***
Egbert looked up from the library and sent a message to the people standing guard at the teleportation formation.
“Expect arrivals shortly,” Egbert said. Through his connection to the dungeon, he could see what was happening in the battlefield dungeon in real time.
The group were fighting a Metal beast that shot out lightning from its mouth or called lightning down from the heavens. Instead of just hitting the targets, it created an area of effect that would stun and paralyze those who stepped in it. If it stepped into those areas, then it would start to recover from its damage.
The beast was a meter tall and three meters wide but it was made of floating rocks connected by lightning. Weapons were only moderately effective against the beast; spells and enchanted weapons had to be used to incur any lasting damage.
Ian was hit with a direct blast of lightning. He screamed out; smoke could be seen rising from him as he twitched on the ground.
Setsuko was jumping on the rooms ledges around the beast, firing arrows at it constantly.
Tian Cui appeared behind the beast, stabbing her poisoned blades between the cracks in the beast’s rocks. She connected with the lightning and was thrown backward, screaming through her gritted teeth.
“Come on!” Storbon yelled as he rushed the beast, taking its attention away from Tian Cui.
Glosil rushed up with him as Yao Meng used the ballista net. It landed on the beast but the lightning burned through the net’s material.
It stomped on the ground. The ground rippled with lightning that shot out like a wave, striking Storbon and Glosil.
It turned and unleashed a lightning strike from its mouth; the lightning was as thick as a man’s forearm.
A wall of rock and dirt shot up under Yuli’s guidance.
“Throw water on it!” Yuli yelled to Tian Cui.
Tian Cui rushed in and cut open a waterskin, pouring it on the beast.
It almost looked as though it grinned as the lightning around it reverberated, bouncing between the water and itself, growing in strength and amplifying the other.
A spark of lightning reached out to hit Tian Cui, piercing her armor. She dropped to the ground.
The beast turned slowly and walked toward her, ignoring the other attacks.
Tian Cui pulled out her medallion and crushed it in her hand. Light surrounded her as the beast made to speed up. It smashed at the light but it hit nothing but the ground.
“Break your medallions,” Storbon said, just getting up from the ground.
The others started doing so. Yao Meng had to help Ian break his. Storbon looked at the beast before he broke his medallion as well.
Egbert let out a deep breath, knowing that they would be safe as they were sent off to the prize hall.
==========
Battlefield Dungeon concluded. Energy restored to the dungeon.
==========
“Everyone, put down your books and look over at the dungeon core. You’ll want to see this!” Egbert’s voice reached through the library as he moved to the library window.
The wind seemed to be stirred up slightly as the dungeon core glowed a bit brighter. The stream of power headed to the Mortal cornerstone seemed to grow brighter as well.
Then the wind started to change color, turning brighter, becoming denser. It wasn’t wind but Mana being stirred up.
The Mana became more visible. A blue mist appeared above everyone. The density of Mana in the dungeon increased tens of times over as the trails of vapor lit up the sky, running like rivers to the ocean. They made a beautiful sight as they were captured by the Mana Gathering formations. Circles appeared in the sky, dots around them. Each circle ringed the dungeon core, with the Mana being compressed and conveyed forward.
It looked like wagon wheels inside one another.
The dungeon core lit up, brighter than ever before. The thread of pure Mana headed to the cornerstone expanded. A larger pillar chased it up as it hit the Mana storage formation. Powerful rumblings could be heard as that power was channeled into the Mana cornerstone. Clouds of pure Mana appeared around the Mana cornerstone as it expanded wildly. Light, brighter than the pseudo sun, appeared above the dungeon.
Egbert tapped into the dungeon as he felt the sheer power returning.
It wasn’t close to the power that the gnomes had controlled but it was something he feared might not ever happen while he existed.
Egbert looked at his old bones that started to lose their yellowed look and become stronger. Faint blue lines could be seen. The lines faded away as the contained Mana that the Ten Realms imparted onto them for completing their duty as a dungeon faded away.
The Mana was still contained within the Mana Gathering formations, being channeled directly into the Mana core.
People who had their Mana gates pierced to make them easier to open had a breakthrough; the creatures in the dungeon underwent bloodline evolutions, with some increasing their level from the sheer Mana filling the area.
Plants were brought to harvest as metals that were being refined became easier to raise a grade.
If one was to look at the dungeon core, they would see that it had grown slightly. But this slight change allowed it to refine more Mana than ever before, and it wasn’t done as it greedily drew in the Mana that had been gathered before it, consuming the Affinities and purifying the Mana above.
It had happened over just a few minutes and the gathered Mana was starting to dim down as the pillar of power on top of the Mana storing formation was reduced.
The Mana clouds around the Mana cornerstone were absorbed as the Mortal Mana cornerstone had grown, creating crystals on the area around it.
Egbert smiled as he looked up at the Mortal cornerstone.
“Enough pure Mana and you can change anything’s constitution.” He then turned his eyes to the teleportation formation where Special Team One was supposed to appear.
***
Storbon appeared before a kiosk with a screen of information on it. On the wall to the left, there was another screen.
Above the kiosk there was a sign: Prize Hall.
Storbon scratched his face as he looked at the screen of information on the wall.
=========
Storbon Price
Dungeon Points: 11,830
=========
I thought that it might be a bit more impressive. Maybe they’re different on the higher floors.
He walked up to the kiosk with the screen on it. His thoughts changed as he saw all of the items that one could get from the store.
There were items for all classes, as well as information, technique, and spell manuals. Skill blueprints, rare materials. Then there was the lottery side. One could pick an amount to put forward and bet, or they could pick from the preset levels. There were thirteen categories that one could bet on: from Novice; to Apprentice—low, mid, or high; Journeyman—low, mid, or high; Expert—low, mid, or high; and Master—low, mid, or high.
If one bet on a Master-low item, then they would at least get a Master-low item, nothing less, but there was a chance for them to get an item that was equal to a Master high-grade item. Though one couldn’t pick what item they would get: pills, blueprints, shields, swords, boots, pieces of cloth—it could be anything.
Novice was fifty points to bet on; Apprentice low one hundred; mid two hundred; high three hundred. Journeyman jumped to one thousand points; mid was three; high was five. Expert went to twenty-five thousand points. At that point, Storbon looked to the top. Master high-grade bet was five million points.
Storbon went back to the prizes that he could buy with his points.
First he looked at the different spears. His spear was good but when fighting the higher tier beasts, he needed more than to just enhance his own abilities; he needed a spear that could amplify its own effects.
He had heard of blades that could add a Fire attribute to an attack. When fighting against the magical beasts that could only be affected by magical we
apons, Storbon had to use his magical staff to blast them, relying on the staff’s ability. It was only enchanted with a weak fireball formation and it ate through rubies like nothing. It wasn’t as strong as his own attack with the spear, whether in close or throwing it.
His eyes lit up, seeing the assortment of spears. He could buy three high-Journeyman-level spears for his money. He wanted to buy one but his thoughts moved to the manuals and information books. Tan Xue could already make high-Journeyman-level weapons; it was the formation she wasn’t able to make. If he could find a good formation blueprint, he could sell it to the dungeon, and get a spear from them possibly. In the end, it would make the dungeon and himself stronger.
He picked out a mid-Journeyman-level formation that would allow someone to imbue their attacks with the ice element and several Apprentice-grade information books. The information books should bolster their Apprentice knowledge and they were relatively cheap, just a few hundred points. Unlike the people in the Ten Realms who drastically increased their prices for information, the Ten Realms itself was extremely fair with its pricing.
It was no wonder that people looked for dungeons so much: even just killing a few beasts, if they could get enough points, they could get an item or resource that couldn’t be found in the world anymore. If cultivated and sold, it could be a great boon!
With this in mind, Storbon looked over to the recipes. There were formulas, food recipes, and more.
Erik would tear his hair out if he knew he could get all of this from the dungeon. Storbon laughed dryly.
“I really don’t want to be the person to tell him about the rewards,” Storbon muttered as he looked at the effects of the available formulas.
There were poison powders to blind an enemy, potions to make one able to breathe underwater, pills to increase one’s Experience and level. Others to transform into beasts. Spell scrolls, dishes that would heal internal injuries and allow one to remain calm and satiated for a day, or increase their Strength and Agility.
He grabbed a low-Journeyman-grade healing potion, one low-Journeyman meat grilling food recipe, and then he went through the different blueprints for tailoring. Buying up several manuals at the Apprentice grade and one blueprint for a mid-Apprentice-grade pair of boots left him with one hundred and seventy-three points. He bought the lowest cost low-Apprentice-grade book, leaving him with just twelve points.
A part of him wanted to try to gamble it, but with so few points he didn’t think he would be able to get anything useful.
He purchased the chosen items off the list.
Items appeared all around Storbon. He picked them up and put them away in his storage rings. As he stored the last item, there was a flash of light and the kiosk disappeared.
He had his spear in hand as the light disappeared and he was looking at Alva Dungeon.
His team was all around him. A few were being tended to by the medics off to the side.
A light flashed behind him as Setsuko appeared with a pleased smile on her face.
Glosil appeared a moment later, a thoughtful look on his face.
They had entered the battlefield dungeon and made it out alive.
Ian was having his armor removed, oohing and ahhing as the alchemists applied a numbing agent while assessing with the healers who started to fix him up.
A medic came over to check him out.
“I’m okay.” Storbon moved off to the side. “Need a shower, though.”
“Part of policy. Plus, I’m trying to increase my skill,” the medic said.
Storbon shrugged as the man held his wrist.
He used a quick healing spell on Storbon. His right shoulder that felt tense eased up as he was able to move it again. The pain he had ignored reduced as well.
“Messed up the muscles and trapped a nerve. Good to go. Thanks for the Experience!” The medic grinned.
“Welcome to it.” Storbon smiled and gave him a thumbs-up as he went to check on the rest of the team. They were undoing the straps of their armor and finally coming down from the adrenaline-filled excursion.
“Well, damn, that was enough to take the energy out of anyone,” Setsuko said.
“Hrngh.” Tian laid down on one of the stretchers. “I’m taking a nap.”
The medics tended to her, alchemists and healers looking over her wounds. She’d dealt with most of it with healing powder and Wraith’s Touch but she was still bleeding from where she had been hit with the lightning blast and her hands were in bad shape.
Yao Meng pulled off his armor, put it down against the wall and leaned on it. “I’ll be fine to move in a bit.”
Storbon undid the side of his armor and pulled it off to the side, storing it in his storage ring. Feeling that weight off his body felt odd, as if the armor were a part of him. He turned, cracking his back, and sat down next to Yao Meng.
Glosil grunted as he took off his armor and sat down, leaning against his hands.
The medics looked at one another, not knowing what to do. They gathered up their gear and headed to the healing house. They were back and clearly fatigued; they could wait till later on to tell what happened in the battlefield dungeon.
Yuli slumped down and the two went back to back so they didn’t have to support themselves.
“You need a shower,” Yuli said.
Glosil turned his head to the side and sniffed his pit. “Eh, put it on my list to do.”
The others smiled and grinned as Storbon pulled out a plate of food. It was still warm, fresh from the oven as nothing aged inside the storage rings.
He took some food and passed it to the others. It went around, even getting Tian Cui to reach out and grab some, not moving her body the entire time. Setsuko rolled her eyes and passed it on.
“Looks like I’m off,” Ian said as he was being carted away by the medics, munching on some food.
“Come on, why does he get to be stretchered away?” Yao Meng complained.
“He did get hit with lightning,” Yuli said.
“I got hit with a river of it and I took one of those bone spikes to the leg!”
“We don’t talk about the bone spike creature,” Tian Cui said, to the ceiling.
The others all made grunts of approval.
“Come on. The walk to the barracks doesn’t get any shorter,” Glosil muttered. He stood as Yuli freely let herself fall on the ground, a look of pure fatigue mixed with pain at picturing what was to come.
“There’s fresh food, and a hot shower waiting for you,” Niemm said.
Everyone looked over to Special Team Three.
“Ah, look, it’s the cowboys! What’s up?” Yao Meng got to his feet with the rest of the party complaining and getting up.
“Come on, medics—put your backs into it. I want to beat them on the way back!” Tian Cui yawned as the medics started to carry her way toward the healing house.
“See you in a bit!” Storbon said as she was towed off, waving her hand limply back at them.
“So?” Niemm asked.
“That place is a fucking dungeon all right. Lots of beasties of all kinds to fight. Leveled us up a few times, but honestly, the prizes at the end are the good stuff. What did you guys get?” Yao Meng asked.
Words like weapons, armor, blueprints, manuals were all thrown out as they started their walk back to the barracks.
Storbon fell back with Glosil as they were walking.
“You did good, kid. Really damn good.” Glosil clapped Storbon on the back.
“Thanks, Captain. Was good to have you along. One hell of a sword fighter,” Storbon said.
“Still got a lot to learn. You’re good with your team. They respect you and listen to your commands even though you’re younger than most of them. You push yourself as hard as you can and they follow right behind.”
Storbon rubbed his head awkwardly in embarrassment.
Glosil saw the gesture and laughed. “I also think we made it far enough for you guys to get another chance down there, but I’m say
ing at least two weeks’ rest.” Glosil’s words held a note of warning.
“Understood,” Storbon said. If they were to go down there again and again without pause, they wouldn’t be in their peak condition anymore and they might screw up, getting someone hurt.
They’d had a number of hard fights but now they knew how to deal with a wide range of creatures. If they ran into them again, they would have a plan on how to defeat them.
Thinking on the good items that he had gotten from the prize hall as well, Storbon didn’t fight the smile that appeared on his face. Dungeon fighting wasn’t bad!
***
Aditya looked at the people entering the manor he had prepared. It had wide open spaces and multiple rooms on the bottom floor, with beds that had wheels on them.
The people who came in were all wearing masks over their nose and mouths, leaving only their eyes and above visible.
They wore simple but clean clothes. A woman waved at them, sending them into the segregated rooms. After some time, three people reported back to her before she went up to Aditya.
“Thank you for your hospitality. We will begin immediately. There are a number of injuries and people with ailments in the area,” the woman said in a serious and professional voice.
“I will get out of your way then. I have posted some guards outside and they are under your control if you need them.” Aditya bowed to her quickly.
Chonglu had three healing houses in its city, but it was a rarity due to the number of people going there once a year from the Second Realm, the Blue Lotus, and its trade routes.
Most cities only had one house of healing. For an outpost close to the Beast Mountain Range, it hadn’t happened before. Healing solutions were sold at a premium with the lifesaving nature that they held when fighting in the Beast Mountain Range. Having a healing house, people were sure to pay an astronomical fee to have someone to heal and care for them if they were injured.
Some healing houses could even reattach limbs or regrow them with enough coin and time! Aditya had seen the skills of the lord who had checked up on him and healed his leg partially.
The Third Realm Page 13
