My eyes widened. "But you said Source is of different colours"
Master nodded slowly. "Yes. it is the visual form when Source becomes concentrated. But when the Source is in trace amounts—nearly negligible—it doesn't change the crystal's hue. That's why they are still blue. Mana is just weak power. You can say if you refine the mana of a thousand kilometres, then a drop of source will form."
He paused before continuing.
"In our realm, we've developed methods to extract Source from the Source crystals directly to our body. The deeper the core, the more Source it holds. But even these faint-blue ones… it's just a waste for us."
He turned, brushing his cloak aside. "That's enough for now. Let's move on."
I nodded and looked around, suddenly realizing something.
"Aur…?" She was nowhere to be seen.
Then, a small voice echoed in my mind. 'What are you searching for?'
I blinked. 'Where are you?'
She giggled mentally. 'Just beside you. Hehehe.'
I turned to my left—and there she was, sitting calmly on the stone floor, her tail curled around her paws, gazing up at me with amused eyes.
'You were listening so intently that you forgot everything else around you.'
I scratched the back of my neck with a sheepish smile. "Ah, sorry…"
'You need more practice if you're going to fake emotions like that. Hehehe.'
Her teasing grin made me sigh inwardly. But I couldn't help the small smile tugging at my lips.
Master stood up without a word, and I followed his lead. As soon as I rose, Aur leapt gracefully from the stone floor, landing lightly on my shoulder with the weight of a feather.
Master glanced back at me and smirked. "Then shall we proceed?"
I smirked back, echoing his confidence. "Let's."
We began to move deeper into the shimmering dungeon corridor, its walls lined with glowing crystals of every shade. The light from the mana crystals cast dancing reflections on the smooth surfaces, turning the path ahead into a mesmerizing kaleidoscope.
As we walked, a question continued to linger at the edge of my thoughts. I turned toward him. "All of this… Is it all formed because of the SSS-rank beast?"
He nodded slightly, his eyes fixed ahead. "Yeah but there should be mana veins otherwise it isn't possible. That's the reason we're seeing so many mana crystals here."
His pace remained steady, boots echoing softly against the crystalline floor as he continued. "Sohastras possess an absurd amount of Source. Normal Supreme Beings of this realm use refined techniques—like mana breathing or storage compression—to utilize and control their mana reserves. But Sohastras… they don't rely on external gathering methods because they use sources. And that's how they can create mana from nothing. Actually it's mana from source"
I blinked, stunned. "They can create it endlessly?"
He chuckled. "Not endlessly. They can only create mana to the extent their source allows. Even for them, it's a costly process. Creating mana from Source drains them physically—so they don't do it constantly."
I let out a sigh of relief. "That's… good to know."
He must've caught the tone in my voice. Without warning, he reached out and gave me a light knock on the head with his knuckles.
"Hey—what was that for?" I rubbed the spot, frowning.
He raised an eyebrow. "Huh? The knock?"
"Yes, the knock!"
Master burst into laughter, his voice echoing through the glowing corridor. "HAHAHA! You sometimes act like a kid. I just did it because I felt like it!"
I narrowed my eyes on him. "Hmmm…"
Before he could respond, a deep, reverberating thud echoed from somewhere deeper in the dungeon.
THUD.
THUD.
The air around us grew heavier. Crystals on the walls vibrated faintly with each step of the approaching creature.
A massive silhouette emerged from the shadowed corridor ahead. It stepped into the light—an enormous beast, standing tall on four sturdy legs, with two powerful arms emerging from its torso. Its skin was coarse like stone, and its eyes gleamed with primal intelligence.
Master narrowed his gaze and spoke calmly, "It's just an S-rank. Both of you—go."
The moment Master gave the command, I didn't hesitate.
Mana surged from my core, flooding into the storage seal etched on my wrist. Lines of blue light spiraled down my forearm, and in a blink, my sword materialized in my hand—sleek, silver-edged, humming with faint magical resonance. I gripped the hilt tightly, feeling the cool pulse of aura flowing into the blade.
Aur launched from my shoulder in a blur of crimson. Her beastly form blurred mid-air, her body twisting and reforming like red mist laced with sparks of lightning. She dashed ahead, her claws barely touching the ground as she ricocheted off the dungeon walls, her speed dizzying.
The beast—an S-rank—stood tall and brutish, easily three times my size. Its four legs thudded against the crystal floor like drumbeats of war, while two muscular arms twitched, claws flexing with anticipation. Its skin was dark gray, cracked and pulsing with veins of glowing orange—a sign of mana coursing just beneath the surface. Its eyes, wide and lidless, glared at us with primal fury.
Aur dashed across its flank, leaping toward its shoulder.
FWASH!
The beast's right arm lashed out with shocking speed. But Aur twisted mid-air, avoiding the blow by a hair's breadth and rebounding off a nearby wall in a flurry of red sparks.
It was a Perfect distraction or as I thought.
I pushed off the ground, channeling mana into my legs to accelerate. The wind howled past my ears as I sprinted forward, lowering my stance. The crystals on the walls flashed by in a blur as I weaved between jagged formations.
I leapt into the air—sword raised overhead—and aimed for the creature's neck. My mana concentrated into the blade's edge, sharpening it to a deadly gleam.
"I have to strike fast—" I thought.
But the beast was faster than I'd expected.
Its second arm, thicker and broader, swept from the side like a boulder on fire.
BOOM!
The blow landed across my ribs before I could react. The force knocked the breath from my lungs. Pain exploded in my side as I was flung through the air like a ragdoll.
I was heading straight toward the far wall, a jagged crystal field ready to impale me. My body spun wildly, vision disoriented—until a sudden gale burst beneath me.
WHOOSH!
A focused gust of wind caught my body and slowed my fall. I crashed to the ground, tumbling across the stone, my sword clattering beside me.
I coughed, gasping for breath. My ribs throbbed, and my palms stung from the rough landing.
Master's voice boomed behind me. "Brat! Don't be cocky! It's still an S-rank, not a toy!"
"Sorry…" I muttered, gritting my teeth as I pushed myself back up.
The beast let out a guttural roar, shaking the air. Crystals cracked and fell from the ceiling. Its front legs pounded forward, claws raking the ground as it charged toward me—eyes locked, jaw open, fangs dripping thick saliva.
Before it could reach me, Aur streaked in from the side. Her claws shimmered with mana as she slashed at its face. Three crimson lines tore across its cheek, forcing it to rear back in pain. She didn't stop—dashing under its legs, slicing at its underbelly with swift precision.
I picked up my sword and rolled to my feet.
My mana surged, burning like fire beneath my skin. I steadied my breath.
I thought, 'No mistakes this time.'
With a burst of mana-enhanced speed, I darted forward again—this time circling to its blind side. Aur drew its attention, dancing through the air, her presence a blur of fury and grace.
I shouted, drawing power into my blade.
The sword ignited with pale-blue energy as I leapt, spinning through the air. I brought the blade down with all the force I could muster—right onto its shoulder joint.
CRACK!
A chunk of its armored hide split open, glowing Red blood spraying into the air like molten fire.
The beast bellowed, swinging its remaining arm wildly. I ducked under it, landing behind its massive body. Aur pounced again, this time latching onto its back, clawing deep into the wound I'd created.
Now it was staggering—its movement disoriented, confused between our coordinated attacks.
"Now, Aur!" I shouted.
She howled in response and leapt free just as I dashed forward again.
I channeled a large amount of Aura into my feet and blade. The crystals on the floor shattered under my pressure. My sword glowed like a star in my hand.
Then I jumped as much as I could.
In mid-air, time seemed to slow. I saw the beast's eyes widen in panic.
Then I swung—
SLASH!
My sword cleaved through its neck, slicing flesh and mana and aura-infused muscle with a single clean arc.
The creature let out one last breath, a choking sound as its body slumped. Its head hit the floor with a heavy thud, rolling toward the side as blue sparks crackled from the wound.
And the silence followed.
Aur landed beside me, panting. I stood there for a second, catching my breath, sweat dripping from my brow.
Master finally walked forward, arms crossed and amused. "Now that looked more like a team battle."
I nodded and we moved forward.