Cleanse, Rue do channels.”

I just stared at him. Did my dog just zing me?

The next day, we headed to the gorge again, but Rue decided not to join us this time. He was too busy zooming through the air from one end of the valley to the other, chasing kites the wind was blowing. Before we left, he spit out another chewed-up kite in front of me, licked my hand, and said, “Have fun.”

When we got to the gorge, Mahya asked, “Think you can go down with the two of us together?”

“We won’t know if we don’t try,” I replied.

They hugged my shoulders, and I hugged their waists and rose into the air. I kept an eye on my profile and saw my mana consumption jump to fifty units every minute. But with my mana level and the regeneration in Lumis, it wasn’t a problem. The three of us descended to the bottom of the gorge and continued. We had to jog for three hours before we encountered the first monsters.

When we were ready to call it a day, an idea popped into my head. Instead of heading back to the end of the gorge and rising from there, I suggested, “Want to see if I can fly us up from here and back to the valley?” I raised an eyebrow, already feeling the excitement build.

Al gave me a thoughtful look, his tone cautious. “Do you have the physical and mana capacity to handle it?”

“Like I said, we won’t know if we don’t try,” I replied with a shrug, trying to keep it light.

“If it doesn’t succeed, there’s a chance we may fall,” he countered, tapping his fingers on his leg as if weighing the risks.

“We already know I can handle the ascent,” I said, waving a hand dismissively. “I’ll fly low the rest of the way, so even if I can’t continue, the fall will only be a meter or two.” I gave him a reassuring grin, hoping to ease his concern.

They both thought for a moment and then nodded.

It turns out I’m a decent substitute for a hot-air balloon. I had no trouble flying us out of the gorge and back to the valley. I did feel the extra weight, my arms got tired, and my mana dropped to just over 8,000. Other than that, it was no big deal.

Mahya was thrilled because we wouldn’t need to walk and climb from the valley daily.

Since we had a few dry days, we made the most of them and pushed through the gorge. It looked like we were already at the midpoint along the gorge, or at least near it. We stopped harvesting materials from the gorge to feed the house. The house wasn’t slowing down, and the monsters weren’t a problem, but we figured we had gathered enough. Curious, I took out the core and measured it with a ruler. It turned out to have a diameter of 36 centimeters. It looked a bit bigger to me, but I wasn’t sure. I should’ve measured it when I first got it.

Live and learn, right?

In the morning, we were all set to head to the gorge to continue, but Rue stuck his nose out the door, turned around, and returned to his beanbag. I looked outside and saw a thin layer of snow on the ground. It didn’t look like it would last long, and it was barely more than a dusting, but it was snow.

“What’s the problem now?” I asked him. “You’ve got booties on your paws.”

“Rue not like snow. Rue stay home today,” he answered, sticking his nose up in the air.

We laughed and headed out.

After two more days in the gorge, we finally found the dungeon. As always, it looked like the black portal of doom. It was already afternoon, so Mahya said, “It’s too late today. Let’s take a day to rest and run it in two days.”

Al and I agreed, and we returned to the valley.

Two days later, we returned to the dungeon. There was snow on the ground again, thicker than last time, but Rue joined us. I guessed he wanted levels more than he hated the snow.

The dungeon was a maddening maze of stone tunnels, twisting and turning with no rhyme or reason. Every path felt like it was designed to mess with us, winding randomly as if someone had thrown together the layout on a bad day. The walls were rough and sticky, coated in a slick dampness that clung to everything, making it feel like the stone itself was sweating. Glinting streaks and patches of some metallic substance caught the light from our light balls, their shimmer standing out against the dark and light gray of the surrounding stone, like veins running through a giant’s skin.

The air was thick, almost choking, heavy with humidity that weighed down every breath. A nasty, musty smell filled the space, clinging to us just as much as the dampness did. Some sections of the dungeon seemed like they were trying to fold back on themselves, as if we were caught in a loop, with tunnels doubling back to create a sense of endless confusion. The ceiling wasn’t any better, either. Sometimes it was so low that we had to duck or even crouch just to keep moving, and then, in other sections, it shot up so high it disappeared into shadows, leaving me feeling like we were crawling through the belly of some massive beast.

The stifling atmosphere, the twisting paths, the constant change in height—it all worked together to make sure that if you didn’t lose your sense of direction, you’d at least lose your patience.

Aside from the stifling atmosphere, the first floor was easy. It was crawling with manta rays, which we’d already gotten used to from our time in the gorge. They seemed to enjoy hanging around in clusters at random intersections, just hovering there and waiting for challengers. But the thing about manta rays? They’ve got a serious weakness for lightning. So, every time we ran into a group, I’d zap them with a quick burst, and that was that—problem solved.

The floor’s guardian was just a bigger version of the same manta rays, about three times the size, but just as easy to deal with. One good jolt of lightning, and it was lights out for the big guy. Nothing too exciting, but I did manage to harvest over fifty tiny crystals from the smaller ones and a decent medium-sized one from the big manta. Not a bad haul, even if the fights were underwhelming.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Now we had a problem. After getting rid of all the manta rays, we did another confusing round of the floor and found nothing to harvest. The tunnels were empty. After walking around for an hour, looking for something interesting, I facepalmed again and activated my Luck. The thin metal lines on the walls magnetically drew my gaze. I wasn’t sure what it was, but I tried something else. I activated Appraisal.

High-Grade Silver Ore

Value: 3 gold per pinon (837 grams)

Yes, please, and thank you!

We were rich—stinking rich, if I was being honest. But for some reason, no matter how much we already had, the sight of expensive loot still made my heart sing. There’s just something about stumbling across a good haul, even when it doesn’t involve using a loot spell, that makes it feel like hitting the jackpot all over again.

Hmm, maybe I am a true adventurer. In all the stories, the adventurers go crazy over loot.

Once again, my mining tools and skill proved to be very useful. I gave myself a mental pat on the back and started mining. With the number of tunnels, it took us five days to finish the floor.

My house, as always, was terrific. Of course, I didn’t leave it unattended in the valley. The only time I left the house when we went to the gorge was when Rue didn’t join us. When I placed the core and instructed it to open the house, a door appeared in the tunnel’s wall. Once we went inside, everything looked exactly as it always did. This made the mining work much easier and more pleasant, allowing us to take our time. If we had pushed ourselves, we could have finished in three days, but there was no reason to rush.

After we stripped the first floor bare, including feeding the house all the stone that fell off the walls while mining, we proceeded to the second floor. It wasn’t much more interesting. The only monsters on the second floor were the bugs with the scythe legs, and we had a tried-and-true method to deal with them: hold their limbs with telekinesis and take their heads off. Clean and simple.

The second floor took longer to clear since it was bigger, and the bugs needed more effort than just electrocuting them from afar. The final guardian was the bear-gorilla-armadillo thingy, which was actually smaller than the second one we met in the gorge. By then, we’d run into seven of them and had developed a solid method to deal with them. Al and I kept it busy and focused on us while Mahya cast invisibility, jumped behind it, and decapitated it. Clean and simple. With all the training we did in the gorge, this dungeon run turned out to be boring.

It took us seven days to strip the floor—we didn’t rush it. Once it was completely bare, we moved to the third floor, which was much smaller. It only had twelve tunnels with those acid-spitting carnivorous plants—Exude Mana + Lightning = bye-bye plant.

“It’s a mature dungeon, but not completely established yet,” Mahya said, looking around.

“Do we take the core?” Al asked, glancing between us.

“I’m not sure. What do you think?” Mahya asked us both.

“I thought if we find a wild dungeon that doesn’t belong to anyone, we always take the core,” I said.

“We’ll take it eventually. But since we’re staying in the area for the winter, the question is whether we should take it now or run it a few more times before taking it,” she explained.

“We should utilize this dungeon to the fullest extent,” Al nodded.

“I don’t know,” I said, shrugging. “It’s been pretty boring so far. Do we need the silver for something specific? Can you use it for your projects?” I asked Mahya.

“No. Silver is disruptive. I can’t use it for Magitech or with my wood creations. But because it’s disruptive, it’s used in many amulets, shields, and other protective measures. We might need it in the future if one of us develops an interest in the field,” she replied.

Al and I glanced at each other. “I vote we run it a few more times,” he said.

“I think so, too,” Mahya agreed.

“Okay. I’m not against it. It’s just boring,” I said, sighing.

They both laughed.

“What?” I asked, feeling defensive.

“Initially, you didn’t want to fight, and Lis had to convince you to train. Now, when there’s a boring fight, you complain. How the mighty has fallen,” Mahya teased, smirking.

I stuck my tongue out at her, making a face.

She and Al laughed even harder.

The final guardian was the weirdest monster I’ve encountered so far. Its body, covered in bony plates, was almost square. It had short legs and a very long head, like an anteater’s, with three rhino horns in a row. Despite its short legs, it could move fast, and its preferred method of fighting was to crush us between its body and the wall or impale us with its horns.

Unfortunately for the monster, we weren’t the right team for it. Mahya could jump twenty meters, Al could already jump three meters, and Rue and I could hover. The cube with the horns kept crashing its head into the wall at full speed, and we took advantage of this to attack it from the sides and back while it shook its head to clear it.

After five minutes, we defeated the monster without a single scratch. We touched the dungeon core individually to get our rewards, which weren’t bad.

I got:

Silver-Tipped Staff

This sturdy oak staff features a silver tip that enhances the wizard’s ability to channel raw, unrefined mana. The silver disrupts any opposing magic it contacts, making defensive and offensive spells more potent. It’s especially useful for dispelling magical barriers and hexes.

Rue got:

Silver Collar for Familiars

This collar, crafted for familiars, is made of durable leather with silver studs. The silver disrupts any hostile magic aimed at the familiar, offering protection in dangerous environments. It also enhances the familiar’s natural resistance to magical influences, keeping them focused and alert during missions.

Mahya got:

Silver-Edged Sword

This sword features a finely sharpened silver edge, making it incredibly effective against magical creatures. The silver blade can easily cut through magical barriers and wards, and the sword’s weight and balance are perfect for powerful, precise strikes.

Al got:

Silver-Plated Gauntlets

These gauntlets, which have a layer of pure silver coating, offer excellent protection against magical and physical attacks. Silver’s disruptive properties make them ideal for breaking through enchanted defenses. They also provide an enhanced grip, ensuring the swordsman maintains control during intense battles.

Now, I wholeheartedly agreed with them. With such rewards and us staying put for the winter, we definitely had to run this dungeon a few more times. I just hoped it regenerated fast.

After identifying all the items, comparing them, and getting excited about them, we headed to the exit, chatting enthusiastically. Waiting for us outside was a group of three men who looked like they’d stepped out of a story about barbarians—long hair, long beards, tattoos, sleeveless leather vests despite the snow, and facial expressions of a crocodile with a toothache. A lot of toothaches.

The guy at the front spoke first, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “I told you our little thieves are still inside.”

Maya’s voice echoed in my mind, “Al, grab John.” She wrapped her arms around my neck, and Al hugged me from the other side. I hugged their waists, pulling us into a tight circle.

The same guy sneered, “Oh, how touching. They embrace before death.”

The three of us turned invisible, and I shot into the air. The men below started shouting and cursing. Two of them pulled out crossbows, firing wildly at where we had been, while the third drew an enormous sword and swung it with such force that his body spun around. Hovering ten meters above them, we watched the chaotic display.

“Stupid bad people,” Rue commented.

We all agreed with him. I rose higher, and we observed them for another ten minutes as they searched and cursed. Eventually, we flew back to the valley.

When we landed, I turned to Mahya and Al. “Do you think we should change location?” I asked.

“I don’t think so,” Mahya replied, shaking her head. “To reach us, they must go the entire length of the gorge from the outside, and the terrain is difficult. Chances are they don’t even know about this valley.”

“Those are gold badges. Perhaps they won’t find the terrain as challenging as you anticipate,” Al pointed out, crossing his arms.

“How come I didn’t feel their power level?” I asked.

“Travelers can always sense the power level of other Travelers, but not of Norms,” Mahya explained.

“Norms?” I echoed, puzzled.

“That’s how Travelers refer to non-Travelers,” she clarified with a small smile.

“I’ve never heard that term before,” I admitted.

“That’s what my parents called them,” she said softly.

“So, we’re staying put?” I asked, seeking confirmation.

“Yes,” Mahya affirmed. “Even if they turn up in the valley, we can handle them without a problem. And I don’t think they will. The chance is too small.”

I looked at Al to see if he agreed with her. He looked hesitant for a moment, but sighed and nodded.

I opened the house, whipped up dinner, and we quickly returned to our festive mood. We stayed in the valley for three days without returning to the gorge. Now and then, some snow fell, but it still didn’t stick to the ground and melted quickly.

After three days, I turned to the team and said, “I’m going to check on our goldens.” With a nod from the others, I cast Invisibility and flew to the gorge. Since visibility from the outside into the gorge was non-existent, I had to fly inside.

When I reached the location of the dungeon, they were still there. They looked ridiculous—still wearing their leather vests to show off their tattoos, but now with blankets over their shoulders, teeth chattering, and skin turning bluish from the cold. I shrugged and flew back, thinking that if they wanted to freeze their asses off in the gorge, good luck to them.

When I got home, I went straight to the kitchen to prepare lunch. We had a lovely valley, a comfortable house, delicious food, and a lake getting a thin layer of ice. Al was already planning future hockey games, and his excitement was infectious as he discussed the possibilities.