章 50: Chapter 50: Freedom Of The Winds
"You know, the wind's here kind of nostalgic."
"What do you mean? How can a breeze so deep underground remind you of anything?"
"I dunno, it has a certain feel to it."
"A feel?"
"Yeah... Reminds me of home."
-A conversation between two explorers on the Sixth Floor of the Dungeon.
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A few days had gone by since Lan discovered a tree's apparent evolution process. He was not sure if it was the case for just this particular tree above his Dungeon or other trees as well, maybe even including plants. So, he conducted some experiments following such a discovery.
The first thing he tried was infusing some plants with mana, but other than the insane rate of growth and proliferation, nothing new happened. This also included trees, where all the mana went into growth, not forming any kind of core. Something was missing.
So, Lan examined the Great Tree and what made it different from other vegetation... Other than its enormous size and the presence of a Core.
Once he did check out the whole Tree, he discovered that he seemed to underestimate its capabilities quite a bit. In particular, the root system of it. And it would seem that he was far more intertwined with it than he thought.
'Uhh... What am I supposed to do with this?'
The roots stretched out from the trunk, burrowing into the ground. They then twisted flawlessly around his Dungeon, enveloping underground space around his rooms and absorbing any mana that seeped upward. Though he did notice that a while ago, with it increasing the mana concentration greatly, he did not witness the sheer extent of it.
These roots twisted wherever the dungeon went, even as far as the Fourth Floor, the length of the roots going far beyond its height on the surface. But it didn't seem like they tried to reach for his Core. They merely twisted a certain distance away from the Floors, and absorbed any excess mana, nourishing their owner, and 'recycling' unused mana into Life Mana on the surface.
Thanks to such a conversion, the forest on the surface thrived to the extent that it was impossible for humans to settle there permanently, as any would-be fortification would simply get overgrown. At the same time, the Great Tree was a beacon, attracting Beasts from great distances.
'It's... Not that harmful? We seem to be in a symbiosis of sorts... I guess it will be fine as long as it doesn't try to eat my Core with its roots.'
Nevertheless, Lan added reinforcing the area surrounding his Core Room with further Mental Mana onto his checklist, all while continuing to think of the enigmatic tree that turned into his neighbor inadvertently.
'And there was that one time during the forest fire... It seemed to reach out to me, asking for help, and that alone means it already possesses some degree of awareness. But it slept ever since.'
That thought caused him to think of how the trees just stay in the same place, year after year, unmoving, yet outliving any human if not cut down.
'Maybe it's just the nature of it? The Ents, Tree Folk in fantasy movies, were said to be slow-thinking, so maybe it's the same thing?'
While musing on that topic, he continued examining what caused it to form a Core other than the quantity of Mana it absorbed. As he watched its roots, he noticed something in passing, which caused him to switch his attention to a particular spot not far away from his Core.
'Am I seeing things, or did it just... Yeah, it did!'
What Lan witnessed was the roots absorbing the passively emitted Mental Mana which was emitted from his Core. It wasn't the one he absorbed, but his own, as he was a living being as well, and emitted Mental Mana of his own, which wasn't absorbed like foreign Mental Mana did, instead being used up on various tasks and thoughts, the rest dispersing into the surroundings.
He noticed the place where it was far more abundant, near his Core, where it was absorbed. But as he focused on purely the Mental Mana, he witnessed the tiniest of idle wisps floating away from his Dungeon get sucked into the Great Tree, then surging into its own Core.
'Wait... Could it be?'
But as Lan focused further, he noticed that such behavior wasn't unique to the Great Tree, it only being the biggest 'consumer'. Every living being absorbed the tiniest of idle, ownerless wisps of Mental Mana. It ranged from plants to animals, the difference was in quantity.
Upon further inspection, it became apparent that Beasts absorbed fewer Mental Wisps than plants, but there were some exceptions. And the first exception he noticed was in the belly of a pregnant fox on the Second Floor.
Within it, there were four points where wisps of Mental Mana seemed to gather far more quickly in comparison to the surroundings. And if it wasn't obvious enough, Lan's observation of its innards confirmed that those congregation points were four unborn fox whelps.
Ownerless Mental Mana gathered around those points, gradually forming what seemed to be a minuscule cloud of Mental Mana. Lan guessed that whatever process was going on was sped up thanks to the dense Mana present, and he had a theory on what the process itself was.
'Can it be... A formation of consciousness? Yes, I wondered why these 'clouds' looked so familiar, but they are the much smaller versions of the 'souls' I observed in so many living beings!'
At such speculation, Lan couldn't help but be momentarily dumbfounded, as he seemed to have stumbled on a secret of life.
'Wasn't there the debate as long as the history of humanity on the existence and nature of the soul? And the grand answer is that they are simply the energy of consciousness, recycled after our death..?'
Lan snapped himself out of such a train of thought, as after witnessing the things he previously thought impossible, it would be foolish to rule out things based only on a single speculation.
'No, I can't jump to conclusions. With the existence of magic, the probability of beings who mastered it far better than me, and far better than the Tower Master is rather high. And who's to say some of them didn't attain some kind of godhood, forming some kind of afterlife for their followers, forever reaping their Mental Mana from such places...'
Though Lan had just made a simple theory, the eerie thing was that it seemed feasible with enough knowledge and skill. So, to shake off existential dread, he turned to the 'mana generators' of his own. Humans.
And it seemed to be a good decision to keep an eye on them without constantly falling into research for days, as the smart creatures were always on the move. The camp had expanded further compared to his last 'visit'. The palisade seemed to be gradually reinforced, turning into a partially-done wooden wall. Gates were built as well, proper watchtower watching over from the edges of the camp.
The center of the camp was also 'upgraded' a bit, some tents being replaced with wooden huts. The cooking area seemed to receive additional attention, with them having floors made of wood, and some kind of underground chamber akin to a basement being in the process of being dug out, probably a cold storage in the future.
In a section not far away, there were wide tents set up with long benches inside of them, a dining area, obviously. Right in front of it were places designated for campfires, marked by circles of stones and burnt ground with coals on it.
Overall, it seemed that the camp was thriving. Explorers dozens upon dozens of explorers came and went along the 'streets' of it, the most popular destination being the dismantling station. It even had a fancy sign depicting two crossed cleavers.
The station itself was a mix of a wooden structure in the front, but turning into tents at the back, being under construction. But none of that deterred the flow of people. Explorers were lugging whatever they hunted, sometimes the Beasts not even being dwellers of the Dungeon, merely the ones attracted to the Mana-abundant forest.
A clerk wrote down something in his notebook, and men in aprons carried the bodies to the back. The compensation the explorers received varied, but Lan was curious to see what kind of currency the current society used. Were they bottle caps? Gold coins? Maybe paper money?
Well, it would seem that the primary currency was old-world coins. No, not some newly minted custom coins in the image of a new era, but the old cents, pennies, eurocents, and the like. Most of the numbers inscribed on them were indiscernible by now, but generally, it seemed that the bigger the coin was, the greater the value of it.
'...Rather rudimentary. But I guess no one would really use valuable metal and dedicate effort to mint it, especially when every resource could be used elsewhere. Maybe if there was some centralized government, such a thing may have come into being, but alas, every settlement seems to be on its own.'
Lan could only imagine how many arguments went down among the merchants while talking about the value of one coin or the other. At this point measuring the weight of the coins would be better, but it was what it was.
Overall the whole camp seemed rather harmonious, with new people arriving every day. The Dungeon must have been seen as a very lucrative opportunity for such a town.
The explorers came and went to his Dungeon, mostly staying on the First Floor. Lan guessed that it would be a while before a party not led by the town's leadership attempted to challenge the boss on their own. Not without gathering more Crystals and their own courage first.
But amongst such a rhythm of life, Lan could also notice murmurs and whispers of people carrying an uneasy atmosphere, not being particularly joyful.
"...Did you hear? The newbies from the Town said that the scouts back there found traces of increased Beast activity in the North not far away."
"Could it be the Beast Tide? Is it going to flatten our town too?"
The man who spoke first sipped on his mug filled with some kind of alcohol.
"I dunno man, I dunno. Whatever the case, I am not going back. In my opinion, it's better out here, kind of a new beginning, a chance to make a name for myself. Back in town, I lived on the outskirts, not even close to the Town Square."
The second man glanced around the camp from the dining tent they were in while saying.
"I guess me too... But hey, if every explorer capable of fighting moves here, is there going to be anyone left back in Town? Aren't civilians going to go unprotected?"
"To be honest, I don't really care. None of my business really. If they are unsatisfied, they can move here too, there is plenty of work to be done outside the Dungeon."
"But if the Beast Tide comes, aren't we going to be safer inside the fortified walls rather than in a new camp? Our defenses are going to be stretched thin if we try to defend both!"
The first man merely shook his head.
"Whatever the case may be, it's not for me to worry about. I'm going to live my own life, let the Mages and their fancy brains solve the big problems. I am living in the present."
"I'm not sure man... Hope shit figures itself out."
"Sure, I'll drink to that, bro."
From such a simple conversation, Lan gathered new information. Apparently a 'Beast Tide' was coming, the meaning of the words not being hard to figure out, Lan got concerned as well.
'So is a massive horde of Beasts going to attack? They'll probably go for my Dungeon due to the sheer mana it emits for sure... I need to fortify my defenses, especially against sheer numbers I might encounter!'
Although Lan was somewhat concerned for humans, it was rather minor in comparison to his own safety. And he had an idea to limit the possible amount of intruders at the same time in his mind, though it would require comprehending Air Mana.
Some kind of doors wouldn't cut it, even if there were some kind of ventilation holes for Mana circulation. Because as long as they opened or got destroyed, their function would be null. Lan knew that he had to get creative, and a certain game he played in the past gave him inspiration.
'Whatever, first I need to get Air Mana.'
Lan wasn't too worried, as he was on the precipice of attuning to it not that long ago, before being interrupted by one of his many discoveries. But the memories of his thought process were still there, being like a paved path forward.
'Hoo... Let's do it again.'
'Air Mana.'
Lan focused his point of view up in the sky, away from the camp and the forests below.
'It is everpresent.'
He felt with his perception the movements of the winds all around him, chaotic yet orderly.
'All that breathes cannot live without it. And yet, just as it can be the purest aether...'
Lan focused on the area above the clouds, away from worldly troubles and impurities.
'But it can also turn to poison, killing, instead of giving life, tainted with the filth of the world.'
The Core felt his memories get rewound to the day of the forest fire. Back then, as all life fled from the blazing tongues of the flames, many instead suffocated in the smoke that suffused the surroundings. They needed to breathe, but that was also what killed them.
He then began feeling the resonance of mana once again, the energies of the world beginning to dance along with his musings and contemplations.
'And yet, whatever nature it might take, whatever it may contain... It flows across the entire world, be it the heavy mist or light breeze.'
Lan could feel the winds begin to churn up in the sky as if every word he thought triggered a gust of wind, each greater than the last.
'For Air is the essence of unbreakable will...'
Clouds swirled, and the branches of the trees swayed at the sudden storm. The humans at the camp were alarmed at the supernatural event.
'...the essence of FREEDOM."
Though Lan wasn't aware, the last word of his contemplation wasn't contained merely within his thoughts. Instead, it surged throughout the mana surrounding him, and particles of mana previously unseen to him, responded, another veil shrouding his perception being lifted.
He witnessed that which he was seeking. Air Mana. It was unlike Light Mana, which descended from the skies along with the light, before turning into Shadow. It wasn't like Water Mana, flowing along the currents of water, or Earth Mana, entrenched deep within the rock and stone, as stubborn as the ground it resided in.
No, it was distinct, unique. Just as he had described it... It was free. Chaotic even. It didn't seem to follow any kind of order, floating everywhere. And yet... The Chaos of it had a certain Order to it.
The Air Mana was scattered, yet united, passively floating around, or together forming mighty winds in the sky.
As he tried to reach out to it, he found out that true to its nature, it was difficult to control, as if it despised the very notion of it. It flew away from his mental grasp, like sand seeping out of a clenched fist.
And yet, Lan had a solution soon after. If he couldn't control it... Why not harness it? Suggest movement to it? It wasn't a new thing, his whole 'control' through the mental link of his creatures was like this. So he tried it. He tried to nudge the air instead of forcing it.
And the wind blew. Though Mana itself had no... Personality, Lan could swear it was joyous at the movement, moving eagerly thanks to the mana provided. It was like a child if nothing else. Lan would smile if he had a face, being reminded of the previously faded moments when he was with his family. His mother was setting up a tent in the wild, and his father was making a fire, all while making dad jokes that made his childish self laugh.
He momentarily lost himself in the memory.
But as the word spread through the waves of mana, every living creature felt it ring out within themselves, the meaning itself being profoundly sensed even by the Beasts who didn't speak human language. Those who were previously timid or lazy went out to hunt and explore, and those who were overly cautious had their adventurous spirit ignited.
The humans, however, experienced it differently.
As the wave swept through the settlement, everyone halted simultaneously as if on command. Their eyes were unfocused for a moment as if focusing on something away from sight and for a good reason.
The human's minds on average were greater than that of a common Beast, as such they also understood such a thing more deeply. The things that happened after they broke out of that trance one after another were varied.
Some broke down crying, shouting out their laments.
"Damn it! Why didn't I go with her? Why did I stay behind!"
Some roared out in laughter, then grabbed their comrades, full of motivation.
"Let's go! Why the hell are we so scared of exploring the Dungeon, everyone does it!"
And some had serene expressions on their faces as if their doubts were resolved.
"So... It was like that in the end... Huh."
Many people housed many emotions, and today many either resolved their fears, admitted their regrets, or understood themselves more deeply. And the Tower Master, who was back on a journey towards Cypress Town on her own, with her mind surpassing every single human both in the camp and the town, understood the word completely.
She halted as the wave swept past her accompanied by a breeze of the wind. Her robe flapped in the wind, along with her hair which she untied. She stood still for a moment as if the time itself was frozen.
And then, she fell on her knees.
She grasped her face, before looking up at the sky.
As the locks of her hair moved away from her face, blown away by the gentle wind, her aged face came into view once again. Tears were streaming down her eyes, as a mere whisper escaped her lips.
"Son... I miss you so very much."
The wind reminded her of a starry night in the mountains.
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