Redd was already awake before the light crept in through his window. Sector 9.2 didn’t have a sun per se and was instead lit by a mana ball in the sky. The dungeons had pulled some of the features of their host planet into them when created, and for the vast majority of sectors, the day-night cycle had been included. The next few days would be extremely exciting for him. He was eager to get out into the world and make a name for himself, whether by hunting or crafting. Not having yet discovered his affinity or core density weighed on his mind. All his friends had discovered mana manipulation already, and Ari, his oldest friend, had even managed to work out that she had a water affinity. Since around the age of 12, she had been able to manipulate water just by thinking about it, making it clear she was attuned to this element. What wasn’t clear was the density of her core, but Redd believed she was at least a mid-tier F core, if not higher. When they were only 13, he’d watched her put out a house fire without breaking a sweat, using only the mana in the air around her. It was clear that mana manipulation came naturally to her, and for this, Redd held a bit of envy in his heart.
Sadly, the same could not be said about Redd. He had not yet been able to manipulate mana freely and had no idea what his affinity was. Although he was able to use mana within his body—this being the most basic form of mana use—even children could do this without much effort. Affinities were something passed down through bloodlines within the dungeons. Redd was the sixth generation of his family to be born in the dungeons, although he couldn’t be certain as the details his father provided were so vague. His father worked for the Central Guild; however, Redd wasn’t sure exactly what he did. He was also unsure of what his family bloodline affinity was. His father had never shared that information, and his mother had died shortly after he was born. What Redd did know was that he saw his father at most three times a year, as he was constantly on missions for Central. This included some trips to the surface world. Little was known about the state of the surface world, as only the truly wealthy had access to it. After the Great War, most people were relocated to the dungeons due to a lack of resources to sustain them, and over time the Central Guild took control of access to the surface. While updates about the surface occasionally emerged, the current understanding was that it was only habitable in certain areas and mana was being used to restore it at a slow rate. Since the Central Guild was a branch of the world government, their authority could not be questioned.
Making his way downstairs, Redd was greeted by a familiar sight. On the table was his breakfast—oat porridge with apricots and a side of toast—and in the corner, peeling some potatoes, was Agnes, his grandma. Agnes had raised Redd since he was a young boy. After his mother passed, she moved into the house to take care of both Redd and his dad. Agnes herself had been born in the dungeons and was among the first generation to spend their full lives there. She was one of the few remaining people within the dungeons with a pure affinity, which made her average at most things but excellent at nothing. Pure affinities formed before a bloodline’s core attuned to a dungeon’s surrounding mana.
Sector 9.2 was a bronze-type gate. In the grand scheme of gate mana levels, this was very low; however, 10 was the lowest. All of the gates in Sector 9 were the same mana level, and 9.2 had a particularly strong earth affinity. As such, most people born here were earth affinity holders. There was a secondary mana type in the dungeon, water, as the dungeon was a cross between an ocean and a mountain range. The bastion in which the town resided was located at the outskirts of a mountain range stretching far into the horizon on both the north and east sides. To the west and south lay an endless ocean. The bronze gate exiting to the portal hub of Central City happened to be located between the town and the southern ocean border.
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Agnes fired a flurry of questions at Redd as he reached the bottom of the stairs. She noticed him and said, “Good morning, darling. I hope you slept well. Are you ready for your big day? Is this enough breakfast for you? Do you need me to make you a coffee? Did you want a packed lunch today?”
Redd smiled before responding. Agnes had always taken very good care of him. She had never tried to replace his mother, instead acting as a caregiver and grandparent. “Thank you, Gran. That is more than enough food for me. I’d love a coffee, and the school provides food during our exams.” Redd laughed to himself before adding, “And yes, I am ready for today. It couldn’t have come soon enough. You’re acting more nervous than me!”
The response seemed to calm Agnes a bit. “A grandma is allowed to worry about her favourite grandchild, is she not? It’s my job to take care of you, after all.”
Redd let out a sigh with a smile. “Gran, I’m your only grandchild, so that also makes me your least favourite, by that logic, doesn’t it?”
They stared at each other for a moment before bursting out laughing. Agnes had always treated Redd like her own son, and he was very grateful for that. He sat down to eat his breakfast, trying to envision what the day ahead might hold. On rare occasions, they had ventured out of the bastion to the surrounding areas. Usually, this had been with several Guild-assigned hunters for lessons on mana and monsters or to collect resources for class.
The most recent outing had been two months ago. The class had shadowed six hunters from the Guild, who were teaching them about mana crystal extraction from monsters. Monsters varied in each dungeon, influenced by dungeon type and grading. Sector 9.2 was host to two primary monster types. Deep in the mountains lived clusters of trolls that varied in size and strength depending on their cores. Closer to the ocean were marine arthropods, or “mana crabs,” as locals called them. Again, they varied in size and strength. Like humans, monsters differed in affinity and core density, but they often lacked the intelligence to do much beyond imbuing their bodies with mana.
The monsters were not only farmed for their mana crystals but also for other drops. The crabs’ shells were essential for several crafting recipes, while trolls turned to mana stone when they died. These stones could be mined and used as a core crafting material. A prime example was mana-reinforced concrete, made by adding a small amount of mana stone to the mix. This imbued the concrete with earth properties, making it highly resistant to weather and mana-based attacks. Most, if not all, of the buildings in the bastion—including the outer perimeter wall—were made of this material.
After finishing his breakfast, Redd grabbed his satchel, ready to head off early to the exam. As he stepped out the door, he walked straight into someone waiting outside. To his surprise, Ari was standing there. He collided with her.
“Ouch! Oh! Hey, Redd! Erm… sorry about that. I didn’t want to knock too early and wake anyone up. You ready to go?”