We venture up the nearest mountain, following the large mana reading focused on a single area I'm picking up on my perception skill.
All of the enemy Blue Ogres that we pass don't seem to care much for us at all. They don't turn our way when we get nearby and hardly make a sound.
My first guess is it's night. Possibly, they're sensitive to the changes in light, so they become inactive when it's dark out. Then again, there's no difference between night and day in a dungeon, so this theory doesn't add up.
It must have something to do with its peculiar shielding, but we'll have to enter the break and see for ourselves.
After a final 20-minute trek up this rocky mountainside with the dim light of black flames and a white arrow to guide our way we finally make it.
Up on a flat sandy rock ledge, a violently spinning crimson-red portal spews mana out in all directions. The low-pitched hum can be heard from about 100 meters away and the vibrations it's sending through the air can be felt from almost 3 times that distance.
It's similar to the salamander break that Maria and I faced in the cave system. The break is spitting out dungeon mass from within it. Light blue energy flickers out and dissolves into the open air escaping the blood-red portal.
We tie our camels to a nearby tree and I leave food by their feet in case we're gone for too long.
The 4 of us walk toward the portal and draw our weapons. I take off the red cloak and switch it with my armor set from my item storage. I'm not sure what we'll face in this break.
I'm sure I can handle it, but there's no reason to take any unnecessary chances.
Moments later after a short walk, we all jump through.
After being teleported into this new break the bright white light of transfer magic fades. When I open my eyes everything is tinted light blue...
There are small shrubs and light green trees on the rising and falling high rocky walls, and curving natural pathways, mountains, and valleys are all made of incredibly light-colored stone.
The trickling sound of water fills my ears and I see a gentle waterfall on my left side. The rock color underneath the crystal clear water is so light, it may even be white. I can't tell for sure with this odd blue tint skewing my vision.
There's a deep canyon off to my right side and tall mountains straight ahead. They're all made of the same white rock, like all the pigment has been sucked out of it.
The humming noise from the portal we jumped through hasn't gone away. It feels like everything in this dungeon is slightly vibrating.
The mana density in the air is astronomically high, but It doesn't seem threatening at all. I'm getting the same cool and calm feeling from the surrounding mana particle in the air as I do when passing the Ogres outside.
We all stare at our surrounding for a few seconds.
Then, we're interrupted by a loud roar and stomping sounds approaching from a nearby downward-facing slope on our right side.
I activate enemy detection and inspect to pick up a level 441 and level 440 enemy coming towards us less than 300 meters away.
Arie turns to me.
"Looks like they're a little more lively in here."
I point my sword down into a canyon of white stone, then see the outlines of two Blue Ogres coming straight at us.
"Yeah, that was fast. Two of them, about the same level as the one we faced outside. Who wants to fight them first?"
Abby and Maria both light up with magic, but the green-haired earth wielder speaks up.
"We'll handle these two. Only step in if absolutely necessary. Our fight will be a good gauge for their actual power."
I nod.
"I was thinking the same thing."
Maria and Abby run forward, down the wide sloping canyon towards the two 5-meter-tall monsters approaching.
Arie and I follow close behind.
I active my All-Seeing Eye and curiously watch the battle commence.
Both of the Blue Ogres carry large wooden clubs covered in mana shielding just like the previous one did. They're identical in appearance, but their shielding is much different...
Instead of being completely contained to a few-centimeter barrier like the monster outside, the white and blue energy that surrounds these Ogres extends outwards a few meters.
My eyes dart back and forth at both of the creatures as they come closer and closer, trying to figure out what exactly is so unique about them.
The mages let off 3 high-powered attacks. Two green blades from Abby's daggers head toward the Ogre to my left, while one ice-imbued crescent heads straight at the Ogre to my right.
The blue-tinted light around us wavers slightly as the mana attacks slice through it.
I whisper under my breath, watching the air react with their attacks.
"It... really slices through it...?"
I tighten my gaze, watching the energy slashes collide with the outer layer of shielding on their intended targets only to be struck with an even more confusing sight.
The monsters don't even try to block the incoming strikes with their clubs, they just let them hit, point blank in the chest.
Instead of sending out a pulsing shockwave like expected, the shielding around these monsters compresses towards the Ogre's bodies as the attacks get closer. They're compressing inwards at the same rate as the incoming mana blades.
I can't believe my eyes at first. It seems like an incredibly intricate technique.
The humming twang of mana fills the air and a bright white light flashes. To my teammates, it's unknown what really happened, but I saw the whole thing and mutter to myself with a smirk.
"I need to learn how to do that..."
My eyes stay locked on the beautiful sight in front of me.
The closer the slashes got to their flesh, the denser these creatures made their mana shielding. Using the minimum amount of energy necessary to whittle down the incoming blows to the maximum amount they could.
Some of the attacks still made its way through, but hardly enough to amount to any real damage.
The mana residue and white light of a reaction clear to reveal barely noticeable slashes across each of the Orge's torsos. At this rate, it'd take 40 slashes to do any fatal damage.
The Ogres don't slow down for a moment, swinging their clubs at Abby and Maria as they jump out of the way wide-eyed, but already charging up more attacks.
Maria calls out to Abby.
"We'll go full power again, as many times as it takes!"
Arie and I jump backward and let the two of them handle it.
Their attacks don't do much damage, but it's as clear as day the two mages have nearly double the speed and agility of these meatheads.
Another flash of light blinds us and I hear the grunts of now partially annoyed Ogres sporting a new scar across their chests.
Maria and Abby both drink an MP potion and weave around the attacking beasts to release another attack.
I track all of their movements from a distance with Arie by my side.
Every time attacks are thrown at these monsters, they prepare their shielding as the attacks come at them from multiple meters out.
It's like the blue-tinted energy all around us is part of their mana supplies. It's much denser around them, but the air is definitely directly connected to their shielding.
"How...?"
I don't see any hidden abilities or special skills on their appraised status, so it must be some kind of mana control technique that I'm not aware of just yet.
Both Abby and Maria are letting out very powerful attacks, using MP potions every 2 or so strikes. It's no wonder these monsters were rumored to be so powerful. Arie was right.
The girls keep weaving in and out of the monsters releasing attacks and the Ogres get increasingly agitated. Blood begins to drip from their wounds and their movements get slower and slower making it easier for vital point hits.
The battle is over in less than 3 minutes. It takes 9 MP potions each, so I'm not sure how profitable money-wise this hunting session will be, but the level-ups will be very good. At this rate, all of us will reach level 440 before we clear the dungeon.
It may take a lot of wasted MP potions to do so, but it will be worth it.
As I'm thinking this, Abby and Maria both send out a final blow on the mutilated creatures. The Ogres both fall to the ground with loud thuds and I hear Maria shout out.
"I gained two levels?? Alright!"
Abby spins her daggers around, then checks her status nodding.
"Me too, Not bad."
She puts both daggers into her item box then starts glowing bright green and places both of her open palms on her upper chest.
Abby closes her eyes, then glows bright white and green, exerting hundreds of MP in an instant.
This looks like her restore skill. I don't remember her ever getting hit during this battle, so I'm unsure why she's healing.
I turn to Arie, then back to the girls, and shrug.
We walk over as the corpses begin to dissolve.
The moment we make it to the group, I hear the sound of something very light hitting the stone. Two small white gems giving off blue energy fall onto the ground at Maria and Abby's feet.
Those... aren't mana crystals...
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Author's Note:
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