79 The Ruins of a Great Civilization

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"Phew…"

'Enjoying the light breeze that hit his face, Philip thought about his Status as the tree leaves moved with the wind...'

'It was a peaceful scene... Or so it would be if Philip's expression wasn't distorted.'

Everything is good, apart from a few key details…

/Clench.../

'Clenching his fists, he thought internally, "Those two damn Titles, Toturer and Oblivion Lord!".'

If someone has the perverted ability to see my Stats, then I'm screwed!

Imagine the awkward first impression it would be if they were to see that…

'Albeit his claims were founded in a fact, Philip clearly forgot to consider the fact he had close to 20 Titles… Not counting the things devoured by his other equally perverted Title…'

'And that was only the tip of the iceberg for his unusual abilities.'

Firstly, I have to make this clear, I have absolutely no interest in torture, I do see its uses, but I can't see myself enjoying its process…

Even though… "Technically", I did torture… A few thousand Dremora… I didn't do it because I "wanted" to, I did it because… It's in their culture?

It was more of a consequence rather than something I did out of spite.

For example, most forms of Daedric Armor, in simple terms, are made from the essence of other Daedra.

Many artifacts are, in fact, the amalgamation of the essence of these Oblivion creatures shaped into something else.

Ripping their Soul apart to make gear is something widely accepted within the scattered realms of Oblivion, it's the reason why trust and comradeship are something rarely seen within it.

The strong make use of the weak and that's it, if you are the weak one, they'll make fun of you, if you are the strong one, then they'll respect you.

Mortal understanding, morals, views and such has no such place there, as Oblivion isn't bound by the rules the Gods made…

And even if they are fully capable of understanding such emotions, they have little care for them.

What is compassion in the face of an Immortal creature that can't sleep nor die and has 'been' before even the concept of such words was made into existence?

Death? What is mortality?

Anyway, I strayed off a little.

What I wanted to say is that… This Title likely took my experiments with the Souls of these Dremora and Daedra as me torturing them…

'He became a tad disappointed as he looked at a bird nesting on a branch.'

"Which isn't wrong."

But… It's not like I'm in the wrong or some sort of psycho for doing it.

Daedra, in general, have this as their culture, just like I summoned them to rip their Souls apart and use their flesh for experiments, upon being summoned, the only thing they wanted was to do the same to me.

There was no sort of mutual agreement, they just wanted an opportunity, it was everything they needed.

They treat mages summoning them as annoyances and resources to be exploited as if it was an event... "Ah! I was once again summoned by a novice Conjurer, well then, time to reap his Soul." kind of thing.

A bunch of lunatics… Or not, such concepts can't really be applied to them.

Anyway, it can be placed as a form of self-defense... Even if I summoned them first.

Though… Normally it would be impossible to get such Titles in such a short period of time, but that's for normal people within the scope of the "usual".

It may take a lifetime or multiple for them to get a Title that reflects what they do.

Heroes go beyond the norm and have extreme growth rates, allowing them to achieve the requirements for Titles in minute amounts of time.

Even then, I might have gone… A little overboard… Torturing 1000+ Souls does contribute to it…

As such numbers are a lifetime amount to get your hands on, so the Title of Torturer isn't exactly that far-fetched.

Albeit I would've preferred if the Title's name had been… A bit friendlier… Like Dark Magician? That's more acceptable… Right?

"Hm?"

/Flap flap.../

'A small butterfly landed on his shoulder, it slowly flapped its wings, the light reflecting on its prismatic body.'

"Sigh..."

"Guess nature finds its way… Regardless of where you are."

Earth and Eden have pretty similar ecosystems, is there an underlying reason for this?...

Or is nature simpler than most people think?

'He shook his head.'

"No point going into such convoluted subjects… Albeit I have the habit of falling into one every damn time."

/Flap flap.../

'The butterfly flew away, scattering some powder in the air, leaving behind a rainbow hue.'

"I always had an interest in such pretty creatures, back on Earth, I wasn't scared of anything, though I usually preferred to keep away from things that had the potential to induce pain..."

"Isn't that the same?" Laplabe asked as he butted in

"No... It's not." Philip said in a heavy tone

"..."

...

'After enjoying nature for a while, he started to move.'

In any case, if that Title wasn't annoying enough, Oblivion Lord gives away my greatest secret… Oblivion.

It was given to me after I… "Cordially Invited" several dozen Dremora and Daedras of many kinds to my plane to take care of things, someone has to dust the floor and make sure the plants grow properly...

Obviously, I took care of them by making everything within my capabilities so that they won't be able to escape… Within centuries.

For them, that may be a short amount of time, but for me, it's more than good enough.

With my Plane greatly developed, and my magic improved, I was given this Title, which is fitting, as I am acting as a Planal Lord…

And oh… Nope, I didn't try to interact with Nyrn, not even once.

The prospect of going back to the planet does irk me, but some of the consequences of doing so do sting my back whenever I think of going in.

Gods shouldn't be underestimated, and if I were to enter their world… How would they react to me?

Besides, apart from the possibility of interacting with some great people and buying materials directly from Magic institutions, I see no point in going there.

If I get bored of Eden, I might give it a try, but until then, I'll stick with the Dwarven ruins and other mystical creatures that can be found within Eden, why travel dimensions to kill a Warewolf for its skin and fur when I can do it here?

Though I wonder about the differences...

'Scratching his Chin, Philip walked into the forest.'

…

/Half an hour later…/

'Deep below, in the ground region of the Ravine, the place where the poorest of people gathered… Or better put, the heavy workers of society...'

"Cough... Shit, this place smells like ass." Philip mumbled as he walked from the Strange tube shaped elevator

"Have you ever smelled one?"

"... You're oddly snappy today."

"Just trying to liven up the mood... 'Sheesh'?"

"..."

He looks like an old man trying to use slangs.

...

'The air was thick, full of smog and smoke from multiple factories and facilities that God knew what they were making, but it certainly wasn't environmentally friendly…'

'Most of the ground was filthy and broken, almost like dirt.'

'Sometimes, Philip could see the once beautiful polished stone hidden away by the mess.'

'The buildings were also falling apart, despite most of them having been made by the ancient Dwarves.'

'It seemed even their esteemed craftsmanship can't resist centuries of misuse and disrepair.'

'Looking around this place for the first time, Philip associated this place with the dark alleys where he found the Conjunction's Headquarters… But a few times worse, as even there, they had some level of decency.'

'Like the isolated industrial Districts on Earth. It's similar to comparing a dangerous section of the city you're supposed to avoid with the slums… Because in essence, this place is indeed the slums.'

'At least, from the perspective of those that live at the very top.'

'The topmost layer where the rich bask in sunlight…'

'The middle layer where the common folk live their daily lives and work… If they're not bothered by the unending conflicts between the ruling powers that most of the time, end up being gangs.'

'Upon finally, the bottom layer, where the poor do their own things.'

'Even then, it's not like this is set in stone, people aren't limited to where they live.'

'Someone has to work at the cafe where the rich daughters of influential families relax, someone has to drive the carriages, someone has to keep a tight look at the magic systems that make sure the streets are clean…'

'The same thing goes for the bottom layer where many ancient and new factories reside.'

'But beyond all of this, there is a worse place to be… The layer beyond this one, the true underground where the mines and ancient ruins prosper…'

'The risky area where monsters from the Underground zone may pop up at any time, similar to the Academy's underground area where the Great Hunt happened.'

'Yet people go on, despite all of these insane odds, it's very possible to live a fulfilling life without ever finding trouble, in fact, someone in the Upper layer may find more misfortune than a Miner working his life to break away an Iron vein…'

'It's all about perspective, those that saw the Sun cannot contend with the dark.'

"Hm ... 09:12..."

"... So?... Tell me again, why are we here?" Laplabe asked as Philip checked the time

"There isn't anything of interest here, just a bunch of poor Souls being enslaved away by people above them, the usual."

'Philip didn't reply at first until he put Laplabe back in his pockets.'

"You see, although everything you said is correct, there is something you missed."

"This area is also where many adventurers gather, or as they go by, Cave Raiders."

"... Are you planning to go to the Ruins? Didn't you say time and time again it was a waste of time to come here?"

"... It technically is, but now that I have nothing better to do, it isn't a waste of time anymore."

I previously focused my efforts on training within the Manor, but now its time to make a small trip outside.

"... Then, are you sure it's okay to not bring that kid with you?"

"She needs to study." Philip replied coldly

Viera… Wanted to visit this place if possible.

However, she has been very focused on her studies recently, so much so that I barely had time to use MT, not like I needed to make use of its main body, a small extension will do for most of my operations…

But I feel cheated of something that's mine.

Regardless, as of now, she's a traveling companion, as such, the quicker she reaches the next stage, the quicker I can proudly say I have an Archmage as my partner.

It may be redundant to say she's that needed when I can already use magic, but I can't emphasize more how one-sided and narrow-minded such thoughts are.

My magic is something, Eden's magic is something else.

And, in a high-speed, high-stress fight, swinging out magic at my enemy won't really help me as much as it sounds.

First, as proven around 5 months ago, or 2 and a half Earth months, I can't properly cast magic when I move at my fastest speed.

Magic is to have your Will shape the world, but it follows some basic rules, and the more versed you are in the endless Abyss that is its study, the more "Magical" it'll look.

Even then, if I can't even cast a basic elemental warding and healing magic as I move, what's the point of having it?

If it can only work once, that would be before a fight, then having a mage like Viera whose magic can properly work at such high-intensity combat is… More than useless.

This leads to the Second thing, my ideal scenario.

I envision that one day, Viera will become a support magician that can help me resolve any kind of Magic related problems while also offering rear support.

Once she becomes an Archmage and with the help of the gear I made her, she won't be something to be made fun of.

Especially if I could contact her Master to see if she could receive training from the old man's shade inside the special tool he made.

"Shall we go?" He asked as he looked around

"You're the one carrying me around."

"I was being polite…"

'Taking a hat from his inventory, Philip made his way across the street...'

…

/A few more minutes later.../

'After walking across a few tight nooks and crannies, Phillip arrived where he wanted.'

"Hum…"

Now, this place is a bit better.

On the way here, the streets became a bit better, cleaner, and repaired.

Still not ideal, but incomparable to before.

Guess I must've descended into a low-quality area, getting a bad first impression.

'Philip now stood at the end of a long street that led to the center of this section of the city, he didn't know where that side ended, but he knew about the other…'

That must be the place…

'A gigantic complex that overlooked a massive hole in the Ravine's walls, like a massive gate.'

'It was the entrance to the underground mines and the ruins… More specifically, the official one.'

'Albeit many other entrances had been sealed over time, a few others still remain in secret, either yet to be found, or buried in the mess that is this city.'

'Or even hidden for whatever reason.'

/Chatter…/

'There were so many people coming and going that it felt crowded.'

'Before the facility, multiple tents and shops had been raised, they dealt with anything related to the mines and ruins, it was a marketplace.'

'Shops that sold adventuring gear for the Cave raiders, and bought anything of value they brought from there.'

'Smithing shops that bought minerals and ancient gear that could be repaired…'

'Competition was fierce, from the smallest street stall consisting of a guy crouching on the ground with a selection of items, to a tall shop overlooking the street in glory.'

'People of many kinds, with many expressions and clothes made their way across it, making it hard to follow even one of them.'

"So this is the famed Old Gold road." Philip mumbled as he scratched his chin

The street's name comes from the time when the city of Freedom had just been made, this entrance led to the Gold mines of the Dwarves, though now its completely exhausted, many relics still come from within, perhaps being more valuable then the Gold they once produced.

And that structure at the end of the street must be… The Underground Ministry.

'The Ministry was a government building whose main purpose was to overlook all activities related to the underground of the city.'

'When you have a direct route to one of the most dangerous areas of the Continent, you need the bare minimum of safety precautions… Or so they should.'

'However, Philip knew that safety definitely isn't what those at the top care about, perhaps the ones that founded the Ministry cared about it, but now…'

'Someone has to enforce tax over everything that comes and goes from it, many treasures lay beneath the city, how can they let such trove of treasures not pass through their hands first?'

'In such an extreme center of business, if there isn't some control, chaos would ensue.'

/Chatter!/

"Here! Detoxifying potions! Buy 5, gain a sac of Flux Dust for free!" A street vendor exclaimed loudly

"Jatri Smithy! We'll sharpen anything, even your boots will pierce iron, HAHA!" A tall man exclaimed with a smile as he rested his back on the walls of a large shop

"News! News! Buy your most recent news here!" A youngster exclaimed in the middle of the street as he swung a pair of newspapers around

"Noisy."

Laplabe exclaimed through a mental link.

'Most certainly, here, in the middle of a large crowd, Laplabe's voice would come unheard by most, the problem however, was those that could hear him and notice his existence.'

'Not like that would be a problem per se, there are many people with many strange abilities and unique circumstances…'

'But if you see a wizard carrying around his pet phoenix around as it 'coos' and 'caws', someone is bound to set their eyes on it, be it in curiosity or by some other meaningless reason.'

'Philip on the other hand did not want any such interest, whatever small.'

'And there was a pretty easy way to resolve this, mental communication, something they've been doing from the very start.'

'It may seem strange that Philip brought Laplabe with him in this adventure, but after several months, Philip ruled out any possible danger that might befall Viera.'

'If there was an enemy that waited months for him to leave just for that… Then they'll meet with something else he'd prepared for them.'

'And together with Viera's magic potential, they should be more than capable of fending off most trouble.'

'Anyway, back to the matter at hand…'

"It's indeed quite the lively place…" Philip replied with a nod

It gives me some nostalgic vibes...

The problem, however...

'Someone profits, someone loses.'

'Just as Philip arrived at the street, a group of miners wearing ragged clothes walked, wearing chains on their feet as they carried heavy sacks on their backs, likely containing ores.'

"What? Slaves? In Human territory?"

"Those aren't slaves, at least, not on paper." Philip replied as he looked at them

Though, whoever their Boss is, he or she doesn't seem to care about looks…

"Whatever they are, they're just slaves at this point." Laplabe replied, relatively perturbed

"I imagine they are troublemakers or those that are heavily indebted, people that committed some sort of infraction…"

"It wouldn't be a surprise to say this place has some sort of judicial system that punishes people with servitude over some period of time, remember that this is a city that is hard to enter, even harder to leave."

"Most importantly, this place is far from the sun, cast in shadows, I don't think there'll be someone to protect them if… Let's say, they worked their fines and are therefore free again." Philip replied after some thinking

"Does it perturb you by any means?"

"Not exactly… I just feel… A tad iffy."

"The old man had a considerably strong sense of justice I would say, some of it might've rubbed off me along the decades…"

"People often resemble those they grew up with." Philip said with a smile

"That isn't wrong…"

/CLINK!/

"MOVE!"

/SNAP!/

'As they talked, one of the "slaves" fell down, topping on a rock, only to be whipped by their superior.'

"AHHH!"

'Some people watched, some with indifference, others disturbed, others angered, a few closed their eyes…'

'But they all seemed… All too used to it.'

'Even a normal person will get used to a body after seeing one 1000 times.'

"..."

The only thing I can do is pray that in your next life, you'll have a better shot at life.

'Philip was the same, he didn't say anything, moving on along the road.'

'There was nothing else to see here.'

…

/A few minutes of walking and window shopping.../

"Disappointing." Philip said as he looked at the stalls

Most of the things on these low stalls are over-glorified junk or small items like pottery and cutlery from the ruins, they only serve for decoration and for study.

And even then, many aren't even in mint condition, being broken or borderline trash.

I can see some 'relics' here and there, items that could've been used in a larger mechanical machine or in a Magitech product.

I could make some money resiling them… The so-called, 'classic opportunity' as seen in those Cultivation novels.

But I don't need money.

"It's to be expected..."

"As if any of these Stall owners would have anything valuable, even if they had, it must've already been bought by someone, or is now in the possession of the big ones." Laplabe replied

"I know that, I'm just finding this all rather weak."

"The potions are unsatisfactory, the gear is second… Third hand in most cases."

"The works of the smiths and proper shops are a tad acceptable, but I can name 50 better shops with better prices in the other regions."

'Laplabe was quick to make a point:'

"This must be due to the demand, since we're in a hotspot for adventuring, the prices of things are a bit higher than the normal market price… While the quality takes a dip for consistency."

"Considering the competition, they're here for those that don't want to walk 3-4 hours to buy supplies in another zone... If they can even leave this zone."

"I heard some people are prohibited from leaving, didn't they check your identity a few times as you went down?"

'Philip nodded.'

"I assure you that those that can do it will go out of their way for it, though nothing can be done for those that can't procure better items, it's part of one's abilities... And fate." Philip interjected as he looked at a street stall next to him

'It was pathetic really, just a rag with a few coal pieces atop it…'

'But what drew his attention was the seller… Just a small child and she seemed pretty malnourished.'

/Cough!/

'Philip's eyes flashed for a moment as he inspected her condition…'

Her lungs are severely inflamed, it must be due to the toxic gases in the atmosphere.

Also, being this close to the mines, the Mana density is considerably higher.

Mana is toxic to Humans, the reason why some mages are skinny and oftentimes sickly.

If not properly taken care of, a Magician can literally die to his own powers, in a more literal sense.

Though this tends to affect low-tier mages, Archmages and young wizards like Viera aren't going to be affected by it unless something extreme happened.

Even I didn't expect it to be so high, as it is my first time this deep in the city, but in my defense, the air in the other sections was so much better that I…

"Sigh."

'Philip turned his gaze.'

In the end, I can't even give her some money.

Even if I wanted to.

A child like her wouldn't be able to set up a Stall like this normally because there are eyes in the dark that prayed upon the weak.

She was a tool, a lure, a means to an end… A machine.

'If Philip were to give her a coin, without a doubt there would be more children along the way like her, perhaps being there to pray on his "weakness".'

'If he gave her money, the eyes would move and take it for themselves, and she may even receive backlash from it.'

'Without him doing anything, her life may worsen… Such was the cruelty of this place.'

'Though, was it alright to leave like this?'

'Closing an eye and moving forward is easy huh… It left a terrible feeling in his stomach.'

"..."

They say with powers comes responsibilities... And I always found that line a bunch of crap.

However, now that I'm here, I can kind of formulate my own logic for this statement.

I consider myself to be Human, and my morals tell me that... This is way over the fucking line.

But my reason tells me not to act, as it would be better for both unless I decided to go out of my way to make this child's life better.

But that is unrealistic.

So, with great power comes great responsibilities, for me, this means that, now that I have the power, ignoring such things is harder, because I know that I have the ability to change it.

And quite easily at that.

If I decide to take care of her, who will stop me?

Even if a giant meteor is about to strike a city and I have the power to stop it, why would I stand aside and do nothing?

Yes... Eventually, people rely on you to save them to the point of recklessness, they'll forget how it is to be in danger.

Overtime, you slowly get fed up with it.

…

/Sometime later…/

"NEXT!"

'At the end of the busy street laid a long line of people waiting for their turns.'

'Like a checkpoint before a military base, this was what this place looked like.'

'It was now Philip's turn after who knew how long, he was bored and tired of waiting, and many times, he considered if it would be possible to just bypass this tedious process.'

'But in any case, he ended up waiting, and now, it was his turn to talk with the serious-looking, plain soldier that stood inside a glass booth.'

"Identity and reason for coming here." She said rudely

'Taking out a small stack of papers from his chest pocket, Philip said:'

"Exploring the ruins."

"..."

'Another one, huh?' She mumbled to herself in a low tone as she went through his papers

"Hm?... You have no permit?"

"I was told I could get one here."

"Siiiiigh, not this shit again." She said with a bothered expression

"What's up with you crazy son of bitches that want to go down there to your death?"

"..."

'Philip looked at her with a neutral expression as he crossed his arms, in the end, it wasn't her business, why but in so much?'

"You're a decently ranked Mercenary, so tests aren't necessary… What type of permit do you need?"

"Single entrance." He stated without hesitation

I won't be coming here again, even if I do, it won't be through this damn entrance.

"I see… In that case, it's 1 Gold piece."

"Huh?"

/Chatter…/

'Her words were heard by others in the line too, and some of them started to whisper to each other.'

'Philip didn't need to think much, she was obviously overpricing this… By a LOT!'

'She looked at him with a smirk, did she think he was an easy target because he was alone?'

'Did he look like some sort of pushover?'

"..."

Look at them... Deplorable.

And those guys... How cute.

'He looked at the side, and some of the guards had their hands on their waits, grabbing their weapons…'

'It seemed they wouldn't stop her, instead, they were looking at him, as if warning him.'

'The people on the line looked to the side, ignoring this as well, they were next, and the last thing they wanted was to be extorted from their money like him.'

'Most expected Philip to at least complain...'

'However…'

/Clink…/

'He took a single golden coin and placed it on the table without much trouble.'

"Is this everything?"

'She was a bit surprised, but she soon smiled mockingly.'

"Alright… That was rather simple, perhaps I should've asked for more."

"Here, your pass… Dumbass." She said with a smirk on her face

'The pass was some sort of rectangular card made of metal, it had many inscriptions in it, they didn't serve any special purpose as they were mostly official seals from the government to determine if it was real or a counterfeit.'

"..."

She is testing my patience.

'Philip silently grabbed the bronze card while walking on the side path while the guards parted ways.'

'Though for a moment, it seemed they wanted to cause some trouble...'

'Philip swore to himself that, were they to try anything funny, he would blow this damn wall...'

'But thankfully, nothing happened.'

'Under the mocking gazes of the others, he entered without much problem…'

'What they didn't know was that, after a few seconds, the Golden coin the clerk hid in her pockets vanished without a trace.'

'Later that day, she would suffer the consequences of this when her superior interrogates her regarding this event, and she would have no way of explaining what happened to the coin…'

'As for her fate...'

…

/A minute later, inside the complex.../

"I'm surprised."

"What for?" Philip asked as he inspected his surroundings

"For a moment there, I thought you would grab her face through the glass and smash it against the counter before blasting those two guards." He said plainly

'Philip grimaced.'

"Who do you think I am? Some sort of troublemaker?" He said in an awkward tone

"Avoiding trouble for the more cost of a Gold piece is nothing."

I did consider it though…

"..."

If you aren't a troublemaker... Then I don't know what one has to do to become one.

'Laplabe wanted to say many things, but in the end, he said:'

"You're more… Patient than I thought."

"That sounded like an insult…"

"..."

…

'Philip walked through the lit path, turning many corners, meeting Cave Raiders along the way, some hurt, others not.'

'He even saw shops and other establishments on the way, including something resembling an adventurer's Guild, handling missions and commissions for those that had the ability and balls to do it.'

'The Underground Ministry, in a sense, was a massive shopping center that contained many smaller establishments within, all clearly of a higher quality than those outside of it.'

'Smiths, potion shops, map shops, item shops, information exchange shops, Inns, and much more.'

'Philip once again ignored them all, he had no intention of buying anything in the first place, albeit he felt those shops did deserve some of his time later, as he always welcomes some inspiration.'

'He even saw offices and other things too, as this place also houses diplomats and representatives of big groups that made periodic raids into the depts.'

"This way." He mumbled to himself as he read a sign

[Underground District, Hax Ax Hajintretor Section A-11]

'A large metallic sigh stood in the ceiling, indicating where this path lead.'

"This feels like an Airport."

They're quite organized, at least for the upper sections of the ruins.

An underground district, one that, after many years, the explorers managed to discover its real name and purpose.

According to the classification of the Cave raiders, Sections with the letter A indicate areas that were used to house Citizens.

Given its number of 11, it means there were at least 10 other underground regions with the same purpose discovered and mapped.

…

/Walk walk…/

"You still didn't answer me… Why are we here again?"

"We're looking for something, it ain't gonna take long." Philip replied as he walked, his hands in his pockets

Even before, the expected time for this operation was subjective to my luck.

If I don't meet any monsters, less than a day, if I don't meet any problems like collapsed tunnels, even less than that.

But... If it was that easy to reach it, then people would've already raided it.

I am expecting some level of resistance on my way there.

'Considering he was still in the Upper sections of the ruins, there was little to nothing to be found.'

'The only people around were archaeologists and scientists studying the ancient ruins were all sorts of signs and ropes hung to try and limit interaction with their research areas.'

'And if you were to cross into their designed areas… They would all look at you with disapproval, like… Come on, why would you pick a fight with a bunch of archeologists just doing their thing?'

'To get some stones?'

"I only see some old people… There are some young… But no one your age."

"No this… Wait, why would it matter if they are my age or not?" Philip rebuked with a frown

"I saw in one of those… Movies of yours, about a certain 'Amer... Americ... kan' Archeologist that went after ancient ruins, and his partners used to be pretty females."

"Always finding himself in trouble somehow."

"What?..."

'Philip frowned, an American Archeologist?... Movies?...'

"Wait… Are you talking about Indiana Jones?..." Philip asked as he face palmed

"Oh! That's the name! How did you come up with that story? It's rather interesting, albeit unrealistic."

'From their perspective, MT was a machine made by Philip, which isn't wrong, but the things within surely weren't.'

"..."

Just how much did Viera and those Maids manage to dig off MTs database for even Laplabe to have started to talk about it…?

Wait, is this the source for his increasing reliance on modern slangs...?

"Look… I would very much like to have a pretty archeologist as my partner, but that's not the point here."

"Just follow me, we're going much deeper than this, into the danger zones, beyond the Ancient Mines."

"I see... 'Fortune and Glory, kid'..."

"..."

"Well, as long as you don't follow the map to a T, we should be alright... Since as I learned from him, X Never, Ever Marks The Spot."

'Philip struggled to maintain his neutral expression.'

"... Please, stop using quotes from the movie…"

"I like them."

"..."

I should've decreased her accessibility over MTs contents…

…

'Over the following hours, they delve deeper and deeper, finally arriving at the Ancient Mines.'

'The Ancient Mines, as their name said was a complex array of mines that led into untold depths and directions.'

'They were so extensive and complex that to this day, most of them had yet to be explored, mostly due to the fact they were buried over the centuries.'

'And apart from the chances of riches, there is no incentive to dig through them, as most attempts were left in failure.'

'Coupled with the danger of being in such depts, and the prolonged rate of exploration, most of the ruins are still unexplored despite hundreds of years of the City of Freedom's existence.'

'Above all, Magitech engineering, the thing Dwarves were and still are known for, has only risen in popularity recently, so the efforts to dig their ancient treasures have slowly, but surely risen.'

'But it was true that in the past, the interest in the ruins was quite small.'

"Hum..."

/Touch.../

'Philip touched the cavern's walls, he could tell their toughness.'

The texture of the stones has changed considerably all of a sudden...

This must be in the Underground zone.

"I wonder what sort of explanation geologists have for the creation of these stratal stones."

My bet is that the stones assume a different composition due to the condensed energies at play.

The deeper you go, the stronger they become, and it's quite the thing to think about.

If by just moving a few km down and the density increases to this degree, I wonder how intense it must be at the core of the Planet?

It makes one realize their size in the universe, we're just tiny beings when compared to these Astral bodies.

"We're already below a Km, Underground monsters can pop up at any time, be on your guard." Philip warned as he walked forward

"You should be the one to watch out for, not me."

"I know, but still…"

"No worries, I'll warn you if I notice anything strange."

'With a smile of appreciation, Philip continued on his Journey.'

…

'His way across the caverns was uneventful, he walked and walked and walked with nothing of interest at sight, he even started to get bored.'

'Sometimes, something interesting popped up, like pillars and tubes sticking out of the stones, or some weird insect or animal made its way from one dark cavern to the other, a few stopping to look at this strange creature, others too fearful to even approach him…'

'But no monsters as of yet.'

'However, true to what he expected, he soon found his path blocked, forcing him to bypass it with a myriad of means, the most common of them being simple geomancy.'

'To alter the rocks around him to water, mold them like clay, or merely have them vanish, this was when his knowledge of magic proved its worth.'

'With this, Philip opened a new path into possibly unexplored regions… And uncharted dangers as well.'

'It was clear by the ores, gems, and crystals on the walls that this was a path none had crossed before, and if it wasn't for his schedule, Philip might've mined them all.'

'Still, he was a greedy man in a sense, blocking all of the holes he opened so none would follow, and grabbing anything he could as long as it wasn't too bothersome.'

'Ores and plants alike, all vanished into his never-ending inventory space.'

…

"Hum?"

'Amidst his many stops, Philip once again marveled at a strange sight.'

'It was a cavern just like the ones he'd seen before, but the ground was misshaped, with many piles of dust and dirt that almost reached his knees.'

'A quick inspection showed them to be a compost of something and even bone fragments…'

'And their source was quickly identified by him.'

/Kik!/

/Kik!/

/#####

Level 3/

"Hm?"

There are many bats in the ceiling, they seem harmless as they're watching me without much interest.

Just because the underground is full of dangerous creatures, it doesn't mean everything wants to kill me.

And judging by their Level, they aren't actually monsters or beasts but merely common creatures like the butterflies in the Manor.

Since this section of the caverns is separated from the others, it's normal that these bats hadn't spread…

Though, if they're here, it means they have a food source, and if the bones on the ground say anything…

That they must have a predator too.

As for their name… Obviously, considering I have no idea what sort of species this is, Great Scholar Vision won't help me much.

I didn't exactly focus on studying animals over my 3 months in this place.

'Philip looked at the walls, spotting this "beast".'

"What a peculiar specimen." Laplabe voiced out as he followed Philip's gaze

'It was something similar to a Bobbit Worm, hanging by the wall with its jaws open, ready to pounce.'

"A worm?..." Philip asked as he looked at the creatures

/######

Level 7/

/Steps…/

/HIDE!/

'The moment he took a single step to take a closer look, all of the hundreds of worms quickly hid in their burrows.'

"How unusual! They all hid the moment you approached... This means they are quite sensitive to danger, and that there might be something that actively hunts them." Laplabe said with some amusement

"It is…" Philip said with some distress

I know it won't really do anything to me, but I can't shake the feeling that my toes are in danger.

"It's best to avoid them if possible… Oi, Oi Philip! What are you doing?!"

"Getting rid of my fear." Philip said as he moved to one of the holes in the way, putting his finger over it

"You're playing with fire!"

"If I lose my finger I can reattach it."

"That's the damn problem!"

"Shh, you're scaring the little guy."

"..."

I give up.

…

'Philip stood there for a few minutes, but the creature wasn't leaving, it seemed his presence was affecting his results, which in itself is a problem.'

'So he did something else…'

'As his hands glowed with magical forces, he put it over the hole.'

"Aaaaaannnnd… Done!"

/PULL!/

"?!"

'Philip pulled this strange creature from the rocky stones like a kid pulling a string from his shorts.'

'But he pulled, then pulled, and pulled some more…'

"Just how long is this thing?!"

'2 meters… 4 meters… 6 meters of a Worm a dozen cm thick.'

/Wiggle!/

'The worm powerlessly wiggled in the air, clearly not meant to be in the open, much less supported by its head.'

'It was already impressive it hadn't died, of course, Philip was trying to keep it alive.'

"It's like an alien monster… Eww…"

'He then proceeded to put his fingers in front of its jaws…'

/BITE!/

"!... So?"

"It feels light… I barely even felt it, hum… Like a kitten trying to bite my hand?"

"You'll compare a cat to this bizarre underground dweller?"

"It's just a simple comparison, regardless, we march onwards."

'Philip place the worm in the hole, and it slowly made its way back to its previous position, probably shaken to its very core about this experience.'

'With nothing else to do, they went on their way, finally arriving in front of a massive city!'

...

"Is this the place?" Laplabe asked with some interest as he looked at the forgotten Dwarven city

'The city was pretty similar to the previous District, but much better preserved, which was quite ironic.'

'On the ceiling and walls were many strange contraptions, the thing on the ceiling Philip recognized, it was the environmental regulator, the thing that dictated the day and night cycles in this place while also making sure the air was decently clear.'

'Of course, all of this was once powered by mighty forges, albeit by the looks of it, this was nothing but a living district like the ones before.'

"No? I mean, it's on the map… Yup, not here."

"..."

'Philip read through Dae's journal, he already memorized it, but it always helped to have a visual marker to follow.'

"We are here… So we need to go here… And then here… Travel down here, through these tunnels… Then… Up? Uhum, then we'll arrive at this other District, and THEN!..."

"We'll arrive at the Inner Districts, from there…"

"..."

'Laplabe despaired.'

…

/More walking…/

"Are you done?"

"Let me grab these treasures first…"

"Didn't you tell me you were in a hurry? Why stop to grab loot?"

"I can ignore everything else, but I can't ignore what's in front of me."

"What a childish thought."

"They say that what the eyes don't see, the heart doesn't feel, so get a move with it and shut it, I just need a second to pack these up." Philip said as he stored a few large crates of ores inside his inventory

'Where did the crates come from? They were always with him, where did the ores come from? Obviously from everywhere around them.'

'As these ruins were mostly unexplored, it meant that critical parts of their structure were still intact, things like the lamp posts that were powered by the forges, their systems were still there, they were in such great condition that, if the forges were reactivated, they would ignite and make this city gleam.'

'Obviously, they were worth quite a bit, for their materials and their collection purpose as well, who wouldn't want to have a "vintage" Ancient Dwarven lamp in their room?'

'And that was only the tip of the value of this place.'

'Philip calculated that if he were to ransack this entire place for everything valuable, he might make a substantiation increase to his total wealth!'

'And that was quite something, especially for a civilian district like this one.'

'Much less to say about the variables that might be hidden within the structures, perhaps there might be something in them that individually is worth a lot.'

'Regardless, he made his way forward, tearing apart the annoying spider webs he found on his way, and kicking away any annoying critters that had the gall to cross his path like the dammed half-meter-long spiders that tried to bite him.'

'And in no time at all, he arrived at the bottom, surprisingly not meeting any dangerous beasts!'

…

.

.

.

Notes

Well then, this is officially the start of the Dwarven ruins arc, it's a small one about the size of a Class change arc and after that, we'll go back to the surface, have probably 2 chapters of conversation, and leave for the Capital thus ending Volume 2 and starting Volume 3.

This Arc was very hard to write because at first I wanted something simple but ended up increasing the level of this place quite substantially.

Hopefully, I did not mess up my own plot by wanting to be greedy and add in a multitude of things.

It'll be up to you all to judge it.

Lastly, before you go, I do have plans to return Azimuth, back on P@treon, we are close to another milestone, once we reach that I'll post 10 chapters in there and that'll work as an incentive for me to go back to it regardless of what I have to do.

From then on I'll keep adding more goals and adding more chapters of Azimuth, with that we should be able to return to the usual with no problem.

Thank you for understanding, and peace!