Tyler woke up before everyone else, feeling a sense of purpose and excitement about the day's plans. He decided it was time for a fun wake-up call. Smiling to himself, he took out the Walkman and switched it to "The Spencer Davis Group - Gimme Some Lovin’." He cranked up the volume as loud as it would go, and the cave filled with the infectious, upbeat sound.

As the music blared, Tyler started dancing around the cave, swaying his hips and throwing in a few exaggerated dance moves. Livia, stirred by the music, groggily opened her eyes and couldn’t help but laugh at Tyler’s antics. She got out of her bunk and joined him, dancing along with an amused grin on her face.

Elric, Marcus, and Darius, though still half-asleep, couldn’t resist the energy of the music. They dragged themselves out of their bunks, rubbing their eyes and chuckling at the sight of Tyler and Livia dancing.

"Morning, sunshine!" Tyler called out, doing a little spin. "Time to rise and shine, we’ve got a busy day ahead!"

Once everyone was up and in better spirits, they gathered around the makeshift table Tyler had carved out of the rock. Breakfast was a simple affair, with some rations and the last of their fresh water from the stream Tyler had created.

"Alright, listen up," Tyler began, his tone shifting to serious. "We need to scout the area and find out what we're dealing with on this floor. Darius, Marcus, and Livia, that's your job. I want you to look for any creatures that drop mana cores but don't engage unless absolutely necessary. We need to locate any resources, especially mining resources, and most importantly, find the exit to the next floor."

Darius nodded, looking determined. "Got it. We'll be careful and make sure to gather as much intel as we can."

"Good," Tyler said. "While you three are out, Elric and I will work on some new ideas. We're going to try and create a mana core network. If we can link my mana core to power things without physical contact, it could give us a huge advantage."

Marcus raised an eyebrow. "How do you plan on doing that?"

Tyler smiled. "With a bit of coding and some creative thinking. We'll use large flat stones to scratch the code into and see if we can make it work. It’s experimental, so I have no idea if it’s going to work."

Elric chimed in, "We’ll start by creating a physical connection between the mana cores and see if there's a unique identifier that links them. If we can find that, we might be able to use it to transfer power."

Livia looked at Tyler, admiration in her eyes. "You really think this will work?"

Tyler shrugged. "It's worth a shot. If we can get this to work, it could change everything for us."

Around their camp, the desert was teeming with subtle signs of life and mystery. Small animals scurried across the sands, leaving delicate tracks behind. Occasionally, they heard the rustle of movement near their cave, they discovered enormous tracks outside the door, as if some colossal creature had inspected their makeshift home during the night.

"We should be extra careful," Elric said, examining the tracks. "Whatever made these is huge and probably dangerous."

"Yeah, and it looks like it was interested in our camp," Tyler added. "Let's hope it doesn't come back."

After breakfast, the group split up. Darius, Marcus, and Livia set out to explore the desert, keeping low and moving quietly through the dunes. Meanwhile, Tyler and Elric stayed behind, gathering the materials they needed to start their experiment.

The desert landscape was both beautiful and harsh. The sand dunes rolled endlessly under the bright sun, and the occasional rocky outcrop provided some variation in the terrain. As Darius, Marcus, and Livia scouted the area, they marvelled at the strange and otherworldly beauty of the place.

They discovered patches of vegetation struggling to survive in the arid environment, and even a few dead trees that provided some much-needed firewood. They noted any signs of resources or creatures, marking their locations for future reference.

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Tyler used his dimensional inventory to carve out large flat stones from the cave walls, carefully placing them in a cleared space. He and Elric began scratching code into the stones, working methodically to create a network that could potentially link the mana cores.

As they worked, Tyler explained his thoughts to Elric. "If we can find a way to link these mana cores, it means we could set up a network to power devices or even enhance our weapons without needing direct contact. It could be like having a wireless power source."

Elric nodded, scratching more runes into the stone. "It's a brilliant idea, Tyler. If we can pull this off, it could give us a huge edge."

They worked tirelessly, experimenting with different codes and configurations. Hours passed, and though progress was slow, they remained focused and determined. They tested various configurations, trying to identify a unique identifier that could link the mana cores.

They worked tirelessly, experimenting with different codes and configurations. Hours passed, and though progress was slow, they remained focused and determined. They tested various configurations, trying to identify a unique identifier that could link the mana cores.

Finally, Tyler paused, wiping sweat from his brow. "This isn't working," he said, frustration creeping into his voice. "We've been trying to unlock the unique identifier for hours. Maybe we're approaching this the wrong way."

Elric looked up, concern etched on his face. "What do you suggest?"

Tyler's eyes lit up with a sudden realization. "What if we don't need to unlock the unique identifier? What if we can assign a second one? We could create a new identifier linked to my core and then use that to power the devices."

Elric considered this for a moment, then nodded. "It's worth a try. Let's do it."

Tyler pulled out his dimensional inventory and retrieved the tattooing tools he had stashed away. "We'll need to create a new tattoo with the second identifier. I'll link it to my core, and then we can test it with the rune inscriptions."

Elric took the tools from Tyler and began preparing the ink and needles. "This is going to hurt, you know."

Tyler smirked. "Pain is just a reminder that I'm still alive. Let's do this."

Elric carefully inscribed the new identifier onto Tyler's arm, the needle piercing his skin with each precise stroke. Tyler gritted his teeth against the pain, focusing on the end goal. Once the tattoo was complete, Elric added a shield rune to a small, round stone, incorporating the new identifier.

"Moment of truth," Elric said, handing the stone to Tyler.

Tyler took a deep breath and placed the inscribed stone on the ground and concentrated on activating the new runes with his mana. For a moment, nothing happened, and Tyler's heart sank. But then, the stone began to glow faintly, and a translucent, spherical shield appeared around it, making it look like a soccer ball.

"It works!" Tyler exclaimed, relief and excitement flooding through him.

Elric grinned, clapping Tyler on the back. "You've done it, Tyler. This changes everything."

Tyler carefully gave the shield-covered stone a gentle kick. The shielded stone rolled smoothly, maintaining its spherical form. He kicked it again, harder this time, and it bounced back with a satisfying thud.

"Let's see how this holds up," Tyler said, grinning. He and Elric began kicking the stone back and forth, testing the shield's resilience.

When Darius, Marcus, and Livia returned from their scouting mission, they were greeted by the sight of Tyler and Elric kicking the shielded stone around. Intrigued, they joined in, laughing and cheering as they tested the stone's durability.

"You won't believe what we found," Tyler said, his eyes shining with excitement. "We've managed to link my mana core to this stone, creating a protective shield. Imagine what we can do with this technology!"

The team marvelled at the achievement, their spirits lifted by the breakthrough. As they kicked the shielded stone around, their laughter echoed through the desert, a rare moment of joy in their harsh reality.

They all took turns kicking it around, amazed at how it held up under the impact. It wasn't just a game; it was a symbol of their ingenuity and teamwork.

As the sun set, casting long shadows across the desert, the Avengers sat around their makeshift camp, united by their shared success.

“This means you can connect to each one of us” Elric said happily. “All we need to do is tattoo healing and protection runes to our bodies and you will be able to active shields and heal us from a distance”

“Yeah, we might need to tweak the inscriptions a bit so you don’t all turn into massive soccer balls “Tyler smiled as he pictured them all rolling around in massive bubbles.

“Arnt, you worried that it would deplete his core, Elric?” Livia added, “You all saw what happened when he ran out yesterday.”

“Well, I’ve been thinking about that Livia” Tyler interjected. “I think there’s a way to measure the energy reserves from my core and give me a visual indicator so I can see how much mana I have left.”

“Very clever!” Elric said. “What are you thinking? Maybe an elemental connection?”

“Light and a shield. We can create a simple interface using some light runes, combined with a shield spell to project the light on. Shouldn’t be too hard if I can find the right runes in the book. With any luck, we will be playing pong in no time.”