The lowest ranked member was about level thirteen. Although they weren’t much in the Second Realm, she couldn’t imagine how much work they needed to put in to reach such levels in just the First Realm.
“We’ll let you get back to your patrolling. Send a message ahead, though,” Erik said.
“Understood.” Clarissa nodded and waved to the others.
They smiled and headed back into the forest.
“Erik and Rugrat are back. It looks like things will get interesting again.” One laughed to his friend.
“I wonder what chaos they caused in the Second Realm.”
Rugrat and Erik only looked awkward hearing the words. Erik bent forward and Delilah groaned slightly as she climbed onto his back.
He took off again at a sprint, Rugrat beside him as they headed toward Beast Mountain.
They passed through a valley and entered what looked to be a cave. On the other side, there was a guard post.
Erik and Rugrat looked over it and continued on, the guards letting them pass
Delilah had never seen anything like it. They started descending through a series of switchbacks, passing other defensive positions until the pathway started to open up. The gates were open and a group of people stood there.
Erik let Delilah down as he and Rugrat moved to meet them. Delilah tried to return feeling to her legs and get used to being on solid ground again. Her eyes went wide as she saw that among the people greeting them, there was a skeleton.
“Well, looking good, everyone. Very undead there, Egbert,” Erik said.
“I prefer re-animated,” Egbert the skeleton shot back. “Did you have to bring this big idiot back?” He sighed and looked at Rugrat.
“Oi, you bony bastard.” Rugrat smiled and tossed a ring to Egbert.
Egbert didn’t stand on ceremony and looked inside. His lower jaw trembled and Delilah thought it was the closest she had seen a skeleton to crying.
Wait, when have I seen a skeleton, or an undead? Do they cry?
Delilah was thrown off by her own questions as Egbert pulled himself together and pointed his nose holes in the air.
“Fine, we’re even for when you tried to stuff me in a storage ring,” Egbert conceded.
“I can hear the wedding bells already.” Another man, in armor with a small crossbow on either hip, sighed, as if picturing the blissful moment.
Rugrat and Egbert both stared daggers at the man, who laughed it off.
“All right, boys. We’ve got a lot to discuss.” A woman stepped forward. Although she was weaker than the others in terms of strength, the others all listened to her.
“Do you have it?” She looked to Erik and Rugrat, a sense of anxiousness and fear on her face.
Erik smiled and looked over to Rugrat.
He pulled out a glowing blue gem from within his storage ring. It seemed to be almost beating as it pulled in Mana and expelled it. Delilah felt her Mana system seemed to crave the released Mana; it was as if she had only drank dirty water in her life but now she had tasted clean water—the same dirty water didn’t satisfy her anymore.
Although everyone had been smiling before, there was a hidden tension that one only discovered when it was released.
The gem rolled out of Rugrat’s hand as he juggled it. Everyone looked over in shock before he recovered it.
“Got it!” he said with a weak smile.
“It’ll take a lot more than you dropping it to break it,” Egbert said.
“Let’s go to the dungeon core. A lot of things have changed.” Elise turned and led the party past the defenses and into the living area.
“Storbon and his team arrived just a week and a half before you. They were basically locked in with Roska’s team, talking about new tactics and their experiences. In their free time, they spent it sparring. Most of the other fighters watched and learned from them. Roska and her team headed to the Second Realm two days ago,” another armored man said, carrying a sword and shield.
“Tan Xue and Julilah?” Rugrat asked.
“They arrived safe and sound,” a man wearing clothes stained black and smelling of metal said.
“Qin Silaz and her brother also arrived, somewhat unexpectedly,” the man with the bow said.
“Her brother?” Erik asked.
“He was looking out for her and ran into one of our teams. They took him prisoner, pulled him back here. He made an oath to Alva Dungeon and well, he’s a regular party member,” the man with a sword said.
“Blaze took him on as something of an apprentice. Got twelve of the little devils running around who need to be re-educated occasionally,” the bow man said.
“Treat everyone fairly; those who prove themselves will show themselves,” Rugrat said, his words holding a heaviness behind them.
“I was too used to the way that I was raised in the kingdom’s army,” Blaze said, apologizing, his face stony. He looked to be sad, the kind of sadness brought on by having someone they respected talking with disapproval.
“We will have a look at all of the teams. Gather reports on them all. We’ll go through them one by one, pass on our teachings. We’ll organize a series of tests for those who want to join the special teams,” Erik said.
Blaze and the bowman both nodded as they walked.
Delilah looked up from the people as something caught her eye. Her footsteps paused as she looked over the small town. It wasn’t very large and only took up a small area in the entire floor.
“An entire town underground—why is it called a dungeon?”
Chapter: Dungeon core’s growth
They went straight to the dungeon core headquarters in the middle of the town.
People who had gotten sound transmissions from the guards and others they knew all poured out into the streets as they looked at the party moving toward the central building.
“Look, Erik and Rugrat are back!”
“I knew they wouldn’t leave us behind!”
“Who is that new person behind them?”
These voices all spoke up, looking at the group as they went into the main building.
Instead of making their way up the stairs to the room above, Rugrat placed his hand on the door that led into the rune-covered core area.
Runes covered the floor and the cylinder around the dungeon core. Mana was drawn in through a number of Mana gathering formations and pumped into the chamber, where it was consumed by the dungeon core. The impurities caused it to glow while it released pure Mana.
Erik was reminded of trees—how they could pull in carbon dioxide and then with photosynthesis turn it into energy and release air.
The dungeon core simply wanted the impurities from the Mana; to it, the impurities were more valuable than the Mana.
The core glowed in the middle of the chamber, looking lonely and small compared to the structure.
Pure Mana poured down in a thread like a stream, touching the formation plate at the bottom, which directed the Mana through the town.
Rugrat pulled out the second dungeon core. In the Mana-dense room, its glow started to increase, like a light bulb warming up.
A screen appeared in front of him, unreadable to others.
“Fuse,” Rugrat said.
The dungeon core in his hand rose up, growing brighter and brighter as it floated upward until it was next to the original dungeon core that was only a third of its size.
The two dungeon cores started to orbit each other, slowly at first and then faster and faster until they blurred together. The edges closest to each other started to merge in between. Mana in the room was swept up as the dim runes in the chamber started to wake up. The two cores pulled in the impurities and purified Mana at an increased rate. The thread of Mana to the ground stabilized and a faint line, then a thread, then a centimeter-wide line streamed upward, going through the top of the dungeon core chamber.
“Damn, we need something to take in the power,” Egbert comp
lained.
A big glowing rock was thrown through the air and hit Egbert in the face. His head went rolling off out of the headquarters as his hands caught the rock.
“Hey! A heads-up would have been nice!” Egbert said, his jaw moving his head around as he cast a spell. His head flew back to his body but he was looking over his shoulder. “Dammit!” He turned to face the right way and started gesturing at Rugrat with the stone.
“Didn’t your—What? How did you?” Egbert ran off and up the stairs to the top of the headquarters.
Erik could see him through the headquarters.
He got to the opening and jumped up in the air. A spell formation appeared under his feet as he shot upward, going parallel to the pure Mana that was shooting out of the top of the building.
It struck the ceiling as Erik crouched down, prepared for something to fall off the ceiling. A previously hidden formation appeared above everyone.
The Mana struck the central point of the formation and spread out down ten different pathways. They all turned left, creating a circle, before they shot out along twenty lines.
Egbert rushed up to the point where the Mana hit the formation and smacked the cornerstone into place.
The power that had been spreading out shot back at an even faster pace. The formation grew dim again as the new cornerstone drew in the power, a blistering star above the dungeon core.
Egbert started to drift away from the point where he had placed the cornerstone that was starting to dim.
Erik turned his attention back to the two cores. The outside edges were blurred while between them a new core was being formed, absorbing the two cores into one.
A final dungeon core rotated and spun rapidly. The previous dungeon core had only purified a small amount of Mana, unable to keep up with the power usage. It was like a heart replacement: the old one wasn’t functioning properly, only pumping a small amount of blood, but this larger and newer heart was beating stronger and more powerful than before. It beat heavily, drawing in more Mana than before, clearing impurities and growing stronger as it pushed out pure Mana that not only met the needs of the dungeon but extra that was stored in the Mana cornerstone above.
Erik closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His body gained a refreshing feeling being around the dungeon core as some of the pure Mana leaked out of the formations and dissipated into the town. With the Mana gathering formations, it wouldn’t be able to leave the dungeon and would be returned. But as it went through the city, the pure Mana would change the bodies and Mana systems of the people in the dungeon.
It’s not quite the same density of Mana as one might find in the Second Realm, but with enough time and if we can upgrade with more dungeon cores, we’ll be able to get there.
Erik opened his eyes to a new chapter of Alva Dungeon and a new quest screen.
==========
Quest Completed: Restore Power
==========
The Beast Mountain Dungeon is under threat. To a dungeon, Mana is its lifeblood. You must find a way to increase the Mana produced in the Dungeon or a new way to produce Mana.
==========
Rewards:
Dungeon core recovers partially [4/12]
1,533,690 Experience (based on results and time)
Dungeon Lord Title Upgraded!
==========
==========
Title: Dungeon Master
==========
Control over the Dungeon building interface.
Grade: Greater Mortal (Can be upgraded)
Ability: Dungeon Sense, 5km radius.
Cooldown: 1 day
Increase all stats by +1
Able to bestow title, Dungeon Hunter (1 remaining)
==========
Titles are awesome! Erik went through the remaining information.
==========
You have reached Level 23
==========
When you sleep next, you will be able to increase your attributes by: 25 points.
==========
==========
73,230/575,000 EXP till you reach Level 24
==========
Quest: Dungeon Reborn
==========
Upgrade the dungeon core, returning it to its peak condition
==========
Requirements:
Dungeon core recovers partially [4/12]
==========
Rewards:
10,000,000 EXP
==========
Quest: Ten Realms Dungeon
==========
Turn the dungeon into a Trial and Tribulation Dungeon, a place to reward those with strength and to cull those without the power.
==========
Requirements:
Create traps and other tests for adventurers to pass through.
Randomly generate a Trial and Tribulation Dungeon (3,000 Mortal Mana stones)
==========
Rewards:
1,000,000 EXP
==========
Erik’s brain might have short-circuited when he looked at the information. He looked over to Rugrat, who looked back at him.
“Whaaat?” Rugrat’s voice reached a high pitch.
Erik opened and closed his mouth, not sure what to say. Leveling up wasn’t that big of a deal with lower levels. After all, becoming an Apprentice in just one skill, one could jump entire levels. But once one started going up in the realms, increasing levels started to become much more difficult.
Jumping four levels in one shot is not normal!
He was just starting to realize what an Experience-making goldmine the dungeon was. I need to learn more. With this power, we should be able to set up that market stall and connect with the trade interface.
“I didn’t mean the stats! All hail the king!” Rugrat laughed as the pure Mana that was coming out of the dungeon core was distorted slightly, being pulled into Rugrat’s body as he opened his holed Mana gate, opening his thirteenth Mana gate.
From his Mana gates, it was like a chimney being blown clean.
Impurities filled the chamber, being drawn into the dungeon core that grew brighter.
“Well, now just need to compress that pesky Mana core.” Rugrat laughed as he took out his Mana stones and tossed them into the chamber. They started to disintegrate, increasing the density of Mana in the chamber. The amount of Mana headed up into the cornerstone increased.
There were two parts to dungeon cores: how strong they were and how much impure Mana was accessible to them. The stronger they were, the larger the area they could pull Mana from. Though, if they had Mana concentrated around them, then they would still draw upon that same area around them, but as it contained so much Mana then it would refine more in a shorter time period. It was why Mana gathering formations were so essential.
The Mana stones were pure Mortal-grade Mana. Earth- and Sky-level Mana stones had a lot less impurities. They were better for people to use and cleanse their own Mana systems, though with less impurities, their use was only small to the dungeon core.
For the newly combined dungeon core, the impurity rich Mortal Mana stone was a delicious meal.
Erik pulled out his remaining Mana stone and tossed it into the chamber.
“Well, might as well throw these in.” Jasper poured out a storage ring. Monster cores entered the chamber, quickly creating a small mound. The dungeon core eagerly converted the monster cores and Mana stones, glowing bright as if pleased with its meal.
Rugrat rolled his shoulders as the last of impurities was flushed from his body. He breathed in, pulling in pure Mana from the stream heading to the cornerstone, and let out a breath. Mana threads came from his body. Mana seemed to flow through him, obeying his commands as if it were only natural.
“Well, it looks like we will be able to deal with our power issues in the future.” Elise sounded relieved before her tone changed. “Now, we have a lot of work to go
through.”
“I, uh, need to check on the smithy. Lots to be done there and I have a lot of items to be done!” Rugrat said.
“I should check out the medical facilities and the Alchemy lab. Make sure you plan the position for the trading interface well—I want it to be accessible to everyone!” Erik said. The two of them slipped past the group and ran off before Elise could say anything else.
She turned her look to the others.
“Books!” Egbert shot off into the sky and toward the academy.
“I need to check with Rugrat—the smithy has changed some!” Taran cried out, running as fast as his stubby legs would take him.
“I have to check on the students and reports from the Beast Mountain Range!” Blaze yelled, him and Glosil outpacing the short smith by leagues.
“Run a bit slower!” Taran complained.
“I’m going to help Blaze—two eyes better than one, you know!”
Like that, the members of the council disappeared.
Elise put her hands on her hips. “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” She sighed and shook her head before smiling and looking back at the chamber that was glowing brighter than ever.
“I wonder what’s next.”
Chapter: Passing on Teachings
Rugrat grinned as he could hear the sounds of the smithy in full swing.
“Wait for me!” Taran yelled, his smaller legs pumping for all they were worth.
Rugrat laughed and slowed down to a walk, letting Taran catch up as he was getting close to the smithy.
“So what did you get?” Taran asked, his eyes glowing as he looked at Rugrat.
Rugrat thought about trying to hide it for half a second before he was unable to hold out any longer. He pulled out a few forging designs.
Taran let out a stunned noise, halfway between a high-pitched scream, a cough, and childlike excitement. His hands came up, his fingers moving on their own as he wanted to grab the forging design.
Rugrat threw it as if he were feeding a hungry tiger.
Taran snatched it, rubbing his face on the forging design and petting it. “Oh hello there, you beautiful design. Oh, you’re Journeyman level, very nice.”
Second Realm Page 49