Chapter 213 - (213) Mana Sick?
The excitement of the group had fallen when Geth explained the situation. It became even worse once they'd led the party to the two-headed wolf.
The once lively conversations died, and a morose aura surrounded the party. Even the Mana wilted and was moving slower than normal.
He knew that it would be a blow to their morale, but this was depressing.
Geth watched Zolis approach the creature, which surprisingly didn't growl nor whimper once she'd walked near it. She summoned her own Direwolf, which prompted a similar response from the Sub-Boss as Kane had.
Both of the enormous heads leaned down, pressing their foreheads toward Zolis' wolf. Geth was surprised.
'Should it be this easy?'
'The others sensed the interaction between myself and their comrade. They are probably already expecting us.'
Geth nodded.
Since he could do nothing to help, he turned his attention toward his Grimoire. Surprisingly enough, it had counted Kane's inheritance as the Sub-Boss being killed by his party.
Only he and Filthy were in range to receive the benefits, but that merely increased their value. They hadn't gained experience, but the Points were more than enough.
***
Congratulations, User, for defeating a Sub-Boss. Please select a reward.
Note User's Level was far lower than Sub-Boss. Options reflect this disparity.
Option 1: 10 TP, 10 SP, 2 Random Epic Items
Option 2: 30 TP, 30 SP, 30 AP
Option 3: 15 SP, 15 TP, 5 Random Taming Cards
***
Geth glanced through the options and picked the second. Peter had mentioned that he would select all options with Taming Cards from now on.
Between the Points he'd received here and the ones from the Sub-Boss up top, he was starting to build a decent savings again.
'I'll see how many Points we get for doing this as a group before spending them. Although...'
He eyed the Greater Mending spell. He wanted to choose an Epic version that would significantly boost its healing properties.
Geth already had more than enough points to bring it to Epic, but there were other Skills that he needed to upgrade as well before the Boss fight.
It wasn't long before Zolis' wolf had finished, and another set of reward options appeared in his Grimoire. He chose a similar option and glanced at his available Points.
'So that brings me to 75 SP. As long as I hit 150, I'll upgrade it.'
With that in mind, Geth and Filthy proceeded to lead the team to the center hallway.
Zolis' Direwolf had grown a second head after gaining its inheritance. He also felt that its Intelligence Attribute had significantly increased.
As he watched his wife pet the wolf, he could see the Mana constantly flashing back and forth between the two faces as if they were communicating.
Geth found the idea strange, but he figured there was some point to it. They each had different personalities, the same as the one that had been chained up.
'Eh, it suits her.'
Geth chuckled at his own little joke while they walked, earning strange gazes from the others.
'I wonder where the tunnel to the next floor is supposed to be. I didn't notice any unique Formations or anything.
If I were confident in handling it alone, I could probably just swim through the earth. Maybe if the creatures were Undead again, but I barely survived that one.'
He quickly shook those thoughts from his mind. He had built a support build for a reason, and that was to make sure that those he was close to were taken care of.
Supporting was the most important job on the battlefield, and he wouldn't trust anyone else.
In the center Dungeon, one of Peter's six wolves gained the Agility-based wolf's inheritance. It shrunk in size but gained an Affinity with wind-based magic in return.
The second the chains pulled back into the pillar, the entrance to the next floor revealed itself. Geth realized that he hadn't noticed it because it wasn't powered by a Formation but a simple mechanism instead.
The entrance was simple. There was a hidden passage in the back of the center chamber that looked to be carved by magic.
It spiraled down, similar to the one that had brought the party this far. Geth could feel that the disturbances in the Mana were even stronger the further down they traveled.
If it initially felt like he was trying to 'see' through water, it now felt like he was spreading his senses through a thick haze. It felt like the Mana was restricting him instead of acting as an extension of himself.
The group proceeded down into the depths of the Dungeon. His original plans to rest were replaced by the urgency of freeing these Sub-Bosses before the mastermind became stronger.
"You doing okay?
"
Sindri walked up beside him and looked at him curiously. She'd noticed his strange faces and slightly pale complexion while they were walking.
"Yeah, I'm doing fine. The Mana in this place is just stifling. It feels like one of my senses is being suppressed.
"
She placed her palm against his forehead and looked at him strangely again.
"Are you sure you're okay..? There's nothing wrong with the Mana in here...
"
Geth raised his eyebrow. Could she not feel it?
"Blaze.
"
"Hm?
"
The other man slowed his footsteps until he fell in stride beside the couple. He looked at Geth a bit curiously, feeling that something was off.
"You okay, man? You look sick.
"
Geth was surprised again. What was that supposed to mean?
"You don't feel that the Mana here is strange, either? Is it just me?
"
Blaze shook his head.
"Everything is fine. Are you sure we don't need to go back and rest for a bit?
"
Geth scrunched his brows.
'What's going on? Albus, can you feel it?'
'Yes, I can feel it as well. I'm not sure what it is. It seems familiar but foreign at the same time.'
*Sigh.*
"I'll be fine.. We don't have time to rest.
"