I stared at the small balloon-like organ in my hand. It was made of a rubber-like material, and as I squeezed, I could feel liquid threatening to shoot out of the front nozzle. Tossing it lightly into the air, I let it hit the floor and watched it lazily bounce. At least the thing had some durability.

Teddy looked over curiously. He moved to the edge of his bed and watched as Erebus crawled out of another fish carrying a loot orb on his back. "Such a fascinating skill. I've seen a looting ability before, but it was of the spatial aspect. To think not only is your skill a familiar that will evolve and grow infinitely more varied than a normal skill, but that it's of a death and shadow aspect. They are not what I would first think of in regards to creation-type magic."

I grabbed the loot orb from Erebus and let him crawl onto my arm. Apparently, not even he knew what was inside until the moment I opened the sphere. With a squeeze, a gesture that was utterly unnecessary, I channeled a flicker of mana and watched the orb unravel. The latticework of death and darkness untied itself, and space seemed to pop as another balloon organ plopped into my hand.

With a disappointed frown, I tossed it to Teddy, who caught it. "You know. I didn't think much of it at first, but you said magic. From what I understand, most people in this world refer to skills, as well, skills or abilities. But you actually called it magic. That's unusual."

Teddy tested the balloon's squishiness before setting it down beside the fish. "Technically speaking, we do have our own forms of magic. Enchanting, runework, and rituals are also called magic, even if they can be done through skills. I'm probably unusual compared to most people. My parents have always instilled in me that our version of the Grand Weave might not be the same as someone else from a different world. So my understanding of what skills are and how our system works leads me to call it magic."

"And that understanding is?"

"That our version of magic has its benefits and disadvantages. From what I have been taught, skills are a shortcut. A simplified spell that lets us quickly and easily manipulate mana to produce specific effects. Unlike a ritual with complex components and stages, our version of the Weave lets us instantly learn and bypass time requirements by using skillstones. My best comparison is the difference between using the skill Ice Spikes and the skill Ice Manipulation to create spikes of ice. While you can achieve the two effects using either of the skills, one has a stage of complexity that the other lacks. And the complex skill can perform the task with more flexibility and variety that the shortcut version can't."

"That's... actually well explained. I found it strange that the earth mages were called mages. In my head, mages are those who cast spells and manipulate mana. Except, technically, every warrior or rogue becomes a spellblade since they use mana to perform their skills. Especially someone like Igas, who goes around as a warrior with ice powers."

"I can see why that would be confusing. As Celanae explained, mages are simply people who rely on mana-intensive skills, usually ranged-focus, focusing on the elemental aspect of their skill. There are those who go the route of stamina and intensive skills instead of mana. A good example would be a skill called Rage State. It has a low mana cost while requiring heavy stamina usage, and sometimes it requires a nominal cost of health. Blood Rage is a similar skill that turns health into power. Very dangerous, a double-edged sword that can leave you permanently crippled if you push the skill too far."

It was always fascinating to learn about different skills. Some skills' sheer wonder and awesomeness would make one feel like a god. At some point, I would have to deep-dive into the book Celanae got me about all the different skills. The book was surprisingly thin, but as she explained, most people refused to divulge what their skills did. That meant a few of the skills listed in the book had only a vague description to explain what they did.

"Brelten told me to try finding a wand or a caster when I could afford it. Any idea on the kind of price I'm looking for?" I said as I replaced the looted fish with a fresh one.

"It's difficult to say for sure. If you're looking for the cheapest option, you'll have to spend at least six or seven gold. However, keep in mind that even if it's not a very effective weapon, adding enchantments can be pricey."

I winced, but the price wasn't too bad. "And if I wanted a decent one. One I can use for most of tier one?"

"Then somewhere around twenty to thirty gold."

"Why the hell are they so expensive? That seems absurd. I could buy bundles of spears with that money."

Teddy gave a weird look. He sat up and crossed his arms as he looked down at me. "Cyrus, I think you have a misconception about the price of things. First of all, Volan sold at an extreme discount. The spear that you have is easily a gold piece in most cities. Our continent lacks greatly when it comes to smithing-related skillstones. So with the amount of work and the cost of material, you easily got that spear and armour for way less than you ever should."

He then summoned a small dagger and gently tossed it to me. I caught it and turned it around in my hands. It was the most generic-looking blade I had ever seen. "And how much was this?"

"Twenty Silver."

"Mate, it feels like you overpaid a little too much." I tossed the dagger back, and he caught it before sending it into his hidden storage.

"Maybe by a few silver, but that is beside the point. Your spear is nearly the same price, right?" I nodded my head, and he smiled in return. "Just keep that in mind when you question why a caster would be so expensive."

I held up my hands placating. "Alright, point made. So what's the second point?"

"Not only would the wood have to be mana conductive, but it would also require a gem resilient enough to withstand foreign mana or one that could serve as a self-filling energy source. The most preferred caster is those that can hold a set amount of mana and can naturally refill through passive regeneration."

"I'm assuming it's because if it used your own mana, it would defeat the purpose of needing a caster? If you're using your mana, then it could be better spent on your skills."

"Correct. Those who use a caster that requires the wielder's mana are generally used to shore up a weakness or to enhance a skill. An example is a water-affinity user wielding an ice-aspected caster to freeze their water."

"Makes sense. Fine. I give. I'll need to send that oni a gift basket the next time we visit Edolus. I wish the bastard told me how much he was helping us out." A small part of me cringed as soon as I said the words. Sam's excited face as she brandished her new hammer flashed through my mind.

If Teddy saw my flinch, he chose not to acknowledge it. "Don't worry. The one reliable thing about being an adventurer is the opportunity to make coin. Sure, you may spend all of it on gear repairs or healing from some injury, but you get a guaranteed chance to earn it."

We shared a laugh, and I resumed my looting of the fish beasts. After my fifth one, I had to take a break, but I finished them all before we both retired to bed.

The collection of balloon organs totaled six. The last of the lesser beasts produced three handfuls of shiny blue scales. When I examined the fish, I found only two larger ones had a small smattering of the particular scales. I wasn't sure of their value, but they were at least unique in some way.

The final beast, the tier two that dueled Igas, gave me something interesting. It was a small crystal sphere the size of my palm. It shined in a dull blue glow that swirled lazily. When I showed it to Teddy, he confirmed it was a beast core. It would make for a decent sum of coin at tier two, provided somebody here would want it.

Packing it away for tomorrow, I went to bed happy and relieved I wouldn't be completely broke.

 

---

 

The temple was surprisingly plain. Around it were several colourfully decorated buildings adorned with orange and blue flags and paint. However, the temple was almost jarring to look at it. Made of white stone, it looked maintained but only to a bare minimum needed not to look rundown.

Arturous was able to comfortably enter the entrance since it was surprisingly wide. Upon following the giant, we entered a circular hall.

Amongst the marble statues lining the back walls was a single statue that was easily three times the size of the others. It was a detailed carving of a massive serpent rising from waves of water that magically flowed through the air. And underneath the serpent's protective head was a human-sized statue of a woman. She wore robes similar to the design the islanders wore.

The woman in the statue appeared happy, proudly basking in the victory of achieving something she had always wanted. And even the massive serpent coiled around her shared a look of pride that was hard to miss.

"Magnificent, isn't it? Some may think it blasphemous to create a temple for the gods and place oneself on a pedestal greater in quality than the rest. But our Lady Protector Ysana and her soul-companion Zolnja, the Serpent Guardian, earned the right to do so." The voice came from my left, and I saw an elven man when I looked over.

A man with tanned skin and dark-blue hair was dressed in robes made of patterned cloth. Though he appeared to be in his twenties, his gaze conveyed a weight only age could bring. He approached with slow, measured steps, his hands held together in prayer.

Teddy and the others gave a slight bow, even Isaac, so I followed suit a second later.

Teddy stepped forward, placed one hand over the other, and lowered his head. "Greetings, Elder Aimon. It's an honour to meet you."

Aimon returned the gesture and waited till Teddy raised his head to speak. "I see that your parents taught you the proper greeting. Or perhaps it was that one man. Perhaps Little Brel did learn his lessons."

There was a playful smile on the man's face, and from how he talked, he sounded older than he looked. Looking around, the others seemed bothered by their uncle being called little. It made me wish I still had access to my phone from Earth. Their faces would have made for a great photo.

Teddy scratched his head as he took a second to respond. "It was our uncle, sir. He told many stories about his time here."

"I see, good, good. He was such a spirited child. A bit of a temper, that one." He stared distantly, looking beyond us for a moment. His smile faded a little when he turned his attention back towards Teddy. "So tell me, how are the Lightcrests? Are they still adventuring?"

"I am uncertain, sir. Their rift expedition will likely conclude within a month. Although I have not seen them since last year, I am confident they are doing well. After all, my parents are experienced adventurers."

"Indeed they are. That's good to hear you have such faith in them, Theodore. Now why don't you introduce me to your friends? I have heard snippets about your team from time to time. It'll be nice to put a face to those rumors."

"This is Celanae, Eodyne, Igas, and Isaac. They're my teammates. Uncle Brelten trained us as kids, so we became an adventuring party after awakening."

Aimon observed the others examining them from head to toe. "The Amethyst Witch, protector, and guardian with barriers of hardened crystal. Followed by the Storm Wraith, a ghost in the wind that shoots down with heaven's fury." He paused as the two women blushed. Even the usually stoic Eodyne looked bashful. "And then we have the Frozen Knight, encased in ice as he plunges the battlefield into eternal winter. And one of the most notable, the Shadow Fiend. A silent death that drags you screaming to your final rest with tentacles of the darkest black. Did I get that correct?"

Now all of the team except Teddy was looking awkward. Igas shuffled in place while Isaac kept his gaze specifically away from the elder. When nobody said anything, he turned and gazed at me.

"And who is this? You did not include his name when you introduced your team."

"This is Cyrus. He's joining us for a time. Consider him a companion and friend like the others," Teddy explained.

I felt uneasy as the elder gazed at me. It seemed as though he was scrutinizing something within me, but I detected no magical energy or indication of any skills being employed.

"Very well, greetings to you all. If you are here, I assume you want to delve into the dungeon?" Aimon said as he went up to Arturous, scratching generously behind his ears.

"That's correct, sir. We already checked in with Guildmaster Travis. The dungeon should be available."

Aimon paused from scratching Arturous and retrieved a ring from his robe. The ring appeared to be made of bone and had ten coins instead of keys attached to it. "We should start moving now," he said.

I looked to the others, who gave me a nonplussed look and began following the elder. His robes swept across the floor like water, the design creating a mesmerizing rippling motion as he moved.

As we passed the statue of the lady and the serpent, a weird flux of mana popped above me, and I was doused by a spray of water. When I looked up, nothing was different about the statue. I continued to look around, but no other traces of mana could be felt, and the other people in the room were busy praying to their respective gods or goddesses.

I felt a bubble of anger try to claw its way up, but I squashed it down. Getting infuriated over what was probably a harmless prank would be ridiculous. When Isaac looked back and saw that I had stopped, he paused and narrowed his eyes. Before he could say anything, I jogged to catch up, ignoring his look of suspicion.

We descended several stairs, going much deeper into the earth than I expected. Luckily much like the rest of the temple, the stairwell was built with giants in mind, so Arturous was able to lumber on through without difficulties.

As we reached the end of the steps, we walked into an even larger hall that expanded forward until it reached a massive door. To say it wasn't creepy would be a lie. The archway was made of white marble, and on each side were two massive lanterns giving off a pale blue flame. Decorated on every layer were multiple skulls.

Aimon turned to face us and spread his arms wide. "Welcome to the Drowned Necropolis. A dungeon older than I." He then pressed one of the coins into the door's handle and stood back as the doors faded away and mana surged through the opening.

The dungeon portal was like a wave of water that led into another world. The dry floor beneath us became wet as glowing water filled the hall. It looked nothing like the Burning Lake dungeon.

"This dungeon might be different from the ones you might normally encounter. The necropolis possesses nine floors in total. There are two tier-one, three tier-two, and four tier-three floors. Before you enter, you can select which tier you'd like to start on if you have one of these coins." Aimon raised the ring of coins in his hand and jingled it.

Celanae bent down and ran her hand through the water. It dripped off like sparkling light before it rejoined the floor. "Amazing. Does this mean it's a living dungeon?"

"Not yet. It has the beginning of a nascent soul, but it remains dormant. It's my hope and fear that this coming festival will be enough to push it over the edge. A dungeon with a dungeon spirit would be a massive boon."

Living dungeons and dungeon spirits sounded a lot like the dungeon had a core; another thing about this pseudo-cultivation world made me glad I read all the books I did. Sam would have been pumped.

I opened my mouth to speak before I heard a rustling behind me. I tried to move, but something kept me frozen. A familiar voice then whispered in my ear. "Cyrus, forgive the intrusion, but please refrain from mentioning the core, especially when it comes to someone like Celanae or Aimon."

I felt the restraints around my body release, and I instinctively flexed to ensure I could move everything. I watched Teddy discuss plans with the others without bothering to look around. The elder looked at me again, this time with a concerned frown.

"If you're asking, I won't, but why not? Surely they would know what a dungeon core is, right?" I asked.

I could feel Cal shaking his head. "No, they do not. Plenty of worlds know this knowledge, but for now, the current population of Inoria has no idea that dungeon souls are from dungeon cores. The entire process of dungeon evolution is currently a restricted topic. I can explain the reasons later, but for now, know dungeon cores are a divine-kept secret."

"That sounds stupid but fine. I'll play nice. That is going on my list of questions, though."

"I'll gladly answer them the next time we see each other. I'll be taking my leave now."

"Bye, Cal. Recover well."

"Goodbye, Cyrus. And here's a tip. Have Erebus loot a corpse still in the water. Feel how the mana changes as he goes inside. That should help your trouble with the shadows."

With that, Cal's presence disappeared, and I tuned back into the conversation right as Teddy moved towards me. I glanced at the elder and saw his eyes stare in shock, but he, too, looked away a moment later.

"So we plan on delving the tier-two floors. We're hopeful we can push into the third tier, but that will have to wait after our first run. Since we are uncomfortable leaving you alone in such a dungeon, are you okay if Arturous joins you?" Teddy asked.

The massive ursus arctos in question padded over and gave me a giant lick. I felt my body lift slightly from the ground as he licked me from the torso up. Spitting out the goo that covered my lips, I pushed his snout away playfully.

"Yeah, that'd be fine. Are you sure you don't need him? He's your soulbond."

"It's fine. He shares my cultivation, so any experience I get, he gets. Arturous is smarter than he looks. He just likes to be lazy if he can. Feed him food or a couple of bones, and he'll do whatever you want. He can guard your rear and step in only if you ask him to."

"That's perfect, then. Are we ready?"

"Yes, here you go." He handed me a coin with a single line scratched down the middle. "I'm told the time dilation is only by an hour, so remember that when you want to leave. And Cyrus? Stay safe. We have at least a week or two before other people come here. Take this time to learn and practice everything you have."

I nodded thoughtfully and followed him back to the group. Arturous' heavy steps splashed water everywhere, so I was already drenched by the time we neared the portal. Thankfully I didn't feel cold in the slightest.

The others asked if I was ready, and I replied yes. Not wasting another moment, they each held a coin in their hand and stepped into the water gate.

I stopped before the portal and turned to face the elder. "What about Arturous? Does he need a coin?"

Aimon shook his head. "Simply keep a hand on his head as you enter. The portal will place you together. Since he is a soul-bonded beast, the portal doesn't count him as a full individual."

I thanked him and wrapped an arm around the bear's massive neck. "Here we go, buddy. Time to enjoy my first proper delve."

I moved in step with the bear and pushed past the film of floating water. Reality distorted and faded into a bright flash of light. Next, my body was pulled, and I felt a tugging sensation whisk me away into another realm.