Korinne Cave. A natural cave which lied further inside Trenlant Forest. It was mainly used as a mining site for metal ores and precious stones. Expanded after multiple and prolonged mining operations, various levels were added to accommodate the growing needs of the nearby Wildecross City. The result was a complex and winding tunnel system that bore through the bowels of Kalonia. While it carried a calm and serene beauty within, it also housed dangers created by the mana exposure inside.
Drip drip
"This is a really quiet and dark cave. Good thing the walls are lit up otherwise it would be pitch dark. Where is that light coming from?" Sebastian loudly pondered as he led the party through the winding tunnel.
"It's called Mana Moss. This cave has a rich aura of mana within. Almost everything exposed to the mana here for long periods of time has mutated in some way. The Mana Moss is harmless and located all throughout the cave, but as the quest posting said, there are poison spiders and rat imps as well. On a more important note, what is that [Augment] skill of yours? It even allows you to see in the dark." Aima walked beside Sebastian as she peered into his eyes. Due to his mana coursing through it, it glowed a faint golden amber color.
"I have adjusted the mana within my body to enhance specific areas. This sub-skill enhances the rods in my eyes while balancing the cones as well. The result is that it allows me to see better in low light. Although I am still enhancing my other senses so I won't miss anything."
"For a country bumpkin, you are fascinating in some ways, did you know that? Especially the part where you can 'enhance specific areas'. You might really know how to please a woman then." Aima covered her mouth with her hand as she pretended to laugh again. She found that teasing Sebastian, whom she considered a country hick, was an entertaining way to relieve the boredom.
"Focus on the path ahead please, Sebastian and Aima. It's bad enough that I can't scout for the party, but relying on carefree adventurers is even worse." Becky's remark silenced the two. She couldn't use her beastkin senses as efficiently as Sebastian's [Augment] in the dark, and she made no efforts to hide her annoyance.
"There's actually a group of spiders in front of us. I count 8. Should we lead with an offensive spell?" Sebastian looked at Aima beside him as he looked at the poison spiders in front again. The mutated spiders were the size of an adult's head, and their poison was deadly in large doses.
"Let's not forget that the mana is rich in this cave. I can cast a [Fire Bolt] that might turn out to be the size of a fireball. I don't want to die from something avoidable like a cave-in."
"I'll use my arrows then. I'll deal the first strike and when they come close, Sebastian, Becky, and Jin can do their part." Mel chimed in as she nocked an arrow onto her bow.
"That sounds like a good plan Mel. Keep shooting until they come closer. We'll give the signal for you to stop. There isn't much wiggle room in this cave. Also be prepared to use your sword if they manage to slip past us." Sebastian also unsheathed his two swords as he lowered his stance to prepare for combat.
When she heard the last part, Mel shuddered and hurriedly took out another arrow. Silently nodding to the other party members, she took aim in front of the party where Sebastian pointed the poison spiders out.
"Let's go! [Light]!" Aima casted a huge globe of moving light source onto the wall. Although she used the usual amount of mana to cast it, the aforementioned rich mana in the cave amplified it to huge proportions. The bright light startled the spiders as they began to scurry towards their prey.
"[Double Shot]!" Mel started unloading her arrows while she reloaded her bow at amazing speeds.
TWOCK THWACK!!
"[Double Shot]!"
TWANG TWOCK!
"Mel focus on damage! You're only injuring them at this point!" Jin noticed that Mel's arrows only managed to slow down the spiders' unrelenting march towards them. Their numbers remained the same as they advanced.
"Change to swords now Mel! Our turn! [Augment] Reinforce arm muscles!" Sebastian used his reinforced speed and power to cleave the spiders into two.
SHWING! TWA!
"[Spear Slash]! [Spear Thrust]!" Jin didn't miss a beat as he took down a spider while he stood in the front with Sebastian.
"[Shadow Step]!" Becky was busy rampaging through the enclosed battlefield as she appeared at the poison spiders' blind sides while cutting them down.
"[Light]!" Aima casted another ball of light onto the other side of the cave wall as she continued to illuminate the battle field.
Beside her, Mel took out her short sword as she readied herself for close-quarter combat. In the heat of the battle, only she could see that her sword was shaking as she panted. 'Steady yourself! This will not be like the mutated wolves!' She kept chanting to herself as she attempted to hold her sword with both hands then.
SSHH-BAM!
"[Ice Lance]!" Aima's spell crushed a poison spider beside her before Mel and the spider realised what was happening. Mel blankly looked to Aima as the huge ice lance broke her trance.
"Focus on what's in front - or beside you please. Don't forget you're here to protect the weak and fragile healer." Aima smiled to reassure Mel before looking back at the battlefield.
Sebastian surveyed the rest of the cave in front of them. "That's all of them. I can't sense any others. Whew." He wiped the sweat off his forehead as he sheathed his swords.
"Let's remove their mana stones and continue forward again. As per this map, there should be a clearing where we can start mining nearby." Aima took up her post near Sebastian as she pointed the party to their next destination.
***
Drip drip
In a pitch dark cell, a female elf gets up weakly. She sees a mana lamp on the floor with a food tray and a pile of stones beside it. 'It's already morning I see. Morning in this place anyway.' Without wasting further time on redundant thoughts, she picks up the tray and starts to devour the meal in front of her, saving the herbal tea for her task. After the meal, she immediately starts working on her one and only chore. Holding the smooth, dark stone in her hands, she carefully pours her mana into it. Eventually, it started to emit a faint glow, indicating that the mana was indeed stored inside. Once the stone's light is enough to fill the room, she takes another stone in her hands. She repeats the painstaking process, only taking breaks to take a few sips of the herbal tea which replenishes a bit of her mana.
Feeling the inevitable mana burn out, she quickly places the stones she made for that day along with the utensils and the mana lamp on the tray before placing it outside her cell door through a flap in the bottom. With this, her meal for the next day is assured. 'I've definitely chosen the wrong path being this master's slave. Not like I had any choice anyway.'
Thud
With a light sound, she collapses on the cold, hard floor, waiting for the next process.
***
Drip drip
She woke up after an unknown period of time to find a man in a coat holding the mana lamp. He was silently looking at her with an intense gaze as he stood over her. Realising who he was, she immediately got up and knelt down in her weakened state, almost collapsing again in the process.
"I'm sorry master, I didn't know you were here."
"It doesn't matter anyway. You wouldn't be able to tidy yourself or change your appearance. Come with me." Without bothering to explain, he promptly turned around and expected the weakened slave to follow him across the dark hallways.
Shuffling to her feet, she struggled to follow him, only focusing on the light emitted from the mana lamp as she trudged forward. Eventually, they came to a big room. It was the first time she was in this room, but then again, it had been a few seasons since she was allowed outside her cell.
Sitting down on a chair, he motioned for her to stand in front of him. Without the energy to process what was happening, she stood on her spot, swaying as she tried to stay awake in front of the burly man in front of her.
"Your mana stone output has been dwindling these past few weeks. I checked your room while you were unconscious, and you weren't hiding them. You have obviously weakened since you first came."
Hearing the cold judgment in front of her, it sent an icy shiver down her spine, jerking her awake in the process. At this point, her adrenaline kicked in and was the only thing stopping her from collapsing due to fright and hunger.
"I'm sorry master, I feel the mana burn out coming quicker than before. I collapse after making 4 stones."
"Now this simply won't do, don't you think? I purchased you because of your magical aptitude, and you even happily swore yourself to me. Now, this is not a very good return for my investment. What do you propose we should do?" He stood up from his chair as he towered over her.
"Um, I have nothing else to offer you, master. I can only offer you my body - please use it as you see fit." Biting her lower lip, she clutched the rags she wore over her frail body. She mentally prepared herself for his violation, even though it didn't make the anticipation easier. Her heart seemed like it would leap out of her bony rib cage any moment soon.
He slowly walked over to her and caressed her face with his strong, rough hand. "That's a bold offer coming from you. You mentioned before that you prided in your virginity and you were unwilling to give it up easily. Has that changed? Hmm?"
She couldn't even look up as she closed her eyes, hot tears streaming down her face. "I still want to be of use to you master, please..."
"You can't even finish your sentences now. I'm not sure if it's due to being weak, scared, maybe even horny. Which one is it?"
"Please don't throw me away like the others master. I can still make myself useful. I'll do anything."
She couldn't stop the tears flowing down her dusty face as she pleaded with the man holding her face in his hand.
He quietly stroked his other hand over her back as he slipped her tattered robe off. It didn't offer any form of resistance as it fell to the floor, along with the last strand of her dignity.
Gently, he placed his mouth beside her ear as he whispered, "I can go to a brothel for sex slaves that are well-maintained. You are not special. Serve me until your death." With a forceful push, he shoved her backwards into the pit in the middle of the large room!
"AAAAHHHHH!!"
With her newfound energy, she screamed as she fell into the darkness behind her.
THUD! CHWIT! CHWIT!! CHHWITT!!
She fumbled in the bottom of the dark pit as she tried to feel her surroundings. She could hear squeaks around her that seemed to grow ever louder.
*GASP* "Rat imps! AAHHH!!"
Her futile attempts to repel the rats which had grown into the size of a dog was met with sharp pricks as they picked her flesh and bones apart. She couldn't even let out a third scream as they consumed everything, leaving no traces behind.
Beside the man overlooking the pit, a male dwarf appeared, holding a tray with a glass of wine and fruits. "Was that necessary sir? It always physically hurts me when you kill the slaves you know."
"That is why I use your blood to make the contract when I buy slaves. I simply tell the slave traders that I am afraid of needles and blood, and they allow me to use a vial of blood which I have presumably prepared beforehand. NAIVE!! Ahaha! Money talks even in this world! Prepare another vial of your blood, we will need to replace her. With this, we have 3 functioning slaves left producing artificial mana stones."
"I understand sir. If I may be so bold as to ask, didn't we have any other use for her aside from feeding her to your cultivated mana beasts?"
"Tut tut tut. Where I come from we have a term for her: expired goods."