----Page 3----
The air inside the cave grew colder with every step as the narrow tunnel twisted downward, the light of our torches bouncing off damp stone.
Somewhere far below, a faint hum echoed a pulse, like the heartbeat of something ancient.
After the dungeon's entrance collapsed behind us, there was only one way left: down.
Lysera walked ahead, her silver hair glowing faintly in the torchlight.
Arin trailed behind, sketching markings on the walls as we descended.
I followed last, carrying the Codex Record at my hip, its black surface pulsing faintly with warmth.
Then, suddenly, the stone passage widened.
We stepped out onto a ledge, and the sight stole our breath.
Below us stretched a vast underground cavern an impossible world hidden beneath the earth.
Towering trees of pale crystal glimmered with soft green light, their roots weaving through pools of glowing water. Strange fungi pulsed like lanterns, casting swirls of color through the mist.
It was a forest.
Inside a cave.
Arin whistled softly.
"You've gotta be kidding me."
Lysera's expression didn't change.
"An Undergrove Biome I thought these were only legends."
"It's beautiful," I murmured, then felt a shiver crawl up my spine.
But why does it feel like it's breathing?
"The dungeon adapts," she replied quietly.
"Sometimes it grows life to protect itself."
---
We climbed down through winding roots that served as natural bridges, our boots crunching softly against moss. Water dripped steadily from above, the droplets glowing faintly where they fell.
The deeper we went, the stronger the hum became. My Codex vibrated faintly against my hip, reacting to the energy in the air.
Lysera stopped when the light from our torches began to dim. She turned to me.
"You've felt it by now the mana that moves through this place?"
I nodded. "It's everywhere."
She gestured toward a smooth clearing surrounded by glowing roots.
"Sit. You'll learn to draw from your own current before the dungeon's current drowns you."
I sat cross-legged in the moss. The air was cool and thick, heavy with the scent of earth. Lysera traced symbols into the dirt around me runes that pulsed faintly with blue light.
"Focus on your breathing," she said.
"Find your center. Don't pull from the dungeon. Pull from yourself."
I closed my eyes. At first there was only silence. Then a flicker heat inside my chest, faint and steady.
"That's your mana," she said.
"It's part of your will. Shape it."
I tried. The warmth surged too fast, rushing into my arms until my fingertips burned. The light flared, cracked and vanished.
Lysera's tone stayed calm.
"You're forcing it. Mana answers control, not command."
I gritted my teeth and tried again. This time, I let it flow. The warmth moved smoothly through my veins, spreading to my hands. A faint blue shimmer coated my fingers.
When I opened my eyes, the light faded, but the feeling stayed.
Arin, sitting nearby with a handful of glowing crystal shards, grinned.
"You look like you just wrestled smoke."
"Feels like it," I muttered, shaking my arms.
Lysera crossed her arms, her gaze softening slightly.
"Good. Your body is beginning to align with the Codex."
Arin had wandered ahead, crouching near the glowing pools. He was sketching lines on parchment, muttering to himself.
"You're mapping again?" I asked.
"Yup," he said without looking up.
"There's a mana flow running under this ground. I can feel it. Probably connects to the core chamber below."
Lysera nodded approvingly.
"Your awareness improves quickly. That instinct will keep you alive."
I noticed the little trinkets hanging from his belt bones, teeth, crystal shards from the monsters above. He'd started tinkering with them, fitting them into odd mechanisms using fine wire and resin.
"What are those?" I asked.
He smiled. "Let's just say the dungeon drops have potential."
The air shifted. The glow from the fungi dimmed for a heartbeat.
Lysera stopped walking. "Stay alert."
From the shadows between the trees, shapes began to stir thin, twisted figures that blended with the roots. Their eyes glowed with faint green fire.
Arin whispered, "Five maybe six."
Lysera's hand rested lightly on the hilt of her crystal like rapier.
"Forest Wights. The dungeon's scavengers. They feed on mana leaks."
"Should we"
"Fight," she said simply. "You two handle them."
---
The first Wight lunged from the dark. I barely had time to raise my hand.
"Mana Barrier!"
A translucent shield formed, catching its claw swipe. Cracks splintered through the barrier, but it held. My arms shook from the impact.
"Arin!"
He tossed a small sphere toward the creature. It burst mid-air in a cloud of silver dust. The Wight's movements slowed, its body stiffening.
"Yes!! It worked out," Arin shouted, pumping his fist.
"Take that, you overgrown creep! Bet you didn't see that coming!"
He leaned back, smirking.
"You like that? Didn't think you'd be caught off guard, huh?"
"Well, done Arin" Lysera whispered.
"It's your turn Master!" Arin shouts.
I swung, channeling mana through my blade. The glow cut through the mist, slashing across the Wight's chest. It shrieked and burst into ash.
Two more came from behind. Arin whirled, flinging another dust bomb. One creature stumbled into a glowing pool, its form dissolving with a hiss.
The last one charged straight for me. My stance faltered too slow.
"Kinon." Lysera's voice cut through the chaos. Calm. Commanding.
"Flow, don't force."
I inhaled. The warmth inside me pulsed steady, alive. I let it move instead of pushing. My sword shimmered blue as I turned and struck in a clean arc.
The Wight's body disintegrated, leaving a trail of ash that sank into the moss.
---
After the last Wight dissolved into ash, we collapsed against the glowing roots, breathing heavily. The quiet drip of luminescent water was the only sound.
Arin immediately began gathering the scattered remains: shards of green mana crystal, broken bones etched faintly with runes, and bits of tattered Wight armor.
"Master… how are we supposed to carry all this?" he groaned, hefting a small pile.
"All these drops from just a few monsters. If the next chamber is like this, we will be buried under it!"
I glanced at the growing heap. He had a point. Every defeated monster left tangible remnants, crystals, shards, bones, occasionally rare items. And we had only just scratched the surface.
A thought nudged me.
Wasn't there an inventory skill in the Codex? Something I could use?
Almost instantly, the Codex pulsed against my hip. A faint glow spread across its surface, and words shimmered into view, almost like a whisper:
"Inventory Box?"
I blinked.
That wasn't here before.
"Inventory Box?" I murmured.
I raised my hands and spoke softly, letting the words guide me.
"Inventory Box open."
A ripple of energy appeared before me. A portal-like hole formed, hovering a few inches above the mossy ground. Its edges glimmered faintly, translucent yet solid, like a liquid window.
Arin's eyes widened.
"Whoa. That's new."
The Codex pulsed in response, and the scattered loot, shards, bones, crystal fragments, hovered gently, drawn toward the portal. One by one, each item disappeared into the Inventory Box, neatly stored in an unseen pocket dimension.
"Master. That's incredible," Arin whispered, kneeling to watch.
"So we can just store it all there. No more dragging stuff around?"
I nodded, still staring at the faintly glowing portal.
"Seems like it. The Codex gives what is needed when it is needed."
Even Arin's grin was tinged with relief. The once-overwhelming pile of loot had vanished in moments, leaving only the soft green glow of the moss beneath our feet.
A brief line of text shimmered in the Codex, almost like a note.
"Inventory Box acquired. Objects within range can be stored and retrieved at will."
I flexed my fingers, feeling the warmth of the portal.
The Codex had given me a skill not by instruction, but because the situation demanded it, and I had listened.
Arin picked up a small shard that had slipped past the portal.
"Hey, can we test it again? Maybe with something bigger. Like one of those Wight chunks back there?" He grinned.
"Man, that monster got exactly what it deserved. You should have seen its face."
Lysera's voice cut in softly, calm as ever.
"Careful, Arin. You may wish to store the loot, but do not let pride or curiosity compromise your focus."
I laughed quietly. "Do not worry. I have it under control for now."
While we rested, Arin scavenged a few Glowcaps Mushrooms from the roots, small, bioluminescent fungi native to the dungeon, edible but foul-smelling enough to repel most monsters.
"Wait. Is that edible?" I asked, eyeing the glowing fungi warily.
"Ah, this Glowcaps, yes, master," he said confidently, popping one into his mouth and wincing at the bitter taste.
"How did you even know that?" I asked.
"Well, Grask and the other slave guards talk about it. Glowcaps fetch a huge price on the market if you can gather them safely," Arin replied, crunching the mushroom thoughtfully.
I shook my head, amused and slightly horrified.
"You survived on this stuff all this time?"
He shrugged. "Better than starving. And the monsters hate the smell."
I let out a soft laugh.
"I guess that counts as a silver lining."
We checked our weapons, armor, and supplies carefully. The dungeon was vast, and each layer demanded more preparation, more awareness. Every shard we collected, every skill we gained, was a step forward, but the currents of mana ahead pulsed stronger, heavier.
I could feel it through my veins, in the subtle vibrations of the roots beneath our feet. Something waited deeper down, something large. I did not know what it was yet, but the dungeon was alive, watching.
We gathered our courage and pushed forward, the tunnel twisting downward into darkness. The soft glow of the undergrove faded behind us, replaced by faint violet streaks in the stone walls. Mana pulsed faintly like veins beneath the rock, carrying unseen energy deeper into the earth.
Each step echoed through the cavern. My Codex pulsed with every heartbeat, as if aware of the anticipation coiling in my chest.
And with that, we walked on.
---
The tunnel twisted downward into silence.
The faint glow of the undergrove faded behind us, replaced by a dull violet haze.
The walls here pulsed faintly with light like veins beneath skin carrying mana deeper into the earth.
Our footsteps echoed softly against the stone as we entered the next chamber.
And then, we saw it.
The cavern opened wide, a space so vast it felt like the inside of a cathedral.
Pillars of purple crystal jutted from the ground, each one glowing faintly, humming with power. Some were the size of trees. Others hung from the ceiling like jagged fangs.
They pulsed rhythmically, as if in time with something breathing deep below.
"Whoa" Arin stepped forward, eyes wide.
"These things are massive."
The air was thick with mana. It shimmered faintly, distorting the air. My Codex vibrated at my side, reacting to it.
Lysera's expression darkened as she stepped closer to one of the crystals. She knelt, running her gloved fingers across its smooth, glass-like surface.
Then she said it flat, calm, but firm.
"Don't touch these with bare skin."
Arin blinked. "Why? They look harmless."
Lysera glanced at him. "Because they're not crystal."
"Huh?"
She stood, brushing her hands.
"They're Orrynth residue. Its waste product, condensed and crystallized by mana. In short"
She paused, her expression unreadable.
"That's Orrynth poop."
There was a moment of stunned silence.
I blinked. "Wait, wait poop?!"
Arin stared at the glowing pillars, then slowly took his hand off one.
"You're kidding, right?"
"I'm not joking, just telling the truth" Lysera said dryly.
Arin groaned, wiping his hand on his pants.
"Great. I touched it. Fantastic. Love this dungeon."
Even Lysera looked faintly amused.
"You'll live. Probably."
I frowned. "How do you even know that, Lysera?"
Her gaze lowered. For a moment, the cold certainty in her eyes flickered into confusion.
"I" She hesitated.
"I don't know."
The air felt heavier for a moment. She touched her chest as if searching for something that wasn't there.
"It's strange. The knowledge came to me without thought as if I had already seen it once."
Arin and I exchanged a look.
"Like a memory?" I asked carefully.
Lysera's hand tightened into a fist. "No. I have none."
She looked up, her expression calm again but her voice softer.
"Everything before the Chronicles it's gone. I only exist because the pages say I do."
I didn't know what to say. There was something painful about the way she said it like she wasn't sad, but hollow.
So I said quietly,
"Then maybe we'll write you a new memory."
Lysera blinked at me. Then, faintly, a small smile. "Perhaps."
The silence that followed was interrupted by a low rumble beneath our feet. Dust drifted from the ceiling. The purple crystals vibrated, chiming like glass bells.
Lysera's expression sharpened instantly.
"It's awake."
The rumbling deepened into a roar that rattled my bones.
From the far end of the chamber, a wall of crystal cracked open shards raining down in showers of violet light.
Then it stepped out.
The Orrynth was enormous.
Its body was plated with black stone and violet crystal veins that pulsed with mana. Wings like shattered glass unfurled from its back, scattering dust and light. Its eyes burned with molten orange fury.
The ground shook beneath its steps.
Arin drew his daggers, crouching low.
"That is way bigger than I imagined."
Lysera's crystal white rapier glowed faintly.
"It's a mana feeder. Don't let its breath charge. If it releases it inside this chamber, we die with it."
I unsheathed my blade, my pulse hammering in my ears.
"Got it."
---
The Orrynth roared again, its wings slamming downward. The blast sent a wave of pressure across the chamber, shattering some of the smaller crystals.
"Scatter!" Lysera commanded.
We dove aside as the ground split open where we'd stood. Purple light bled from the cracks like liquid fire.
Arin was already moving he tossed a small metallic sphere that exploded into silver threads, binding part of the Orrynth's leg.
"Now, Kinon!" he shouted.
I dashed forward, channeling mana into my blade. The air around me rippled blue as I leapt and struck the beast's shoulder. Sparks flew as the blade scraped its crystal plating.
"Too hard"
The Orrynth swung its tail. I barely managed to raise a barrier
CRASH!
The impact shattered the shield and threw me across the floor. My ribs burned.
Lysera's voice echoed from behind.
"Focus your mana! Flow through the strike, not against it!"
I coughed, forcing myself up. The Orrynth reared back, drawing mana into its chest the crystals along its body glowing bright violet.
"Breath incoming!" Arin shouted.
Lysera slammed her staff into the ground. A magic circle flared under her feet.
"Aegis Seal!"
A translucent dome formed over us just as the Orrynth released its breath
A beam of condensed mana tore across the chamber, scorching everything it touched. The dome shook violently, spiderweb cracks forming across it.
The blast ended. Smoke filled the air. The Aegis shattered.
Lysera knelt, panting slightly, her usual composure strained.
"We can't defend again. Attack while it recovers!"
Turning the Tide
Arin dashed to the side, retrieving shards of crystal from the ground. He pressed them into one of his mechanical traps, his hands moving fast.
"Give me five seconds!" he yelled.
I didn't have five. The Orrynth turned toward me again, its eyes burning brighter.
I took a breath, feeling the warmth of my mana rise again. My whole body hummed with energy.
"Flow not force," I murmured.
The glow spread from my chest to my arms, my blade gleaming blue. I moved, not thinking just flowing.
The world slowed. I could feel the rhythm of the mana around me the Orrynth's breathing, the vibrations in the ground, the hum of the crystals.
I struck.
My sword connected with the beast's exposed joint, slicing through one of its crystal veins.
The Orrynth shrieked, reeling backward.
Arin finished his device and tossed it.
"Here's your opening!"
The trap detonated midair, scattering dust and energy into the wound. The explosion cracked more of its armor, exposing raw mana tissue beneath.
"Now, Kinon!" Lysera shouted.
I raised my sword high, mana swirling around me. The Codex at my side pulsed violently, glowing brighter than ever before.
"Resonant Strike!"
I brought the blade down with all my strength. The impact tore through the air, slicing clean into the Orrynth's chest. A blinding surge of light filled the chamber.
The roar that followed shook the world.
Then silence.
The Orrynth's body crumbled into shards, dissolving into a shower of violet dust. The crystal glow dimmed, leaving only faint light flickering from the walls.
For a long moment, no one spoke.
Arin was the first to break the silence.
"We we actually did it."
I exhaled hard, collapsing to one knee. My sword dimmed, the blue glow fading.
"Barely."
Lysera lowered her staff slowly. Her face was calm again, though a faint sadness lingered in her eyes.
"The Orrynth has fallen," she said quietly.
"The Codex will record this victory."
As she spoke, my Codex glowed faintly. Words appeared and vanished too fast to read but I felt it.
Strength surging through my veins. Mana growing sharper.
A small fragment of purple crystal rolled to my feet, gleaming softly. I picked it up, feeling its warmth.
Lysera looked at it, her tone thoughtful.
"A rare essence. Keep it close. You may find use for it."
Arin grinned, despite the exhaustion.
"I call dibs on never fighting anything with wings again."
I laughed weakly. "Agreed."
Lysera turned away from the fading light, her gaze fixed on the shadows beyond the chamber.
"Don't relax yet," she murmured.
"The Chronicle never ends with one page."
And somewhere deep in the cavern's dark, the Codex pulsed again
A heartbeat answering another.