Chương 24: Dungeon Exploration (II)
Snow could feel a powerful force from the lake itself as she stared breathlessly at the scene before her. The refreshing energy that emitted from the lake cooled her. She wanted to get closer to swim in the water itself, but what stopped her was the large number of monsters.
Just entering into any one of these beings territory or even getting close to them was a death wish. They were lucky to spot the lake from above, giving them a clear view of the situation. If they ended up anywhere near below, she knew that they would stumble upon the monsters and get into a fight.
The chance of a rampage was high, and she didn't want to take such chances.
"Why is there a lake here?" Dairen asked, confused. He Squatted as he picked a dead twig and broke it in half. "I was hoping for an exit, and we got a lake instead, though is there something special about it?"
"Yes, it's a mana lake. I'm betting on it can replenish your magic from a few sips, and these monsters are here to replenish their depleted magic." The thought of every one of these monsters having magic made her shudder.
"We should take a few samples," Mike spoke, causing both Dairen and Snow to stare at Mike in disbelief.
"Are you out of your mind?" Dairen hissed, "Don't you see that there is a horde of monsters down there?"
"Yes, I do." Mike wasn't phased by the monsters before them. "Look at them, I bet every one of them are enemies, but something is keeping them from fighting each other. It's worth a chance to grab a few bottles. We might need it in the future."
Mike was already sliding down the slope.
"He's insane," Dairen replied in disbelief, throwing the broken twig away. "I swear, is his brain made out of noodles?"
"I wouldn't be surprised, though he does make a bit of sense." Snow wanted to know if what Mike had said was a possibility. The monsters before them barely budged, even if they were arms length away from each other.
"You're actually on his side about this?"
"Not really, but what if they won't attack. It could be a chance."
"Snow. You sound a bit crazy now. I thought you were more careful than that."
"I am." She boldly replied, knowing full well the lure of mana water was calling her like a moth to a flame. The power from the lake was almost mind-numbing as she. All the thought of danger was quickly washed away as Mike was getting nearer and nearer until he came across the first bird-like monster.
The bird monster that was twice Mike's size turned to look at Mike. It cackled with its long elongated bill and fluffed its rainbow feathers. Mike stood still.
Even Snow held her breath, and her heart palpitated in worry. Was this the end of Mike? One second passed. Then another.
The bird looked away and headed straight towards the lake.
She let out a loud sigh. "It seems like we are okay."
This reassured her belief in what Mike had said. They headed down behind.
Snow couldn't help but warily walk with caution. Passing the large monsters that towered over her made her gulp. Every monster that they had passed by eyed them with suspicion. Some didn't even care as they were too busy drinking the water.
Mike was already dipping a bottle of water into the clear crystal lake. Even Snow quickly went over as she dipped her hand into the clear waters.
A sudden flash of coldness followed by a tingle of warm energy rushed up her very fingertips. She felt elated. The power from the lake was toxically delicious as she wanted more. Without thinking, she started to wade into the water.
"Snow?" Dairen called out to her. "Snow?! What are you doing?"
Snow couldn't hear him as the magical energy swept away her senses. She wanted to go deeper.
"Snow!" Dairen rushed in to pull her out.
She struggled, pushing him away. Dairen stumbled and fell backward with a loud splash. The monsters looked towards their direction but didn't move as they watched.
"Holy crap, what's wrong with her?" Mike screwed the cap of his bottle, putting it away. He jumped in to help.
"I don't know, something is wrong. We need to get Snow out of here."
Dairen once again got up and grabbed her arm. This time it was not letting her go. Snow pulled. Hard. She didn't like how she was being stopped in getting what she wanted. No. She wasn't going to let them.
Her eyes glowed golden with power as magic swirled around her. She stopped, turning around as she spoke out loud. "Let me go."
Dairen and Mike froze as they felt the end of their hair rise. They knew they were in trouble.
Snow could feel the whirl of wild, magical power coursing into her veins, drowning her with mana. She couldn't control it, no, she wanted it. How could she have missed this robust pool of energy? It was like she was meant to be here, taking everything in.
A blissful sigh escaped her lips as she groaned with pleasure.
"Snow!" Dairen called out her name. "Stop! Something isn't right!"
"Why?" Snow asked she was getting annoyed at their nagging interference. "All this was meant for me." She stated with arrogance, glaring down at them as if they were bugs.
"What are you talking about? This isn't like you."
"You don't know me."
"True, but I know enough of you. This water is tainting you, get out."
"Tainting me?"
"Yes."
"You're wrong. This mana pool is another part of me that I have been missing all my life. How could I not drink up what I have lost?"
"If that were the case, you wouldn't have changed."
"Changed?" Not understanding where he was going with this.
A sudden pain exploded in her mind; she felt sick. Dairen's words had a hint of truth in it, and she felt the tug of her consciousness telling her that what he was saying was correct.
"Snow?!"
"Stay back!" Snow threw up her hands to stop them. Her mana was going out of control.
"Snow. I want to help you."
"No!" Snow vehemently called out towards him. A mighty lash of mana erupted around her, hitting Dairen and Mike. Even the magic rebounded out into a ripple, causing the monsters around to roar.
One of the rhino monsters became livid from the backlash. It rushed towards Snow in a frenzy to run her down.
Snow hand clasped onto her head, fighting against the throbbing pain. The pressure in her mind got more durable and harder to control. Another bolt of mana erupted from her, this time the energy was like small swords. Upon impact, the rhino monster was slashed into pieces, causing it to fall into the lake with a loud splash.
The lake bubble, devouring the dead monster as it disappeared like goo, leaving nothing behind.
"We need to do something," Dairen yelled in between the waves of energy.
"What? Do you have a plan?" Mike pulled up a forcefield between the two.
"No."
"Damn it, Dairen!" Mike cursed.
"Her mana outburst is too powerful; getting closer to her is near impossible. Do you think you can contain her magic?"
"I don't know, but I can try."
"I'll assist you."
Mike started to form a ball of lightning magic. It crackled and sizzled. Dairen could feel his hair raise, making him worried about Mike's control. Mike didn't have the best control when it came to finer detailed magic, and this was one of those cases.
Another burst of magical energy waves erupted. Mike braced himself as the magical storm hit his shield and shattered it before Dairen could even assist. They were both thrown backward; this time, Mike was knocked out cold, while Dairen broke an arm.
Snow eyes glowed gold. She turned towards Dairen and raised her hand as power gathered into a giant ball.
"Snow." Dairen groaned, he hugged his broken arm as tears started to come down his face from the excruciating pain. "Wake up." He could see his death coming upon him—frustration set in that he wasn't strong enough to win against her.
For a second, his plea woke her up. The magical power lessened but was quickly overran by the magical energy.
"Get back!" A deep elderly voice spoke out.
"Who?" Dairen looked behind him.
An older man with a goatee walked out from behind him, wearing simple futuristic armor that was dyed black and white under the butler-like suit. He raised his arrows and aimed it at Snow.
"Wait, she's my friend! Don't kill her!" Dairen got up, grunting in pain.
"I'm trying to save all of you." With a twang of his arrow, he let it go flying.
Cutting through the air, the arrow broke into mana arrows. Almost a dozen appeared, flying straight towards Snow from every direction.
Snow quickly changed from offensive to defensive. Her magical energy turned into a thick miasmic shield that protected her.
Most arrows were blocked, but a few broke squeezed through the cracks.
Not even a few seconds behind, the older man had sent out another. This time a lot stronger than before. With a whoosh, it entered through the barrier itself, hitting squarely on her chest. She was flung across the lake and splashed, creating waves.
Dairen was awed by the older man's control and power. Even though Snow had more energy, his skilled techniques overtook the weakness that she had, creating opportunities for him to land.
"Is she dead?" He asked, realizing that Snow was floating face down in the middle of the lake.
The older man didn't answer. Instead, he was looking up in the sky, making Dairen wonder what he was seeking.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a giant bird dove downwards, snatching her out of the mana pool.
Dairen was overwhelmed by the sheer size of the giant bird. Its brown feathers with black-tipped ends fluttered over, gently dropping Snow onto the ground. With a deep squat, it hobbled over towards the older man, cuddling up next to him until finally, like a puff of smoke, it disappeared.
The older man turned towards Dairen to take a moment to stare.
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