The transfer was instant. The starry portal opened up, and the Instance Dungeon formed. Frigga's expression remained unchanged the moment she stepped inside it. She didn't hesitate. She's much more used to moving around the Nine Realms I bet, so entering a portal isn't foreign to her. We were engulfed in a warm light, only to get replaced by an unfamiliar mixture of darkness and dim orange illumination the next moment.
The moment we arrived, our feet struck cold, hard stone instead of packed earth. It produced a hollow sound, travelling farther than it actually should. It reminded me of the echoing Slime Tunnel, except this was no tunnel. The air around us changed as Frigga arrived beside me. It grew thicker. Our atmosphere was cooler and heavier, carrying a thick stench of damp stone, mixed with something earthy and smoky. Honestly, it was pretty unpleasant, but I'd rather have a smell like this than the putrid stench of zombie guts that made my senses turn dull inside Zombie Street.
We arrived in some entrance passage, which eventually widened ahead of us into something that couldn't have possibly fit this new landscape of ours. Jagged stone walls rose several stories overhead before disappearing into darkness. Thick roots tore through the ceiling, crawling downward against the crags like enormous veins. Droplets of water steadily dripped down from somewhere above, creating a constant noise. Drip. Drip. Drip. They formed shallow puddles that we would tread once we stepped over them.
I could also see primitive torches wedged into cracks along the stone walls at inconsistent intervals. A resemblance of a civilization, but crude enough not to be Human. Their flames were producing more smoke than fire, and yet, something was strange. I could see the fire much more clearly. Tiny specks of embers crackled and smoldered. It was wrapped around an reddish-orange aura, easily mistaken for sparks. But to me, I recognized what it was. These flames were naturally releasing Mana!
That alone was enough to distract me. No matter where I looked, Mana was breathing life into this place. I am quite curious how things will be back home once I return. In many stories, they say Planet Earth doesn't contain a single drop of Mana. The planet's completely dry, making people unable to feel its proper flow. But this is the MCU, where Magic is prevalent, even on Planet Earth. The people who practice it either blend into society, or hide from it in some form of secret sect. Places like Kamar-Taj blend both aspects into their everyday life. They hide in plain sight, and keep up with the modern times while keeping the Mystic Arts to themselves.
"I see what you mean when Magic is all around us, Master.", I said, momentarily forgetting the fact that we have stepped foot into an Instance Dungeon.
Raising a finger, several nearby near-invisible specks of light drifted around it without touching it. It was hard to describe this sensation, but I knew one thing. Without Mana Perception, I wouldn't be able to see this clearly. After that, I observed one of the torches nearby, and I could see the difference between the heat of ordinary fire and its surrounding Mana. Like I said, it is a very subtle distinction. I could definitely make use of this. It'll help me determine where more dangerous threats may hide. Given they release any form of Mana.
Hearing me say that, Frigga's attention shifted, and looked at me taking in our new surroundings. Frigga seemed unimpressed by the enormous cavern. Her posture remained relaxed. Not even a single shred of doubt could be seen in her eyes. Instead, her interest seemed to fall on how this place came to be.
"You truly created a whole space out of nothingness, and you say you can't manipulate space. If that really is the case, then what do you call this?", Frigga asked with an interested look in her eyes.
"I can't just change my surroundings into numbers. It perceives every action that I take, and translates them into what are called Skills. I have generated quite a few of them to date, but one such Skill allows this special space to be created. I call them Instance Dungeons. A place designed to train and grow stronger without worry of the outside world.", I explained.
"Instance Dungeons...A place solely designed to grow stronger. I fear many would covet such an ability. Does anyone know that you possess the ability to create these spaces?", Frigga asked, only to see her gaze turn serious. Unexpectedly, but I met her gaze.
"Only three Humans and...One artificial intelligence? I think it is safe to call him that. Back on Planet Earth. I haven't told a single soul here on Asgard. You are the first to know.", I answered. "Though I did have interest in initially bringing Thor in here over you. But then you accepted me as your apprentice."
"Good. Then we shall keep it as such. If you ever feel like exploring more of these Instance Dungeons, as you call them, to grow stronger, please take me with you. If you had gone ahead and invited someone like Thor, I fear you would have been caught in some form of collateral damage. His attacks are quite fierce. You could have very easily died without taking proper precaution.", Frigga said, remaining serious.
Hearing that, my blood ran cold. True, if Thor decided on a whim to breach this cavern and attack at his own pace, unleashing his thunderous strikes, just the impact alone could have caused heavy injury on me. Or worse, death. He is LV500, after all. I'm only Level 13. I'm glad I have Frigga on my side.
"Understood.", I said, and nodded. We began to walk, and it did not take long to see further signs of this place being habited. Crude wooden supports reinforced sections of walls where stone had been cracked. Ropes made of twisted plant fibers stretched between wooden stakes driven into the ground. Several different kinds of animal bones could be seen scattered around, likely having been some type of past meal to these Kobolds.
Some sections of this cavern even had its walls covered in animal hide, forming a makeshift partition, concealing deeper passages. I had initially expected these monsters to be packed into a single cave, waiting to attack anything that immediately came into their surroundings. But no, that clearly wasn't the case here. What I found instead was disturbingly close to a primitive settlement. Don't tell me, was there a giant labyrinth lurking inside beyond this cavern, ripe with potential loot?
Slimes were very easy to be treated as Monsters, and Zombies were even easier. Neither had displayed much intelligence. If any at all. But here...I see built shelters, hand-crafted tools, and temporary food storage. It was as if they had made this cavern their territory. They weren't mindless like Slimes and Zombies were.
And that's what could make them potentially much more dangerous. They might even know how to attack in formations.
"This might take some more effort than I had initially thought. This isn't the first Instance Dungeon I've gone into, but I did not think I would come across some resemblance of a civilization.", I murmured, keeping my voice low. "I expected a nest. You know, tunnels where monsters lurk, with potentially a treasure chest conveniently sitting around nearby.", I continued. "And this...This looks like someone placed a village and shoved it underground."
"A nest and a village need not be so different.", Frigga responded. "There are many creatures in the Nine Realms capable of organizing themselves to naturally blend into their surroundings, whether that be a cavern, or a forest. Some are stronger than others, and given enough time, they experience what I believe you Midgardians come to understand as Evolution."
"You understand correctly, Master. Here, it all depends on whether these Kobolds possess enough awareness and reaction quick enough to realize they are under attack.", I said, and grinned. And yet, as I said that, Frigga suddenly motioned her hand. She didn't say anything right away.
Instead, Frigga gestured her ahead. I followed her gaze, and held my breath. What we soon saw was a passage ending on an elevated shelf, overlooking an enormous, subterranean chamber. The volume alone made the entrance of this cavern look insignificant. Stone columns stretched from the floor to the ceiling scattered throughout. Dozens of torches and fire pits were placed at erratic intervals. Steady crackles of fire bounced off the walls around us. There were also wooden bridges which connected elevated sections of rock, and rope ladders hanging down from crudely-built platforms. Within all of that...were shelters constructed of wood, hides, animal bones, and stone.
It was then I saw them. Kobolds. The nearest one stood roughly four feet tall, while several others were noticeably larger. Their bodies were covered in coarse fur, ranging from muddy brown to gray. Their faces possessed defined canine features with long snouts, pointed ears, and sharp teeth which were visible anytime they opened their mouths. Much more realistic and dangerous-looking than what you'd find in the beginning of a game. Many were wearing crude garments, or mismatched pieces of armor.
Enough time had passed within this Instance Dungeon where these Kobolds were using Spears and Stone Axes as weapons. Most knew how to attack from a close range. I even saw a couple assigned at the elevated crude platforms with bows over their bodies. Kobold Archers!
But you see...
I have something better than everything these stupid Kobolds could ever hope to have. I gripped Frieren's Staff tighter, and grinned again.
"Say Master, you might want to take some steps back. I plan to wipe these Kobolds out all in one go. I have a particular Spell attached to this staff of mine. I will not go into the specifics, but it should be quite devastating. Those Kobolds won't know what will hit them, and even if they somehow do, it'll be too late.", I explained.
"Interesting. So you possess Spells, even though you have not learned any from me?", Frigga asked, and smiled back. Sharp woman.
"I am not sure if I should call them Spells, but this ability of mine classifies them as such. They go hand-in-hand with how I can turn my surroundings into numbers. I do not know if they will receive a different classification by the time I learn Spells you teach me, Master.", I explained. I honestly didn't know. The Spells I have are assigned by the Gamer System. I have not created any of my own yet, even though Wind Sphere technically counts as that.
Too much to think about right now.
"Very well. Then show me what you can do. I will step aside.", Frigga said, and began to create some distance from me. You might know where this is going.
It's time to try out Zoltraak!
I had a quick glance at its details once again. I have over 30,000 MP to use right now, and that alone should be devastating.
[Zoltraak]
An ordinary offensive Spell originating from the world of Frieren. By compressing and firing your Mana, Zoltraak can take on a variety of attack patterns, from precise piercing shots to devastating wide-area blasts. Its overwhelming penetrative power allows it to tear through any form of barriers with ease. This Spell has been modified by the Gamer System to deal significantly increased damage to Demon-type Monsters. This Spell has no element.
Name: Zoltraak
Rank: S
Incantation: N/A
Uses: 0/10,000
Range: Custom
Cost: Custom
Damage: Deals 100%-1000% Spell Power. Maximum MP: 10,000.
Special Effect 1: Low-Grade and Medium-Grade Barriers become nullified.
Special Effect 2: Inflicts 300% Magic Damage against Demon-type Monsters.
I silently recalled the scene of Frieren using Zoltraak against Qual, one of the few living subordinates of the Demon King in Frieren's World. Keeping my grip steady, I imagined Zoltraak to be a gigantic beam, just like how Frieren did it.
[Ding! You have invested 10,000 MP into Zoltraak!]
[Ding! Zoltraak's Spell Power: 1000%!]
[Ding! Current MP: 26,494/36,494.]
[Ding! You have cast a Spell: Zoltraak!]
[Ding! By possessing Spellblade Class, Zoltraak's 1000% Spell Power has been directly added into your Universal Damage!]
[Ding! Your DEX has overwhelmed your targets. Keen Precision has triggered!]
It has begun!