My mind is made up. I've decided that no one will ever see me as a person again. They'll only see me as a monster, so that's what I'll become. With that in mind, the first step is to find a way out of this cave. I've been trying to escape for what feels like an eternity, but the maze-like structure of this cave keeps leading me in circles.
But what if I use the power that's circulating within me to find a way out? Every time I attempt to move this energy, it causes a searing pain in my mind. However, the fear of being attacked by more people motivates me to keep going. As I focus my concentration, I can feel parts of this energy disappearing into the air, leaving behind a trail of swirling blue-black colors with a hint of red on the outer edge, forming a sort of spherical shape.
I can finally see what's been coursing through my veins all this time, and it's fascinating. Instead of forcing it to work, I decide to increase the flow a bit to the areas where I need it the most. Suddenly, I sense the presence of the way out. It's a long way from here, but I can sense it nonetheless. Without wasting any time, I begin my arduous journey towards freedom. Every step I take is a struggle, but I'm determined to see this through. I know it won't be easy, but I have no other choice.
------
Servithus Capital
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"Wil- Wille!" Shira's voice was shaking, and she had to force herself to speak up over his ranting. "I found it!"
Wille whipped around to face her, his eyes wide with surprise. "What did you find?" he demanded, his voice rising in pitch.
Shira hesitated, her hands fidgeting nervously in her lap. She knew that what she had discovered was important, but she also knew that it was risky to share it with Wille. He was known for his lack of trust, and he had a reputation for dismissing anything that didn't fit with his narrow view of the world.
"Well?" Wille's voice was getting louder, and he was clearly losing his patience.
"I found the source of the mana disturbances," Shira said, finally looking up to meet his gaze.
Wille's face softened for a moment, and Shira felt a glimmer of hope. But then his expression turned to one of suspicion. "Are you sure?" he asked, his tone skeptical.
Shira nodded quickly. "Yes, sir. I'm positive."
Wille's face brightened, and Shira felt a sense of relief. Maybe he was finally going to listen to her. "What is it?" he asked eagerly.
Shira hesitated again. "It's...it's an abnormal monster, sir," she said, trying to keep her voice steady.
Wille's face fell, and his eyebrows furrowed in disappointment. "An abnormal monster?" he repeated, his tone incredulous. "We have those all the time! How could it be causing mana readings like these?"
Shira shrugged helplessly. "I don't know, sir," she said quietly.
Wille let out a frustrated sigh, and Shira felt a pang of guilt. Maybe she should have investigated more thoroughly, or looked harder for evidence. But the truth was, she had been too afraid to go too deep into the dungeon alone. The rumors of the monster had been too terrifying to ignore, and she had been too scared to risk her life for a job.
"Can you at least describe it to me?" Wille asked, his voice softer now.
Shira shook her head. "I didn't get a good look, sir. But it was...kind of blue, I think."
Wille looked at her incredulously. "Blue?" he repeated, his voice rising again. "You're telling me that you found the source of the mana disturbances, but all you saw was something blue?"
Shira felt a lump forming in her throat, and tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. "I'm sorry, sir," she whispered.
Wille glared at her for a moment, then turned away dismissively. "Get out," he said curtly. "Come back serious if you want your job back."
Shira nodded mutely, feeling like a failure. As she left the room, she heard Wille muttering to himself about the monster's catastrophe rating, and she wondered what he was planning.
Once she was outside, she leaned against the wall and took a deep breath. She had always known that working for Wille would be difficult, but she had never expected it to be this bad. She had never felt so small, so insignificant, as she did in that moment.
Wille rubbed his chin, deep in thought. The possibility of an S Class catastrophe rating monster was not something to take lightly. He needed to gather more information before making any moves.
With a determined expression, he grabbed his coat and headed out of the guild hall. The streets were bustling with people, but Wille was focused on his task.
----
Dungeon of the Ancients
----
Finally! I'm out!! It took forever and I kept getting this tugging feeling in my mental to stop but I did it.
Wow it's beautiful out here.. there's 3 suns and the sky is a deep blue. Directly out of here is extremely grassy, and it looks like one of those plant things made it's way out here too. Oh well they haven't really bothered me, I'll stay away from it. I do need to think of a name for them though... hmm.
Well, they're tiny. They're sneaky. Uhh, they have green "lips" but a red inside? I'll call them... Crocoplants. Yes, perfect! For now I'll keep a truce with these Crocoplants.
"Hey Crocoplant, you probably can't understand me but, are you the same one who saved me?"
...
No response. Of course.