Day one.
That day I spent the rest of the day recovering under the Aurora.
I was in no particular hurry or rush to get my ass handed to me a second time by the Bone Spikes, so instead I opted to slowly make adequate preparations and raise my strength for the next confrontation.
But that also didn't mean I had all the time in the world. I had two extra lives, but I had to treat each like there's no other. Which meant each day counted, literally.
Meta still wasn't sure on the degree of time dilation between the dungeon and the outside world, but seems to believe it is not by too much of a large margin. As a result, to be safe, I treated every hour spent here, as an hour lost outside.
It would be troublesome and bad if my parents got worried. Luckily, I already had a history of retuning back home in a few days. I had three days at maximum, standard Aethoria time, to clear the Dungeon and return back home.
But three days of Aethoria, could be three weeks spent in here. Again, I had no clue.
I spent my preparations remaining underneath the cave beneath the cavern where the Aether concentration was far denser.
For hours I would remain meditating and experimenting the new extent of my Higher Aura, while deliberating some other factors.
I had to admit, the environment in the dungeon was premium for hastening fast Growth. I couldn't level up one time, but I felt my body adjust and refine from all the energy absorbed and processed into my core.
But therein lied a few problems. I quickly got bored of sitting around and doing nothing.
If I was going to spend a extended period of time raising my strength as far as possible before confronting the Silver Sentinel one more time, i needed to find myself something to keep me busy.
There was the option of challenging the Bone Spikes, but I took a pass. So instead during my free time (which was always) I had Meta explain to me all that she knew about Teleportation matrix and Dungeons. While also expanding further my knowledge about Aether and Aura manipulation.
I learned the Teleportation matrix were an ancient and abandoned forme of long distance travel used centuries ago. But this method had its limitations, and it side effects were rather disturbing.
A teleportation matrix could only move an object, or person from a fixed point A to Point B, and in most cases, are only a one time use only.
This was very under productive when the share amount of energy and resources needed to fix a simple Matrix to move a small object from point A to Point B within a distance that was less than one hundred meters was almost astronomical.
It was even worse when the object moved was a living being, or human.
That's where shit just gets real...
Ah, in any case, Teleportation matrix as a medium of long distance transport was just too energy and resource consuming, with even drastic draw backs and accidents, it was ultimately branded as an ancient and broken form of transport now in modern times.
Which meant, they had discovered a much effect way of transporting long distances. Which meant that Aethoria had teleportation technology!
I couldn't help but imagine a certain green and warpish portal from flashing through my mind.
...
Day three of exploring the dungeon.
As fun and enlightening as Meta's historical lessons were, I still hadn't forgotten i had to progress with my preparations. Though I said that, there actually really wasn't much I could do.
Well I kept experimenting with my Aura and getting used to my Sensitivity to Aether, while passively getting stronger. Other times while I wasn't doing that, I was laying next to the Aurora, star gazing and admiring the beautiful sapphire leaves as if in a trance.
That was when it hit me.
I had no food.
That was a problem.
How could I survive without food?! Well true enough, as a Mortal Ranked Awakened I could go a couple of days without needing to actually eat. At the very most I'd experience a slight deficiency in my actions and reasoning faculty.
It was bad, but it was also neglible. But even still, I never made it a point to test the extent or degree of backlash I would get for staying extended period of times without eating.
It was the very opposite actually. For the last couple of years, I developed a rather heavy diet compromised almost entirely of pounds of meat.
What? I'm a growing boy! And plus that was for muscle development and getting stronger too back then since I couldn't hunt Monsters myself.
So it just felt so wrong without me having anything to bite into. I didn't have to worry about water thanks to the almost numerous springs of sparkling water that was scattered around in the cavern.
At least I could hold on for a while with that. Plus it wasn't just mundane water. Each gulp I took refined my body more passively than sitting around, and I also found they had healing properties.
And when I wasn't doing that, I was sucking on an Aurora leaf.
Sigh...how low the great and mighty has fallen.
But in retrospect, it was actually quite tasty. In contrast to the Fruit, the leaves of Aurora had a surprisingly minty flavor that stimulated my taste buds. They were surprisingly perfect as snacks and candy!
Ah, right. I think Meta mentioned every single part of an Aurora cost a fortune before. It kinda makes me feel like I was taking the grandeur of the Aurora for granted by making mentos out of its minty leaves.
Day five.
I was ready to explore the rest of the dungeon finally.
In the mean time, Meta seemed to have discovered something from her analysis. The time difference between here and the outside world.
I was never that good at maths, so all of the equations went out the other ear. Ultimately, a week spent in here, was a day lost outside.
That was the first piece of good news I'd heard in the...last five hours?
It was depressing, but good news.
Which meant I had at the very least more than half a month to conquer the dungeon. Was it possible to breakthrough all the way to Hero Rank within that time?
Absolutely not.
I couldn't kill myself, so I'd take it easy just a little.
Day six.
I got tired of sitting around and sucking leaves.
That said, I finally decided to explore the third cave tunnel.
But before that, there I was, again, laying next to the Aurora, stuck in a big dilemma.
Hmmm... clearly I needed a weapon. After experiencing the strength of the Silver Sentinel and the Bone Spikes, I wasn't whisful enough to expect the third cave to have rabbits as monsters.
Dammit. I wish I could have completed my Art and mastered Armament. I wouldn't need to worry too much about weapons then. But Meta has repeatedly told me creating an Art took years, and with my talent, I was already on a good track.
So I couldn't rush it.
For now, I still had to make do with weapons. And therein lied the dilemma.
"The Aurora is a magic tree, right?" I asked Meta.
" Wouldn't that mean i could creat an incredible staff or durable spear from it? "
Meta's response then was cold and haunting.
"[If you damage the tree, I'll kill you]"
Day seven.
Huff...Huff... I returned from exploring the third tunnel.
Two, fucking words.
Monster. Crabs!!
Heck yeaaahhhh!!!
That solves my meat problem!!
I found a specie of Monster crabs, called Boulder Crabs. They were large crustaceans with sturdy outer shells and skeleton. They had collosal pincers that could shred me and cut me half, and where freakishly huge.
Ah, I think the average level of them wasn't much different from the Bone Spikes. The strongest I saw was within Level 26 as well.
Now, excluding the fact I barely didn't make it out alive with my guts partially spilling out of my stomach, I felt this was a good development.
No, not the part about my guts spilling out.
I'm talking about the fact that the Boulder Crabs were edible!
Gracious heavens! You really do listen to my cries!
The rest of that day, i remained submerged in the spring of sparkling water, while feeling its unique properties heal my wounds and recover my stamina.
I couldn't resist chuckling darkly to myself despite my pitiful state. Why?
Because I was having Crab for dinner!
I could almost smell the soft tender meat...sniff sniff.
Day Ten.
My days of sucking leaves were over!!
After my fortunate/unfortunate encounter with the Boulder Crabs two days before, I bid my time and slowly made preparations to face the den a second time.
With meticulous planning and motivational hunger, I successfully led one of the Boulder Crabs away from the group and into a trap where I wrestled one on one against a High-Mortal Ranked Monster with my bare hands.
It was hard.
Even while roasting the meat, I cried when I thought of what I went through. But they were tears of joy too.
Crab meat...it was worth it!
Even now, looking back, I realized how big of a miracle it was that I successfully managed to beat a Level 22 Monster with my bare hands without that much of an advantage.
Boulder Crabs were quite slow in their movements, so I concentrated all of my blows against their exposed joints. Augmenting my body with my Higher Aura gave me an exceptional boost in strength, and after a few hundred whacking in a single place, the joints have out.
Then I had to repeat for at least six more times. Until finally, I burrowed through its eyes and into the brains.
It was a traumatic moment.
It was justified why I cried.
It was a massive chore moving something of that size, but it was worth it in the end.
I even managed to leave up three times, bringing my over all level to Level 21.
Just one level away from my old Bone Spike friend.
Day eleven.
I spent the entire day recuperating from the previous day.
I spoiled myself with boiled tender crabbed meat, seasoned side by side with minty sapphire leaves, and soft sparkling water.
It was a feast well deserved. After all of my suffering and struggles...
But it was only the prelude of it all.
I decided it was about time. I have already spent enough days relaxing and contemplating. And in two days from now, I would begin earnestly trying to escape the dungeon.