Aiden took a deep breath as he reached into his space storage, the mystical energy surrounding it shimmering slightly as it responded to his command. He then turned to Lumina, his trusted companion, and instructed her, "Focus on our Spirit Link. We need to synchronize perfectly."
Lumina nodded, her form pulsating with energy as she attuned herself to their connection. Seeing her readiness, Aiden retrieved a golden seed from his storage. The seed emitted a faint glow, carrying a unique essence that could bridge his space storage and their spirit link. With careful precision, he infused the golden seed into his space storage spell, feeling the energy shift and ripple inside it.
Not stopping there, Aiden took out another golden seed. This time, he placed it directly into his spirit connection with Lumina, his concentration intensifying. His goal was clear—he needed to ensure that his space storage and their spirit link became one seamless channel.
As the seed merged into their link, Aiden felt a pulse of energy surge through him. He could sense the magic at work, embedding itself within their connection. He turned to Lumina, his voice firm yet eager. "Can you feel it now? My space storage?"
Lumina's eyes widened as she gasped in excitement. "Yes, Master! I can feel it now!", she exclaimed, her exhilaration evident.
Aiden grinned. "Good. Try taking one goblin corpse from my storage."
Lumina focused, her body glowing faintly as she activated the newly established link. A moment later, a goblin corpse materialized within her stomach. However, Aiden immediately sensed a drop in the golden seed's energy.
"That took some energy," he noted. "Now, try transporting all five human corpses I have stored."
Lumina nodded, her form shimmering once more. One by one, the five bodies vanished from his storage and reappeared inside her. The energy depletion was more noticeable this time—over 20% of the golden seed's strength had faded. Additionally, the power sustaining both the space storage spell and the spirit connection was steadily decreasing.
Aiden quickly calculated the limitations of their new ability. "I can probably transport around 20 to 30 human-sized lifeforms before the energy runs out," he mused. "Let's push it further. Take as many goblins as you can."
Lumina complied, pulling goblin corpses from Aiden's space storage into herself. However, just as she reached her limit, the connection abruptly severed. Aiden immediately checked the results—she had managed to take 17 goblins along with the five humans.
"Not bad," he muttered. "That was a solid transfer."
He contemplated the usefulness of this ability. Using two golden seeds for this kind of task once a day didn't seem like a bad trade-off, especially if it meant providing Lumina with valuable resources.
With his experiment completed, Aiden turned his attention to his companions. He had been gone for quite some time, and the girls were likely growing restless. He quickly made his way toward them, stepping out of the tunnel.
As expected, their eyes widened in surprise upon seeing him. Clara folded her arms and huffed, "What took you so long? We were starting to get worried!"
Chloe sighed. "We thought something happened to you."
Aiden scratched the back of his head. "Sorry about that. I got caught up with something. But I'm back now, so let's keep moving."
After exchanging a few more words, the group resumed their journey. They navigated through multiple crossroads, taking down groups of elite goblins along the way. Their battles were swift yet intense, each member displaying their skill as they cut through their enemies.
Eventually, they reached an open cavern where several pathways converged. However, what caught their attention was not the cavern itself but the battle unfolding within it.
Two adventurer teams were locked in combat, spells and blades clashing in a chaotic display of power. Mages hurled bursts of energy at one another while knights dueled with their swords and auras, their strikes sending shockwaves through the cavern.
Aiden narrowed his eyes as he scanned the battlefield. More groups were arriving from other tunnels, just like them, drawn by the commotion.
Frowning, he turned to Chloe and Clara. "Why are they fighting?"
Clara pointed toward the center of the cavern. "They're battling for the right to claim the boss."
Aiden followed her gaze and saw a large corpse lying in the middle of the cavern—the dungeon's boss.
A sense of disappointment washed over him. "So, we won't get to fight the boss today," he muttered, exhaling a sigh.
As the battle raged on, an unexpected event occurred. The boss's corpse began to glow, capturing everyone's attention. The light intensified for a brief moment before—without warning—the body vanished entirely.
A wave of confusion swept through the gathered fighters. The warring groups immediately ceased their battle, their eyes scanning the cavern for any signs of interference. Murmurs of uncertainty filled the air as everyone tried to make sense of what had just happened.
Aiden, too, was bewildered. He turned to Chloe and Clara, about to ask for an explanation, when suddenly, they grabbed his arms and started pulling him away.
"We need to leave. Now!" Chloe's voice carried urgency.
Aiden resisted, his brows furrowing. "Why? What's going on?"
Clara's expression was tense as she shouted, "The boss is about to respawn! We need to get out before that happens!"
Aiden stopped in his tracks. "Wait, if it's respawning, why are we running? Shouldn't we fight it?"
Chloe shook her head, her voice firm. "You're not wrong for thinking you can handle an Advanced Initiate-rank boss. But the monster that's about to respawn isn't just any boss—it's going to be an Adept-rank, and not just any Adept-rank monster, but the dungeon's true boss!"
Aiden's eyes widened in shock. "An Adept-rank boss? But this is just an Initiate-rank dungeon! How is that possible?"
Chloe exhaled sharply. "I figured you'd ask that. Normally, dungeons of this rank don't spawn Adept-rank bosses. However, there's a crucial detail you're missing."
She gestured toward the now-empty spawn point. "That boss was killed over an hour ago. In dungeons, any slain monster disappears after an hour."
Aiden listened intently, still trying to piece everything together.
Chloe continued, "This happens because it's part of the dungeon's mechanism. But if a monster's corpse contains its core at the time of disappearance—whether intentionally or by accident—the next monster that spawns in its place will be one rank higher than its previous form."
Realization dawned upon Aiden as he processed her words. "So since the boss was an Advanced Initiate, its respawned version will be at the Adept rank…"
Chloe nodded gravely. "Exactly. And that's why we need to leave now."
Aiden clenched his fists, his mind racing. The opportunity to fight a dungeon boss was one thing, but going up against an Adept-rank boss creature was a whole different challenge.
As the group turned to make their escape, the cavern began to tremble. The ominous feeling in the air thickened, signaling the arrival of a new terror.
They had only moments before the true boss of the dungeon emerged.