Inside the cave, in a patch of green grass, lay a sleeping boy with black hair. Suddenly, the cave began to tremble. This woke Eric, who had been sleeping for some time. Bewildered by what was happening, he looked around for answers about the tremor. Unfortunately, he found nothing.
Sadly, Eric did not have the ability to see what was happening in the labyrinth; otherwise, he would have been stunned by what was occurring there. The entire place was being remodeled: every stone and corridor was moving and changing as if the place had a life of its own. Furthermore, if Eric had previously seen only a few dozen or a few hundred Ouroti, now, due to the movement of the passages, a hidden area beneath the entire labyrinth was revealed. The creatures in the gigantic underground area numbered in the thousands, so numerous that the end of the place could not be seen due to its vastness.
If Eric could see this, he would probably be very scared. One of them almost killed him. Besides, he witnessed the carnage they could cause. He couldn't imagine what so many together would do. And why are there so many of them in that place?
The tremor lasted almost half an hour, Eric estimated, until it ceased completely. Seeing that nothing had happened nearby, Eric paid no more attention to it and proceeded to remember what had happened.
"Mm, so now I have to solve the problem of how to sense the mana that Elder Aldric mentioned. The problem is how I will achieve this, but what I know is that this black stone will help me achieve it. The question is how," Eric pondered, turning the stone in his hands and thinking about how to do it.
"Well, obviously this stone is not just decoration. Maybe, if I concentrate on it or hold it long enough, I will sense the mana," Eric thought. So, he began to work on his idea. At first, it was just seconds. Then, they became minutes. Eventually, tired of waiting, Eric stopped. He opened his eyes and sighed. He felt he had wasted time.
"Focusing on a rock trying to sense something I have never felt in my life... how do they expect me to do it? Also, it's easier said than done. What exactly am I supposed to be looking for? It's not like magically sitting and concentrating on a stone will produce any effect. How am I supposed to concentrate if I've never done it before? And how did I come to that conclusion? Ah, I suppose watching many movies surely influences me. In that case, let's look at this from another perspective. Besides, as Elder Aldric said, we still have quite some time waiting for the others. I can experiment and see how I can do it through trial and error," Eric said, confident that he would solve the puzzle and placed the stone on his knees.
After the disappointment that it didn't work, Eric remembered the advice given by the elder about the vials he found in the labyrinth. So, he quickly searched his pockets and took them out. Two vials, one golden and the other blood-red, were on the grass. "Well, I didn't know what they were for. It was truly useful that I kept them. Sometimes it's good to keep rare things; you never know when you'll use them," Eric said, pleased to have them.
"Now, the question is how to use them. Mm, well, it's not like anyone is going to give me the answer. I can only drink them and see what happens. That elder said they were to improve mental power; I don't think I need to deceive myself," Eric murmured. Then, with confidence, he picked up the golden vial and removed the seal. First, out of curiosity and caution, he smelled it. Sadly, he could not detect any scent. Eric no longer hesitated and decided to drink it. When the golden liquid touched his mouth, it had a viscous texture and, surprisingly, no taste, making it strange to drink. He quickly finished the vial and placed it on the ground.
At first, Eric felt nothing, as if the vial were ineffective. But, as time passed, Eric felt something like a gentle tingling or mild prickling on the top of his head. This series of small vibrations and waves was truly relaxing, lasting for several minutes and spreading throughout his head. As the sensation ended, Eric, looking around, felt his vision clear. Previously, the world had been dark. Now, it was more vibrant and clear. Additionally, the fatigue left by the labyrinth had subsided.
"Mm, that really felt good. I feel relaxed and with a sense of clarity," Eric said, amazed by what had happened. Remembering what had occurred, Eric quickly focused on the red vial, and with nimble hands, removed the cap and drank it without hesitation.
When he drank this vial, Eric noticed that it was indeed different. Not only because of the color. It had a metallic smell and a metallic, slightly salty taste. Also, it had a warmth and viscosity in his mouth. Eric also drank it quickly like the previous one, but was left somewhat puzzled. He thought he knew what was inside the potion. But suddenly, a heaviness overtook him. It was as if something was draining his energy. But before he could think about it, the sensation from the previous potion overwhelmed him again, much more intensely than before. As this continued, Eric's body grew weaker until he could not move, lying on the grass.
"What the hell is happening?" Eric wondered, scared that he might have ingested some poison or something similar. But before he could keep questioning himself, his vision turned black and he fell unconscious.
Had Eric been awake, he would have felt that as he fainted, the effect on his head disappeared and the sensation of losing energy stopped. Thus, silence reigned again in the cavern. The elder was in his carriage looking out the window at the place they had entered. Seven figures were emerging from the labyrinth. Of these, five were in very poor condition and floating in a green mist. The other two, dressed in robes, were approaching the carriage.
As they approached, they saw Eric, who was unconscious in a spot near the carriage. "Mmm, we're late. This boy didn't even hesitate to drink it. It's no longer possible to make him give them to me," Lanira said with a sad and mournful tone. For her, this day had been very costly despite all her preparations, and with her spell, she couldn't even win. This left her in a bad mood.
"No one can resist the temptation to enhance their power. It's possible that Lord Aldric told him what both vials were for," Adam commented with continuous clicks.
"Yes, but selling both potions would at least get some magical stones. Especially for the Nectar Solis potion. It has no side effects," Lanira said with a sigh. Then, ignoring Eric, she turned to enter the carriage. Upon entering, they saw the elder sitting in the chair, looking out the window.
"Lord Aldric, the children are outside and have been properly punished," Adam said to Aldric with a crunchy voice.
"Good, use the contract and mark them. Now their lives belong to the tower; give them the proper care," Aldric replied with a deep voice.
"Yes, Lord Aldric," Adam and Lanira replied. Both turned to exit the carriage and carry out the elder's orders. Just as they were crossing the door, a voice interrupted them. "One last thing before you go: finish the preparations before the other caravans arrive," Aldric said before a breeze closed the door behind them.