The cavern air tasted like stale copper and dust. A big shadow detached itself from the ceiling of the mid-level dungeon.
GRAAAAH!
The beast dropped toward the floor. It resembled a giant spider mixed with a heavy iron beetle. Eight thick legs slammed into the ground.
KRRR-THUD.
The cavern shook violently under the heavy weight. The monster hissed loudly and reared back to strike the vanguard.
Brown stood right in front of the beast. He did not pull out a heavy iron shield or drew a spiked flail. His hands were completely empty. A bright yellow light flared around his frame, so he stepped forward to meet the descending claws.
BAAAM!
Flesh and bone collided directly with the hardened monster shell. A deafening shockwave ripped through the tunnel, and a thick cloud of dust kicked up into the air. The beast's big claw bounced off his bare forearms. It shrieked in pain and stumbled backward.
Kian hovered ten centimeters above the ground. He chewed a sweet Glisberry, while his jaw went completely slack.
What did I just see? Kian panicked in his mind. He just blocked a heavy attack with his bare hands. He pushed a giant bug away without a shield. It makes no sense at all.
A cold sweat trickled down his neck. He gave the kid an impossible rule six months ago and explicitly banned the boy from the usage of weapons or armor. A Tanker without a shield is just fresh meat. Kian fully expected the kid to quit the party on the very first day.
But Brown just stood there. He cracked his knuckles and looked totally ready for the next round.
This kid is completely insane, Kian complained internally. How come a Tanker is able to Tank without a shield? It might be difficult to get rid of this Brown now. He adapted to a suicidal handicap like it was a fun morning chore.
Kian shifted his gaze toward the flanks. Red swung his heavy buster sword. He gritted his teeth and desperately tried to kill the armored monsters in exactly two strikes.
CLANG. CLANG.
However, the beast did not die. Red groaned loudly and felt frustrated by his own failure. He dodged a snapping jaw and swung again.
On the other side, Pink darted through the shadows. She moved incredibly fast, but she looked totally exhausted. Her chest heaved heavily, and her clothes were stained with dark monster blood. She fought without the activation of her protective light until the very last second.
Both of them struggled terribly. They looked like they were in a really bad shape, and their muscles trembled from the heavy strain of the self-imposed rules.
A fierce determination suddenly bloomed inside Kian's chest. He felt a spark of genuine hope.
It's not over yet, Kian told himself. Those two might give up soon. They look so tired and barely holding on right now.
However, a nagging doubt ruined his happy thoughts.
It has been more than half a year since I made up those crap training rules.
He deliberately gave them nonsense advice to make them quit.
Why are these color-coded kids still hanging out with me? Kian wondered as he let out a tired sigh. They bleed and break their bones every single day. Just surrender already! It will make my life so much easier if you all just walk away!
A few meters behind Kian, the situation was much worse.
Haaah... haaah...
Yellow stood on shaky legs. Her lungs burned fiercely and her chest heaved with every ragged breath she took. A soft green light glowed from the tip of her wooden staff. The magic connected directly to Kian's back which constantly healed the tiny scratches he got from the flying debris.
It was almost six hours. She channeled the low-level healing spell without a single pause. Her internal container was completely dry. Her head throbbed with a terrible ache, and her vision blurred at the edges.
She was almost out of Mana.
But the pain of exhaustion was not the main thing that occupied Yellow right now.
Celia turned her head slightly and looked at the other side of the tunnel. Lumina stood firmly on the floor.
The young girl gripped her own staff tight. She channeled the float spell directly onto Kian, keeping him comfortably in the air.
Celia blinked through her blurry vision.
Six months ago, Lumi could only hold a float spell for three hours at most. Once her internal fuel ran dry, she would collapse onto the ground.
Celia inhaled.
Now, though, we've been in this cavern for almost six hours. She doesn't even look tired.
Lumina stood straight. Her breathing remained perfectly calm and steady.
She already surpassed my Mana Capacity in just a few months, Celia realized.
The cold truth settled heavily in her stomach. A nine-year-old child possessed a larger internal tank than her.
"Hkkk... haaah..."
Another ragged breath escaped Celia's lips. A sharp cramp twisted her gut. She struggled to keep the low-level healing spell steady.
Celia remembered the horrific scenes from the past months. She remembered the blue fruit, the dead pulse, and the cold skin. The girl forcefully broke her own limits through a dance with death.
The theory about the Mana Core Shatter is true after all, Celia thought.
Lumina shifted her eyes and caught Celia in a quiet stare.
The young Mage gave a quick glance. It was a subtle signal. A quiet question exchanged between two girls who shared a secret.
Lumina signaled something with her eyes.
Celia swallowed hard and slowly shook her head. She signaled back that she cannot do it.
I've been planning to do the same trick Lumi did, Celia confessed in her own mind. I planned to deliberately shatter my Mana Core.
Celia looked down at her trembling hands. The green light flickered weakly.
I attempted to do it many times, Celia thought. Tears prickled the corners of her eyes. I attempted to push my Mana to the absolute edge. But... but... I... I can't.
Hesitation always stopped her at the very last second.
I have a feeling that if I do that, I will die. As a Healer, I know the limits of my own body. I could tell my body cannot handle the shock of a shattered core. That trick is not for everyone.
Celia squeezed her eyes shut.
Dying for my friends doesn't scare me, but a careless death achieves nothing. That death would be not worthy.
She was worried that if she died from a crazy experiment, nobody would feed Lumina the blue fruit next time. Nobody would patch Brown's broken bones.
Celia opened her eyes and looked at Lumina again. The small girl stood tall in the dark tunnel.
It made me realize how amazing Lumi actually is, Celia thought. A wave of profound respect washed over her tired heart. This child has great talent. She has nerves of steel to willingly step into the void. She's incredible.
A few moments later, the green light completely vanished.
The soft glow covering Kian's body flickered and died. The magical connection snapped.
Celia's knees buckled. Her staff hit the stone floor with a loud clatter. She collapsed entirely onto the ground. She lay flat on her stomach, completely exhausted and defeated.
Her Mana was empty.
Kian remained floating ten centimeters above the ground.
Lumina's spell already surpassed the time of Celia's spell.
Kian looked down at Yellow and saw her panting in the dust.
Since the time I gave the crap training,Yellow did not improve at all, Kian judged silently. She still collapses around the six-hour mark. She failed the task I'd given her. I can definitely use this against her.
Then Kian slowly turned his head to the left and looked at Black.
The young girl kept the float spell perfectly stable without even looking tired.
But this kid, Kian wondered as his brow furrowed in deep confusion. How the heck did she manage to cast a continuous six hours of float spell in just a short period of time? She used to pass out after no more than three hours.
The sudden jump in stamina made zero sense. He thought of the incident six months ago.
He remembered the inn room, the filthy dirt on Black's small body, and the smell of scorched earth.
What is this kid? Kian panicked in his mind. How come her heart stopped beating while being alive? It's so creepy.
Up at the vanguard, a loud shriek echoed through the cavern.
A fast sleek monster managed to slip past Brown's bare hands. It bypassed the vanguard entirely. The beast rushed straight toward the backline and aimed its sharp claws directly at the floating man.
Before the beast could cover the distance, Lumina raised her free hand.
FWOOSH!
A fireball erupted from the tip of her staff. She cast the destructive attack magic, while she simultaneously kept Kian floating in the air. The flame slammed into the monster.
BOOM!
The beast was instantly burned to ash. The explosion lit up the tunnel with a harsh glare.
Kian stared at the floor. The sudden burst of power sent a cold shiver straight down his spine.
He suddenly thought of the terrifying presence he felt six months ago. He remembered the crushing weight in the inn room right before she collapsed through the door. It felt like 'death' itself was standing in the hallway.
He felt thick goosebumps break out across his arms. He rubbed his skin, and he was totally disturbed by the memory.
She's a monster, Kian concluded silently. She's just a kid, but she's an absolute monster.
The battle dragged on. The color-coded kids kept their weapons moving to clear the cavern and killed beasts to harvest parts.
Two hours later, the final monster fell dead to the floor. The dungeon was quiet again.
"That's enough," Kian said flatly.
Lumina casually deactivated the float spell. The invisible force vanished.
TAP-CLACK.
Kian's expensive leather shoes landed smoothly on the ground. Lumina managed to complete the eight-hour continuous spell without exhausting her Mana.
Kian straightened his coat and turned around to face the exhausted Healer on the floor.
He looked at Yellow and said, "Yellow, you're fired."