B2 Chapter 12: We are so back (Interlude)

[ One week after Gol entered Limbo ]

Deep beneath the Earth, there was an ancient forest: tropical trees and long, wild ferns shot up all over the ground. The ceiling of the cavern stretched over a hundred meters into the air, giving ample room for plants to grow tall and wide.

Unlike the forests above, though, there was something special about this, not particularly with its flora, but its inhabitants.

The T. rex was the most glorious animal to ever roam this land; it, at least, was certain of that fact. There was nothing similar in strength; its powerful jaws and pea-sized brain allowed it to enact great feats of violence and anger. None of the other dinosaurs dared to reveal themselves when this beast was around, and it was comforted by the fact that it would never be slain by an enemy.

Although something was different today, outside of the smaller side cave it claimed as its own, there was a new smell, not like any of its brethren, but foreign. Whatever it was, the scent drove it into a fury the beast had never experienced before. It was unnatural, but it didn’t know that. The primal instincts flared before any logic could occur.

Standing up from its resting position, its eyes focused on the intruders, able to make out the fine details of what turned out to be two small beings.

One of them was even smaller than the other, with long hair and ebony skin. It gave off no indication of danger, and so the T. rex looked at the considerably stronger-seeming of the two.

It was a muscly little thing, taller than the other and bulkier. Its head was completely bald, with a small patch of hair covering what the beast could only assume was its jaw.

Snorting, it felt a wave of calm pass over it, assured in its victory. Normally, it wouldn’t even bother with such meager prey, but something external pushed it to roar.

Full of confidence, it opened wide and approached the dark-skinned critter. If maybe it was a little smarter, or could sense magical power, it would have gone after the man, better yet, run away.

Unfortunately, it didn’t, and it was only once the small creature raised a hand and the mystical energies of the world surrounded it that the T. rex realized it was in trouble.

Before it could hesitate, though, its brain no longer existed, vaporized with the rest of its head by a blast of fire.

Slumping over to the ground, its huge and heavy body remained lifeless.

The ubrian elf spoke to her companion, “If I ever see another lizard again, I am going to puke.”

Of course, this elf was none other than Vaelen, who had been dumped into the Jurassic levels of Runehold’s dungeon along with her partner, Arnold.

It had been roughly a year since the two had been cast below, and while Vaelen wasn’t entirely sure, possibly a few months longer. She had created a spell to track the sun, but she didn’t cast it every day, the properties of this cavern making it hard to get accurate readings.

This world below the surface was lit by sunrock, an interesting but pretty useless rock. When enough mana was channeled through it, it would glow a bright yellow, but other than that, no scholars could find a use for it.

It did take some time to get used to the constant daylight, but eventually both of them adjusted and got what sleep they could, if they could.

Closing her eyes, the elf could still remember the screeching metal against hard stone, desperately working at the reinforced straps to get free. It was only because Arnold tore off both of their harnesses, grabbed the elf, and used his body enhancement skills to blunt the fall that they weren’t seriously or mortally wounded.

The tube itself had led directly into this underground savanna-like area, and while neither knew exactly what it was in the beginning, it soon clicked that they were dumped in a dungeon, and not a normal one.

‘Dungeons are normally below level forty. How in the world did that spirit uncover this one? The normal beasts are in the lower fifties, but there have been dozens of middle sixties! I even gained two levels down here.’

This book’s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

It wasn’t challenging to say, not for her, but the fall had limited her own ability to cast spells, and Arnold did a great deal of combat for the first few months as Vaelen properly recovered.

The man had breached the low seventies just about the time she fully healed, and chose Brawler Gladiator as his evolutionary class. It gave bonuses when he was heavily outnumbered while maintaining his previous buffing skills from the Gladiator class.

It was a bit of a unique path, but it didn’t bother her. If anything truly was driving both of them insane, it was their surroundings.

Despite this trap being more beneficial than she had expected, it was frustrating to be trapped. Already knowing that dungeons eliminated any mana crossing their borders, any sense of locating themselves or even digging their way out.