[Onver PoV]
I find myself amid a heated battle—boom! Looming skeletons surround me. Three skeletons leap at me from the front, but I swiftly jump in place, swinging my leg to kick them from the right side. With each powerful kick, I break apart the skeletons, one by one.
"Boom!" I stop, and the skeletons halt too. Calmly, I proceed towards the cave.
After fighting countless battles with me now They are afraid of me. In our initial encounter, they attacked me from all sides, but I managed to defeat 3,000 of them.
Since then I had fought against them multiple times,
I don't know how much time has passed there is no day or night, I have lost track of time in this perpetual darkness r. Surprisingly, I can see in these dark surroundings and sense the lurking danger.
Inside the cave, purple marble is abundantly scattered. Although I have not collected all of the cores, I have accumulated a considerable amount.
Seated in the cave's centre, I close my eyes, observing the invisible field that surrounds me. This field, invisible to the naked eye but visible through mana, this field appears pure black.
As I focus, a domain emerges, transforming the purple marble around me into vibrant, multicoloured particles that flow towards me. Through experience, I have learned to manipulate and control the absorption rate of these particles into my body.
My Injuries begin to heal, and my tattered clothes mend themselves as the particles infuse me with energy. It will
I sit there for some time, allowing the accumulated energy to reach its peak and my body to regain strength. As I do so, I start to sense the presence of mana around me, emanating a blue glow and sparkling like stars. I attempt to control the mana, but my initial efforts fail. Undeterred, I persist, focusing harder and trying again.
After what feels like an eternity, some mana particles finally respond, moving and vibrating in place. Excitement rushes through me as I open my eyes. The time it takes to manipulate mana has significantly reduced compared to my previous attempts. Progress!
Standing up, I position myself near a pile of bones with flute-like holes. I aim to fashion a flute that will enhance my control over mana. I carve holes into the bones, one after another, but my efforts yield no sound. Each attempt fails, yet I refuse to give u
I continue trying, my perseverance driving me forward. With each failure, I carve a new hole in a different bone, hoping to unlock the harmonious potential hidden within. Failure after failure fills my journey, but my determination remains unwavering.
Eventually, fatigue overcomes me, and I decide to take a break. Standing up, I make my way towards the cave exit. To my surprise, a horde of skeletons awaits me outside. It is as though they understand our twisted trade: their hunger is satiated by my blood, and at the end of each battle, I collect their precious cores. Truly a win-win situation.
Engaged in another prolonged and intense battle, I triumph over a further 30,000 undead. With some cores in hand, I return to the cave, my kill count now reaching a staggering 76,000
The remaining cores left behind begin to rotate and traverse the dark, desolate land. Eventually, they reach a colossal purple core, merging with the smaller cores and increasing its size.
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-[Author's Pov]-
Alen stood in front of the control room, taking a deep breath before reaching to open the door. However, to his surprise, the door opened on its own. In front of him stood the Captain, who had witnessed everything that had just occurred.
The Captain stared into Alen's eyes, trembling not in fear, but with a mixture of anger and helplessness. He asked Alen a question, "You can see the future, right?"
the Captain's question didn't faze Alen. Instead, he entered the control room and walked toward a chair, sitting down. Another chair was in front of him.
Seeing that Alen did not answer his question, the Captain grew frustrated. "You knew that the octopus would attack our ship, didn't you? You knew it from the beginning, and you chose to keep it to yourself. You knew that the ship's barriers would be broken, didn't you?"
The Captain said it in one breath without any pause. But Alen was unaffected as if he knew the Captain would ask him those questions. Finally breaking the silence, he said, "Sit down first."
The Captain remained unaffected. "But that is not the main thing. I will ask you one question. Did you know Martha would be kidnapped?"
Captain hoped to get an answer. He was desperate. If he had known, he would not have brought Martha with him. Or at least he would have kept her in a safe place.
Sighing, Alen replied, "No, I didn't know about the second entity."
Hearing his answer, the Captain asked, "You knew about others like zombies and octopuses?"
"Yes," Alen responded.
"Why didn't you tell us?"
Alen continued, "Initially, only the octopus was meant to appear, but the zombies and that entity were an anomaly."
The Captain's frustration grew, "What do you mean!? You should have talked to us about that! Why didn't you say anything!?"
"Because that was uncertain too. I was also in the dark about which creature would appear and when."
"So you can see the future?"
"No, it's... you can say it's similar."
"What?!"
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In the room where the remaining party members were, they huddled together. Arthur's figure was visible, in evident pain from the injuries.
His skin where he was attacked appeared murky, similar to a zombie's. There was a concern that he would turn into one.
Joseph had been in the room, but he left to scout the area. Naro remained in the room, tending to and bandaging their wounds before leaving the room.
Arthur and Rossa were the only ones left in the room. Despite the pain, Rossa continued casting a healing spell. Arthur grabbed her hand to stop her from further casting.
"Don't," he said, his voice filled with concern.
"Do not waste your mana," he insisted.
Arthur explained, fearing for her well-being. "Rossa, you know the consequences of overusing your mana. You can fall into mana depletion, which is dangerous for any age."
Arthur's looked into her eyes and gently said, "You know, I always wanted to say this to you."
Rossa, weak but resolute, interjected, "No, you can say it after we escape from this island and you recover."
With a hint of sadness in her voice, Rossa nodded
. "Ah, you know that your condition can't be improved."
Arthur's voice softened, "Then don't worry, "
"I will give you that Vivarte thing. We are going for that, right?"Rossa said with a trembling voice, tears visible in her eye.
Arthur gripped her hand tightly and said, "You know that thing is important for Master Alen. How did you... never mind."
"I will tell you later," Rossa ensured him.
"Just stay with me," Arthur requested.
Assuring him, Rossa moved toward his head and kissed it. "Don't worry, I am here with you."