As they made their way through the dark, with Zen floating ahead as their guiding light, Rose remembered the flashlight tucked away in her backpack. After a moment's consideration, she quickly discarded the idea of using it.
It was better to remain as inconspicuous as possible and hope that whatever creature lurked in this realm would stay unaware of their presence. A little limited visibility seemed a small price to pay in return.
Her only hope was that they wouldn't accidentally overlook the crystal core or other treasures. Logically, these should be easy to spot—crystal cores and spiritual liquid emitted a soft glow.
In the last realm's bright sunlight, this glow wasn't obvious. Here in the dark, however, it should be easy to see. Rare elements were trickier. They usually looked no different from normal water, earth, or whatever element they embodied. The only indicator of their presence was how they altered their immediate environment. Plants and wildlife near rare elements would differ from the rest of the realm.
The challenge lay in finding these unique areas. When first entering a realm, everything seemed alien compared to Earth. Only by understanding a realm's intrinsic terrain and ecosystem could one identify rare elements. They'd stand out like mismatched puzzle pieces. But who had the chance to seriously research a realm with monsters on their heels and limited time?
These rare elements were aptly named. Most were discovered by sheer luck, with explorers stumbling upon them by chance. They were so scarce that Rose had never actually seen one in her previous life—she'd only heard of their existence. That's why her shock was so enormous, when she learned of Zen needing those for his upgrades.
They crept forward in silence, the soft earth muffling their footsteps. Rose's heart pounded in her chest, each beat seeming to echo in the stillness. She strained her ears for any sound that might betray the presence of the realm's monster, but all she could hear was Luke's ragged breathing behind her.
Suddenly, Zen's hologram flickered and dimmed. "Boss," he whispered, his voice barely audible, "I'm detecting a significant change in the atmospheric composition ahead. Methane levels are rising rapidly. Also, there appears to be a significant heat source approximately fifty meters ahead."
Rose froze, her heart pounding. "Is it... moving?" she asked, dreading the answer.
"Negative," Zen replied. "It appears to be stationary."
A spark of hope ignited in Rose's chest. Could it be the fire crystal core? It seemed too convenient, but then again, maybe luck was finally on her side.
Rose hesitated, weighing her options. The potential reward was tantalizing, but the risk undeniable. Was it connected to the creature? Then again, if it wasn't moving, that seemed unlikely. Right?
She turned to Luke, her voice barely above a whisper. "We're going to investigate, but stay alert. At the first sign of danger, we run. No heroics, understood?"
Luke nodded nervously, his eyes wide with anxiety. He didn't even dare to whisper a reply, fearing that it might be heard by something other than themselves.
With a determined nod to Zen, Rose began to move forward, her senses on high alert as they crept towards the mysterious heat source. With each step they took, it got warmer and the smell in the air turned more intense and disgusting. She fought the urge to gag, breathing shallowly through her mouth. Luke wasn't faring much better; she could hear him struggling not to retch behind her.
As they drew closer, a faint orange glow became visible through the murk. Rose's heart leapt - could it really be the fire crystal core? She quickened her pace slightly, eager to confirm her hopes.
Suddenly, Zen's hologram flickered wildly. "Boss, wait!" he hissed urgently. "The methane levels are reaching critical-"
But it was too late. Rose's foot sank into something soft and muddy, and a loud, wet squelch echoed through the darkness.
Rose froze, desperately wanting to yank her foot from whatever she'd stepped in, but forcing herself to remain still. She held her breath, listening intently for any movement or reaction. As seconds crawled by with no response, she exhaled in relief—only to choke on the putrid stench. Once she finally regained control of her gag reflex, Rose gingerly extracted her foot from the foul substance. Disgust washed over her. What on earth was that?
She beckoned Zen to lighten up slightly, which he complied with a nod.
Examining the muddy substance yielded no clear answers. It was brown with a consistency between liquid and solid. Upon closer inspection, Rose noticed a faint red glow emanating from it. The glow intensified as her gaze traveled ahead, where a small mound of the substance lay.
Unable to make heads or tails of it, Rose turned to Zen. He floated beside her, and she could swear he was now a foot higher, as if also avoiding the substance.
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "You know what this is?"
The hologram nodded, his white beard shaking. "It's the excrement of this realm's guardian creature."
Excuse me?
"You didn't just say what I think you said, right?" Rose's hair stood on end.
"I'm not privy to your every thought, Boss. What you see before you are the feces of the monster inhabiting this realm."
Wonderful. So much for her luck improving...
While Rose fought to keep her delicious pancakes down, she heard Luke retreat a few steps.
"The heat and methane levels are caused by it," Zen added.
"Then what about the red glow it's emitting?" She held her sleeves in front of her face, but it didn't help.
"It might be the crystal core, but at my current level—"
"Yes, yes, you can't confirm yet."
Zen retreated with a slight bow, leaving Rose facing the pile of alien creature excrement by herself.