Tyler woke up at dawn, the sun's first light casting a golden glow over the desert. The air was still cool, a fleeting respite from the scorching heat that would soon follow. He stretched, feeling refreshed and invigorated, his mana core providing him with incredible stamina. He noticed the others stirring in their bunks, clearly feeling the aches and stiffness from their hard work.

"Rise and shine, everyone!" Tyler called out, his voice echoing off the cave walls. "We've got a lot to do today."

The others slowly got up, groaning slightly as they stretched. They gathered around the campfire, sharing a simple breakfast and discussing the plan for the day.

"Alright, here's what I'm thinking," Tyler began, "First things first, we need to make sure everyone has a shield and healing runes. I will sleep a lot better knowing I’m able to activate a shield or heal you at any time. Once that's done, we can work on expanding our base and setting up the essentials."

Tyler looked at Livia, who had taken point on the previous day's scouting mission. "Livia, give us the full report."

Livia took a deep breath. "We covered a lot of ground yesterday," she started. "First off, we found some ruins a few miles northeast of here. They look ancient, and I'm pretty sure that's where the portal to the next floor is located. The structures are mostly intact, and there's a large, open courtyard with a few armoured statues."

Tyler nodded, encouraging her to continue. "That's good news. What else did you find?"

"We came across several promising mining sites," Livia said, her eyes lighting up. "There's a significant vein of mithril in a cliff face about two miles west. It looks untouched and could provide us with high-quality metal for weapons and tools. We also found traces of other rare minerals in the surrounding area, though we didn't have time to investigate them all."

Marcus chimed in, "We also spotted some creatures in the distance. Mostly giant scorpions and sand serpents. They looked dangerous, but they didn't seem to notice us. We avoided any direct confrontation, just like you asked. If we need mana cores, we might have to engage them eventually, but for now, we kept our distance."

Darius added, "We saw some crazy dust storms on the horizon. They move fast and can be pretty intense. We'll need to be cautious and find shelter quickly if one heads our way. The storms could pose a serious threat if we're caught out in the open."

Livia nodded in agreement. "That's about it for now. We have a better understanding of the area, and we know where to find resources and potential dangers. The ruins are definitely our best bet for the portal, and the mining sites will be invaluable for our preparation. Elric, remind me to work on a shield that filters out dust."

Tyler took out his tattooing tools and began working on each team member, carefully inscribing the shield and healing runes into their skin, linking the runes to his mana core. After that, he worked on a simple interface using light and protection runes, creating a simple mana bar on his forearm that glowed softly, indicating his current mana levels. "Dang! This looks pretty cyberpunk if you ask me!" Tyler was proud of his handiwork.

"Alright, let's test it all out," Tyler said as he got up. "Livia, Marcus, step outside for a moment. I need to test the shields."

The two stepped out into the bright sunlight, squinting against the glare. Tyler activated the shield runes, and a faint, translucent barrier appeared around them.

"Now, don't move," Tyler called out, picking up a handful of small rocks.

Livia and Marcus exchanged wary glances. "You're not really going to throw rocks at us, are you?" Livia asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.

"Of course I am," Tyler replied with a grin. "Gotta make sure these shields hold up."

With that, he began tossing the rocks at them, aiming for their torsos. The rocks bounced harmlessly off the shields, and Tyler watched his mana bar to see how much the shields drained his mana. The bar didn’t move, indicating the shields used almost no mana yet.

"Alright, looks good," Tyler said, dusting off his hands. "Now, let's try something a bit stronger."

He picked up a larger rock and hurled it at Marcus, who flinched but held his ground. The shield absorbed the impact, and Tyler noticed a small dip in his mana bar, but it returned to normal a second later. “I wonder if it’s replenishing faster out of combat,” Tyler said to Elric, who was standing next to him.

“Sure, I’ll write it down in my invisible book,” Elric replied with a smirk.

Ignoring the sass, Tyler threw another big rock, this time as hard as he could. "Not bad," Tyler said, nodding in approval. "How about a little fire next?"

Livia's eyes widened. "Wait, you're going to set us on fire now?"

"Just a little bit," Tyler replied, forming a small fireball in his hand. He tossed it at Livia, and the shield flared up, absorbing the flames.

His mana bar regenerated again within seconds. "Okay, that's enough," Livia said, laughing as she brushed off the faint remnants of the fireball. "The shields work, we get it."

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Satisfied with the results, Tyler deactivated the shields, and they all headed back inside the cave. The team felt more confident knowing they had an additional layer of protection.

With the runes in place, they turned their attention to expanding their base. Tyler and Elric began by carving out larger spaces in the cave, using Tyler's dimensional inventory to remove large chunks of rock. They worked methodically, creating interconnected rooms for various purposes.

In the main chamber, they set up a spacious common area with a large fireplace for warmth and cooking. Adjacent to it, they carved out a kitchen and dining room, adding a fireplace for cooking. Using some of the stone they had removed, Tyler built a makeshift wall around the base, providing additional security.

"We'll need a good place to clean up," Elric said, eyeing the dust and grime covering them. "How about a heated pool?"

Tyler grinned. "I like the way you think." He used his inventory to carve out a large pool and added heat runes to warm the water. The result was a luxurious, steaming pool perfect for relaxing after a hard day's work.

Next, they tackled the issue of sanitation. Tyler carved out a spacious bathroom, complete with a makeshift toilet. He added an incinerator at the bottom, activated by a simple rune, ensuring waste disposal was clean and efficient.

After hours of hard work, the bathhouse was finally complete. A series of pipes, also carved from the stone, allowed fresh water to flow into the pool and waste water to drain out into the desert. They had even managed to scavenge some soap from the stores they looted, a rare luxury for them.

Tyler stood back, admiring their handiwork. "Alright, everyone, it's bath time."

They all stripped down without hesitation, nudity being a non-issue for them at this point. The warm water felt heavenly as they stepped into the pool, the grime and sweat of their labors melting away.

Livia sighed in contentment, leaning back against the edge of the pool. "This is incredible. I can't remember the last time I felt this clean."

Marcus laughed, splashing water at her. "Enjoy it while it lasts. We can’t stay here forever, you know."

Elric and Darius lounged nearby, their faces relaxed and content as the Walkman played some interstellar soundtrack in the background. The warmth of the water and the soothing effect of the soap worked wonders, easing the tension in their muscles and washing away the stress.

For the first time since becoming slaves, they had a chance to truly relax and take care of themselves. The simple act of bathing together, sharing stories and laughter, created a sense of normalcy and camaraderie they had sorely missed.

Tyler watched his friends, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction. They had come a long way, and there was still much to do, but for now, they could enjoy this moment of peace.

As the sun set over the desert, casting long shadows across the dunes, the team soaked in the warm water, their spirits lifted by the simple pleasure of a clean, relaxing bath. It was a small victory, but one that reminded them of their humanity and the bonds that held them together.

One by one, everyone left the pool, their spirits buoyed by the rare chance to relax. Tyler, Livia, and Elric left first, heading to their respective tasks for the evening, leaving Marcus and Darius alone in the bath.

The two older men leaned back, enjoying the warmth of the water as Tyler changed the music to some 60s and 70s golden oldies before he left.

For a while, the two men just relaxed, enjoying the music until Marcus broke the silence. "This is something else…" his voice filled with wonder as he hummed with the chorus of Sweet Caroline, "I never thought I'd see the day when we'd have a place like this to call our own."

Darius nodded, splashing water over his face. "It's all thanks to the kid… he’s something special."

Marcus sighed, “A mind like a steel trap and the heart of a lion."

Darius smiled, reaching for the bar of soap and handing it to Marcus. "He's got a lot of weight on his shoulders. I worry about him sometimes..."

Marcus made a gruff noise in agreement, scrubbing his arms. "He's handled it well. Better than most men twice his age. Still, we need to watch his back, he's not invincible."

Darius nodded, a determined look in his eyes. "We'll be there for him. All of us.”

Marcus dipped under the water and said, “We've got to stick together if we're going to survive this tower and find a way out of this mess."

Darius leaned back, closing his eyes. "Agreed. And who knows? Maybe we'll find a way to turn this place into a home.”

Marcus chuckled softly, his voice echoing off the cave walls. "Don't get too comfortable. This place is just temporary."

Darius shook his head, reaching for the soap. "Why should we leave? We've got everything we need right here. We could stay on this floor indefinitely, build a life for ourselves. Why risk moving up the tower?"

Marcus frowned, considering Darius's words. "We can't stay here forever, Darius. The resources will run out eventually. Besides, the kid would never stay here, and would you let him go it alone?”

Darius's eyes narrowed, frustration evident in his voice. "What if there's nothing up there but our deaths? The empire's combined might hasn’t been able to get past the sixty-fifth floor, Marcus. What chance do we stand to make it to one hundred?"

Marcus sighed, rubbing his temples. "I understand where you're coming from... but you’ve seen this kid fight a beast the size of a building with nothing but his bare hands and come out on top. I believe in him.”

“You really think he is strong enough to take us to the top?” Darius asked with reluctance.

“That boy made me believe again. Give him time.”

“You know something we don’t?” Darius said, suspicion creeping into his tone.

“His mana core, it’s growing stronger. Every time he uses it to near exhaustion, it seems to expand.”

“How could you know that?”

“Well, apparently Tyler and Elric figured it out by accident. They were building the parts of the bathhouse, and they calculated how much stone he could move into his inventory each time before he needed to rest to regenerate his mana, you see, and every time he was able to add a little bit more and he recovered a little bit faster.”

Darius grunted, clearly unconvinced. "It's still a gamble, Marcus. A big one. I just don't want to see us die on some fool's quest. It makes more sense to stay here for a few years, until we find a way to remove the slave brands and then leave the tower on the 5th floor when they have forgotten all about us.”

Marcus placed a reassuring hand on Darius's shoulder. "If he hasn’t convinced you by the time we leave, we can talk about it then."

Darius looked down, the water lapping around his chest. "It's not just about survival, Marcus. It's about making sure we don't throw away this second chance we've been given."

Marcus nodded, understanding the weight of Darius's words. "I know, Darius. But we have to trust in something. Tyler might be young, but he's got something special. Maybe he's the one who can break the cycle of oppression in the empire. Isn’t that worth fighting for?"

Darius sighed, his expression softening slightly. "I hope you're right, Marcus. For all our sakes."