"You humans are truly the most unfortunate race," Galad laughed as she held me up by my cloak and controlled the orb of light that floated around her. Her wings, which shimmered with fairy dust and ethereal gold, flapped above my head, creating gusts of both mana and air.
She was holding me like a cat being held at the scruff of its neck. My limbs were dangling like a rag doll's as I indeed cursed the mundanity of the human race.
There was nothing special about us, save for the three different levels of humanity we could reach. Lesser Humans, Humans, and High Humans.
Although High Humans were special existences on their own, things like flight were only made possible with a lot of mana.
"It was a thoughtless design," I told Galad as we flew down the abyss.
With each inch that we descended, the weight on me grew. Eventually, it became nigh-impossible for me to even breathe. It was like the pressure of an ocean when one stood on the sea floor.
It was immense.
"I-I'm dying," I announced, and the three fairies all glanced at my bluish complexion. My eyes were bloodshot and veins were bulging out of my skin.
"A little... help..."
Galad frowned for a moment before releasing a bit of her fairy dust. The special, mana-conducting material carried with it a mysterious force. It washed away the burden that I was carrying, allowing me a sigh of relief.
"Thanks,"
"I'm surprised, human child." Galad pursed her alluring red lips, "You are one of the weakest of the sect that I have ever encountered."
I chuckled, "I was never a combatant. Moreover, I usually make extensive precautions whenever I venture out. This unexpected encounter has left me with little time to set things up for success."
"Anyways, we aren't supposed to fully descend. Head over there." I pointed at an area in the darkness that seemed even darker. It was a subtle difference in colour, like a gradient map for black.
Nonetheless, with both Mana Vision and Sight-Sent Senses permanently active, I had gotten used to observing the flow of mana as well as actively [ feeling ] my surroundings.
I had already perceived a change in texture on the cliffside. From the smooth stone bricks of the tower, I felt a cold, metallic and rusty surface.
Galad raised a brow. She then commanded the orb of light to split into two, sending one to scout the area that I had pointed at.
A lightning bolt-shaped crack appeared before our eyes. It was large enough to fit a few cars, and about three stories tall. Lining it was the same metallic surface that I had perceived earlier.
I was placed down on the metal surface and allowed to stand on my own.
Graaargh—!
A raspy growl reached my ears as acidic saliva sprayed towards me. I dove to the side in a hurry, uncaring for the fact that I just tasted it with just my vision.
"Sir Faeldrin, if you please!" I called out, and a sleek yet muscular figure, illuminated only by the orb of light that had just entered the room, dashed into the darkness.
In the next moment, I heard the sound of an exoskeleton being crushed into pieces as the crevice I stood in shook. Galad and Aeloria landed beside me, frowning.
"I don't like this feeling..." Aeloria muttered as she voiced out her doubts, "Are you sure we're heading to the right place, human?"
Galad put a hand on my head and ruffled my hair, "Don't doubt the child, Aeloria. After all, if he is indeed lying through his teeth, I will be the first person to bring him suffering and death."
The fairy's charming smile was terrifying.
"Y-yes... I promise you, the information I have is correct. I have already seen it myself." I scrounged up a reply.
Aeloria's eyes flashed, "You have? How?"
"It was when I was with one of my senior sisters. At that time, she had already taken a lot of items from the tower. Going for another was going to be our end."
"That's even more suspicious," Aeloria leered at me, "Does this senior sister of yours have no need for eternal youth? Don't you humans adore such a concept?"
My lips twitched. It seemed like my ability to deceive people with words needed work. I made a small miscalculation.
"She was unaware of its powers," I replied succinctly as Faeldrin returned. Green monster blood dripped from his fists as he wiped the dirt off of his exquisite facial features.
'Fairies are all pretty boys,' I thought to myself as I moved my gaze elsewhere.
"Sir Faeldrin," I said as I looked down the abyss once more. "The next part of our adventure might require quite a bit of combat."
I needed to split these fairies up.
"The moment we entered this space, we were transported to another location. If we exit the way we came, we are going to encounter a different part of the abyss—not like we'll be able to tell." I met with Faeldrin's intense green eyes for a moment, "We thus have two choices, combat or puzzle-solving."
"Why are you telling me this?" Faeldrin made a sceptical look.
I made a vague gesture, "You're someone who enjoys the thrill of battle, right? There's a different treasure hidden in the belly of one of the beasts here. If you kill enough times and dig out their innards, you might find a special crystal."
"And what does that special crystal do?" Faeldrin asked, doubtful of its value.
"It's called the Spark of Survival."
I licked my lips.
"A crystal gemstone that grants you the blessings of evolution. It gives you instincts that help you with your survival no matter what you're doing, instantaneous adaptation to your surroundings, and the eventual transition into a higher-level being."