Ardent lead the guards into the direction of the Mana. Using his second attribute, Wind Magic, he cut the vines and any bushes blocking their paths. Behind him, the guards did the same, helping in clearing the area for the reinforcement.
As they continue their treks, none spoke. No one dared to for fear of losing focus while searching for their weird creatures.
When they reached the Mana spot, Ardent stopped, stretching his arms to signal the guards to stop as well. Slowing their pace, the guards were prepared for combat, though Ardent did not for he did not sense any goblins.
Stopping, the guards looked around for any sign of danger but found none.
"Mage Ardent, why did we come here?" the older guard asked, clearly annoyed. Ardent did not spoke as he step carefully, his eyes on the sole boulder in the clearing.
A Magic Circle appear on thin air before a Fireball flew towards the boulder. The guards with confusion, before it morphed into shock as the boulder seemingly absorbed the Fireball, the spell disappearing the moment it made contact.
"What on earth is this boulder?" Frank asked in shock as his hand landed on the boulder. There, Ardent and the older guard was met with the sight of Frank being sucked by some kind of colorful vortex, disappearing into the boulder.
"... Frank!" caught in shock, Ardent came to realization slightly too late but he did not stop as his hands landed on the boulder, disappearing in front of the old guard.
The old guard was shocked stupor, unable to move as he stood still, facing the lonely boulder.
"... I have to get the other Mages! They might learned of what the heck is this boulder!" he yelled before almost running. Stopping only because he could be the guiding beacon to the weird boulder.
-x-
"Uughhh. ... Frank!" slightly disoriented, Ardent could barely let out Frank's name.
"Here." he heard few meters away from him. Standing up, Ardent looked at his friend, the guard letting out a grunt as he blinked the daze away.
"What happened? I touch the boulder and-"
"You touch the boulder and end up here. I follow you after that." Ardent cut the blonde as he let his gaze wander.
"... So, anything about this place?" Frank asked, not knowing what else to say.
"Aside from being the place with the most concentration of Mana I've ever seen, nothing." Ardent answered as he looked around.
By looking around, he soon spotted a colorful portal, no doubt the way they came from. "Let's head there." he pointed. Frank nodded and was just about to follow when they heard familiar growling.
"Get ready." Ardent ordered, and sure enough, goblins entered their line of sight.
"So, we found the place they come from, even though we don't know what this place is." Frank summarized as he pointed his sword at the monsters.
"Right. Wherever this is, the weird creatures come from it." Ardent agreed as he pointed his palm at the monsters.
"Ardent, do you mind if I crush them?" Frank suddenly asked.
Ardent did not need to think long to answer such request,
"Go wild."
Frank smiled, or he assumed as a blue glow surround him. Ardent watched as Frank used his aura before charging at the group. Normally, guards need some time to learn to use Aura. Usually they would be able to use them in their twenties or so.
However, Frank is a prodigy, able to learn Aura and applied it in his teens. In fact, he shared the same day as Catlin did, though the former learned how use Aura while the latter on being a 1st Circle Mage.
Body enhanced by Aura, Frank charged at the monsters, closing in the distance in a second. The monsters, surprised by the sudden close proximity, could not react before their heads were cut off in a single swing.
Frank blocked an overhead strike before pushing the attacker. The attacker stumbled slightly, which lead to it losing a head in a single blow.
He then blocked another attack with his shield. Glaring at the direction of the attacker, Frank charged in the direction, dragging the Goblin with him before crushing it between his shield and the wall of the place. However, it did leave him exposed, or so the goblins' thought.
"Krraahh!" screeching, three goblins leap on Frank. That prove to be a fatal mistake as Frank turned quickly, while swinging his blade. The result are split goblins, served on the floor.
"Any more chumps wanting to fight?" Frank exclaimed with a slightly maniacal expression. The surviving goblins looked at one another before deciding they rather live than die.
"Kraaah!"
"Raaahh!"
"Aaahh!"
"I was hoping for some to remain." Frank said in a gloomy tone, clearly hoping for what he said.
"Well, we can't get what we want. But, before we return, I think we should grab what was left from the creature." Ardent said.
Frank looked. Immediately, he wondered how he can miss it. For the weird creatures dropped small crystal of sort. The crystal is black in color, though it seem to hum in weird energy, one he was slightly familiar to.
"Is this, Mana coming from the crystals?" he asked the Mage, who should now about it more.
"Yes. There are Mana coming from the crystals. In fact, all of them are, along with the crystals on the wall." Now that he focus on it, Ardent could detect Mana pulsing from the walls. The place is filled with Mana, but there are some places that seem to be even more saturated with it.
Putting a hand on one such place, he used Crumble, weakening the surrounding earth and rock. Pulling one of the now loose rock, he let it all slide, revealing a larger crystal. It also pulsing with Mana, but even greater compared to the crystal from the goblins.
"We going to pick all of this up." Ardent decided. Frank nodded as he put the dropped crystals into a pouch before lifting the large one.
With him carrying the most load, Frank get out first, followed by Ardent.