297 Chameleon's Maze -6
[Ren Hilton POV.]
I examined the radiating stone in my hand, its size akin to a handball. If sold in the guild, it would fetch some fortune.
Turning to see Aron lined up just behind Erik, who was in turn behind Vexa, I couldn't help but quip, "Is this a school trip?"
Vexa, seemingly unaware of the two people standing right behind her, wore a surprised expression. How could she manage to sneak up on me and be so oblivious at the same time?
"What are you going to do with that wall... and the core too?" Aron's sudden chattiness caught me off guard.
I sighed and gazed at the black part of the wall in front of me, starkly contrasting with the grey wall itself.
I stepped forward and knocked on the black part, producing a metallic sound. To confirm, I tapped on the grey wall, finding it solid.
"Does anyone know how to overload a mana core?" I inquired.
"It's easy," Erik awkwardly explained, "Just put an excessive amount of mana into a mana crystal to make it explode. The explosion's intensity depends on the size and quality of the core. Why do you ask?"
I raised the core and waved it. "This— I'll need someone to overload this so we can skip to the next circle."
"But that'll take a lot of mana!" Erik exclaimed, clearly surprised.
"And?" I brushed off the concern. "Listen, one by one— you, me, and everyone— we're going to push mana into the core for the next two minutes."
"So this is the weak link of this wall?" Vexa questioned.
"Weak? Haa, this thing here is one of the metals found in No Man's Land, Embron— they call it. It's a hundred times stronger than the stone this wall is made of," I explained.
"So why don't you just break the wall?" Aron asked, echoing Vexa's thoughts.
"Because the wall would regenerate itself, but this won't. Once broken, it's broken forever," I replied with a tired smile, then tossed the core to Erik.
"Ugh," he caught it, slightly leaning forward from the weight.
"Start, push every ounce— whatever you think is fine, just don't faint," I instructed. Giving Erik the core was more about making him feel included than anything else.
"Okay," Erik responded, seeming to buy into the plan.
Erik took a deep breath and began pouring his mana into the core, his hands glowing with energy as he focused intently on the task. Sweat formed on his brow as he concentrated, his determination evident.
"That's enough, boy. Mrs. Vexa, next," I instructed.
Vexa took the core from Erik, her expression determined as she channeled her magic into the stone. Her hands glowed with icy blue light, and a faint mist enveloped her as she poured her energy into the core, her concentration unbroken.
I observed her, noting her steady flow of mana. While her ability to channel mana was ordinary, the quantity she was pouring without breaking a sweat was impressive.
"Okay, I'll go," I announced.
Taking the core from Vexa, I sent a ripple of energy as I poured a significant amount of mana into it within seconds. I heard a crack in the core, knowing I could handle it alone, but...
"Take this, Prince. Try not to faint since you lost a lot of mana to the Golem. Maybe Erik is better for this than you in your current state," I said, passing the core to Aron.
Aron accepted it with a huff, crackling with energy as he poured his mana into the core. Despite his arrogance, I sensed a hint of vulnerability in his eyes as he focused on channeling his magic into the core.
As Aron infused the core with his mana, a surge of energy radiated from it, causing the surrounding air to crackle with power. The core began to glow with a brilliant light, pulsing with raw magical energy as it reached its breaking point.
I stepped forward and grabbed his shoulder.
"What are you doing!?" he asked, alarmed.
"Don't worry... stand here," I instructed, pushing him right in front of the black part of the wall, close enough that his face could touch the wall.
"Your mask is made from strong material so it'll be fine... I guess."
"Eh?"
"Nothing. You were chuckling a lot before, so I think I should share my humor with you," I said, tapping his shoulder before backing off.
Sending a small amount of raw mana at tremendous speed, it hit the core and—
"WHAT THE FUCK—!!!!!!!" Aron's cry echoed as he was thrown away like a discarded piece of trash when the core exploded in his hands.
"Haha..." I let out a dry chuckle and directed my attention to the small hole that had been formed in the wall by the explosion. It's big enough for us to pass through.
I turned, feeling the ground beneath me shake a bit. Looking at Vexa, I said, "There's a cat in the next circle, hungry and angry. Make sure you run and don't fight, as the walls are going to move."
"Erik, pick that guy and follow—"
"Ugh... That hurt, bastard!"
"Hmm?... Looks like you are quite durable," I remarked, observing Aron standing amidst the aftermath, his robe torn and face blackened, but he stood just fine. Why's everyone a bit stronger than what I remember?
"Looks like you only have to carry your own ass, Erik. Go now," I instructed, noticing a boulder spinning with a patch of lava in the center.
Vexa jumped, Erik followed, and I entered. I sensed Aron immediately behind me, cursing something under his breath.
Erik immediately sealed the wall with rocks to prevent Magma leeches from noticing the gap... only guy here with a functioning brain.
I turned my gaze upwards towards the sky and saw the projection focused on Nexus Institute's team, Nari and her team, who were currently in the underground tunnel.
"They are going to regret that one," I muttered, imagining them being eaten by a shadow hound. Well, they'll manage for now. I felt a shift in temperature around me.
A growling noise caught my attention. "Ren... you only said one cat, right?" asked Erik.
"Oh yeah," I replied, looking at the feline creature before us. It was mostly skull and bones, walking around like a macabre specter- multiple of them.
It was a medium-sized, unique feline mammal with a skeletal head, two sunken blue eyes, no ears, no nose, and a pointed snout. It had a stocky neck, two medium-length, fragile arms, a barrel chest, and a flat stomach. Its legs were medium-length and powerful, with two extra joints, and it had a heavy tail.
"These guys are Adele's, they might suck your souls out if you let them. The litter is here, and the mother will be here too, so..." I stared into the hollow blue eyes of the creature. "Run... in this direction."
