Chapter 32 - Unchaperoned #2

Granny wasn't any different from Durian.

She had brainstormed the entire day in an effort to prove her conjecture. Though there were several plausible conclusions, she somehow stuck with the deity.

But now, her face couldn't be any more livid.

"...this..."

The sudden influx of unanticipated information temporarily made her dumbfound. But as soon as she found her rationality functioning, Mera immediately ordered almost all of the guards and men to go to the dungeon and retrieve the body.

"Durian, you must go with them. No wait, I'll go with them. You treat the adventurers' wounds."

A frenzy of thoughts had brewed in her heart. Her mind was working at such a rate that her actions couldn't keep up with the thoughts.

Rushing back to the spot after grabbing a few items, she left with her most trusted men. A team of leather-armour wearing guards followed that group with a brisk pace. Within a minute, they've disappeared from the sight of the villagers and the walls.

***

A couple of hours later.

"Are we there yet?" Granny's concerned curious voice sounded.

One of the guards who were digging into the collapsed dungeon turned his head around and shook futilely. Beads of sweat rolled down his neck and forehead like freshly crafted pearls.

This only deepened the frown on Mera's face.

About two hours have gone by, yet they have only dug to the first floor. When the Dungeon Heart collapsed, the force which supported the walls and the roof of the innards of the dungeon also vanished, resulting in a complete demolition.

While the rescue party was diligently drilling their way in, Adam had finished absorbing all the mana stones in his possession.

"...huff."

A mouthful of turbid air escaped into the air as the condensed mass of mana in his hand turned to dust.

'Status.'

The screen immediately popped up and displayed the changes.

/◄▫◆▫◇▫◆▫◇▫◆▫◇▫◆▫►\

...

▹ MP: 68/68

...

\◄▫◆▫◇▫◆▫◇▫◆▫◇▫◆▫►/

"Never mind." A frown was the first thing that crept up his face upon seeing the increment. But his brows loosened and the solemnness disappeared.

The 'Illuminate' glyph had long lost its lustre and the surroundings had plunged into the darkness. Adam raised his hand to write a glyph but took a couple of seconds to decide which one.

"Scotopia, it is."

After concluding, his forefinger condensed mana at its tip and began to construct the glyph. But the consumption was immense and it didn't take more than three seconds to deplete the reserve.

Nevertheless, he was prepared.

All the while walking through the dungeon, he had collected the beast cores of the dungeon monsters. Thus, he had quite a collection of crystals ranging from peanut to an adult's thumb.

Relentless working of the jaws and the constant depletion of the glyph construction brought the fight to a stalemate. Thought it was only for about ten seconds, the sheer quantity of beast cores he had consumed had gone beyond fifty!

Sha!

As soon as the glyph materialised, it sublimed into the air. Simultaneously, his pupils acquired a beautiful golden glow. At a glance, anyone would only mistake his eyes for the stare of a wild predator.

'Hmm.'

The dark world unveiled to his sight was unlike his imagination. It wasn't crampy or damp. But it had a peculiar crudeness that signified its natural origin.

Raising his head, he saw the path through which he and the rubble descended on the ground.

Absorbed in thoughts, Adam sat there like a statue with his eyes scanning every inch of his vicinity. The scotopic vision was an extraordinary glyph and he thanked the sage in his heart.

While sitting in a daze, it was a faint breeze that woke him up from the trance. It caressed his cheeks like a fleeting feather.

Adam couldn't help but spring up from the spot. The existence of an active air current only proved that there is a vent through which the air can enter and exit.

To determine the direction, Adam stood there unmoving with his senses raised to the peak.

A few seconds later, another faint yet discernable current came in contact with his skin and Adam immediately darted in the direction. To his surprise, his eyes had failed to pick up the presence of a completely inconspicuous crack on the walls.

Thin yet tall enough for a man to pass through, the crack was extending through the wall. Adam knew not where it'll lead but he decided to take the gamble.

Mana came wrapping up his arms like a film as he pulled his clenched fists backwards. The punch powerful enough to disable an elephant shot forward and the impact bestowed a network of cracks on the walls.

"Nope, that won't work. The stone's impervious." A tingling sensation crept up his knuckles as he found his wrist and the fist numb. The reinforcement of the mana was unable to protect the backlash. This forced Adam to take a few steps backwards.

Swiftly restoring the depleted mana, Adam turned his tactic from brute force to a better solution.

"Crumble."

The glyph wasn't low in mana consumption but it effectively broke down the imperviable wall. The sturdy stone crumbling to rubbles forming a cavity was a sight to behold.

Next second, beast cores slipped into his mouth and proceeded to his stomach.

The process repeated more than forty times along the crevice before Adam felt something amiss.

"That's weird."

Adam can tell that the mana cost of the glyph was constant since he only needed to gouge away through the stone. But as time went by, he found the mana in the crystals unable to keep up with the depleted energy. The number of consumed cores were increasing by one or two with every ten or eleven drillings.

At once he summoned the status screen. After restoring the mana, he executed the glyph and saw that the depleted mana wasn't any more than he calculated.

But when he was restoring the lost energy, his brows knit.

"The efficiency is...decreasing?" His initial evaluation was that the productivity of the mana was decreasing. Reluctant to stick to the preliminary diagnosis, Adam repeated the process.

Even after a dozen executions, he couldn't reach any other plausible conclusion.

"Is it really decreasing?" Adam scratched his head in confusion. If that is the case, he'll need to find an alternative source to restore the mana.

Recollecting the words of Gary and his party, Adam caught the sight of Mana Potions. When enquired, Tara explained that those potions can swiftly revive the expended mana.

A glint flashed in his eyes as he deduced, "I need to reach a city."

The process resumed and it didn't take more than an hour for Adam to catch the glimmer of sun rays on the other side.

Crack!

A clenched fist broke through the final veil of stone and protruded from the surface. The shattered pieces rained on the surroundings and Adam stepped out of the underground pathway. What welcomed him was a magnificent sight.

"Where am I?"

A sea of greenery emerged into his sight. The unending carpet of vegetation frequently produced chirping and wild noises that indicated the presence of animals. Pivoting his head around, Adam saw something at a distance.

Narrowing his eyes and staring intently, he almost exclaimed out loud in delight. 'That's a city!'

At the horizon, a few distinct constructs caught his attention. The peculiar design of the object was enough for Adam to deduce that it was a man-made entity.

With bliss, he rummaged through his storage ring to restore his mana. A second later, his pleased smile partially faded when he found that he's left with only four crystals.

"Seriously?!" Adam was reluctant to believe that the tunnelling disbursed every low-tier beast cores into oblivion.

Ah, I really need an alternate source of restoration.

With a flick, the beast core of the Bone-Tail Ice Wolf appeared in his palm. Without a moment of hesitation, Adam shattered the entire crystals to pieces. He broke it down to a size that can go down his throat with ease.

The remaining four crystals also followed the same fate.

Without letting a single shard away, he stored them in his ring before proceeding in the direction of the distant city's walls.

***

Meanwhile, the rescue party had already come back to the village with fruitless effort.

"The dungeon is done for. It has collapsed beyond redemption. The heart has been shattered. The Dungeon Guardians are no more. The threat is non-existent."

I can tell that your friend is well alive and not injured. But as to where he is, I can't tell. His position is shrouded in mystery."

Gary and his party were taken to Mera's cabin and they were treated. Their wounds quickly healed up and Mera revealed her identity and her finding from divination.

"He's safe." Theo could only heave a sigh in relief.

Though he only knows Adam for a short time, the brief interaction with him had brought forth a brotherhood in his heart. The fact that Adam's a wanderer also coincided with his desire to roam around freely.

"Since he's okay and the dungeon is no more, we'll be returning to the city. Thank you for your hospitality and care." Gart stood up and conveyed his gratitude. Mera nodded in return and accepted the words.

Yet, on the inside, granny was perplexed.

'Even your position cannot be divined. What kind of existence are you, Adam?'