Chương 97: The Forest

I'm bored. Not the casual, passing kind of boredom. The deep kind. The kind that settles into the soul and begins filing complaints. The kind that infects every tail flick and ear twitch until even dramatic cave exploration starts feeling routine.... That sequence of thoughts feels slightly familiar. Yet also different. I wonder why. The point is that I had been excited. Genuinely excited. Marek had explicitly granted me permission to dramatically eviscerate anything I deemed overly time-consuming.

A tremendous responsibility. One I intended to wield with grace and dignity. Unfortunately, reality has once again proven itself committed to disappointing me. When we entered this section of the dungeon, I naturally assumed the new area would contain new challenges. New monsters. New mechanics. Perhaps even a horrifying subterranean predator worthy of a dramatic boss battle. Instead, we appear to have entered Stonemaw Boulevard™. The worms emerge from the walls. The floor. The ceiling.

One particularly ambitious specimen erupted directly above us like an overenthusiastic boulder trap from a classic RPG. That one received special treatment. I never truly appreciated just how thoroughly a monster could be disassembled until the moment an entire adventuring party collectively decided that this particular worm needed to become an unpleasant stain on reality. Nine out of ten. Bonus points awarded for both Avelyn and Zeke abandoning magic entirely in favor of smacking it with their staves in annoyance.

That was pretty funny. Unfortunately, the novelty has begun to wear off. We have been walking for over half an hour, and I haven't gained a level. My tail flicks in annoyance. A vine emerges from my shadow and presents me with a rock. I inspect it carefully. Vaguely knife-shaped. Minor crystalline glimmer. Reasonable coloration.... Not cool enough. I toss it aside. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch a slightly disappointed look from Avelyn. I fail to see the issue. That rock was a six out of ten at best.

A failing score by any reasonable standard. The tunnel rumbles. Another Stonemaw erupts from the wall ahead of us, heralded by enough vibration and flying debris to suggest that it believes itself a terrifying subterranean apex predator. It survives for approximately forty-seven seconds. I carve off several pieces. Rin freezes several more. Zeke, Sylrae, and Avelyn bombard it from a distance.

Marek concludes the encounter by practically slapping the thing to death with his shield, empowered by enough buffs to qualify as a natural disaster. The worm explodes. We continue walking. Truly, a learning experience for nobody. Also, the fact that Marek informed me my Strength was absurdly high and then spent the next five minutes proving that his was significantly higher by pulverizing a school-bus-sized worm is slightly dubious.

I am beginning to suspect that Bearkin operate under a different definition of the word "reasonable." On the bright side, Sylrae finally reaches level sixty-five during our march through Stonemaw Boulevard™, earning herself a shiny new purple skill. The result is unfortunately nowhere near as dramatic as Rin's Winter's End, so she simply tells us what it does. Apparently, it allows her to create localized gravitational fields at targeted locations. The applications are, frankly, ridiculous.

She can finally increase or decrease a monster's gravity without first shooting it. She can manipulate movement in an area. Most concerningly, she can somehow use the fields to bend the trajectory of her bullets around obstacles. I have absolutely no idea how that works. According to my understanding of physics, meaningfully altering the flight path of something as small and fast as a bullet should require an obscene amount of gravitational force.

The kind of force that would be less "subtle battlefield utility" and more "localized natural disaster." As a test, I had her place one of the fields on a nearby rock. Then I stuck my arm into it. For science. The result was disappointing. Instead of violently removing my arm from my body as any respectable gravity well should, it simply felt like a powerful current attempting to pull my arm along a particular direction. Which makes absolutely zero sense. Physics is filing complaints.

A cursory look at it using my Cosmic Perception revealed basically nothing besides a vaguely whirlpool-like structure. I make a mental note to study the phenomenon extensively so I can steal—I mean, learn—the technique myself. If I manage to unlock this particular DLC, I could finally run properly along walls and ceilings instead of relying on a combination of unhinged momentum, aggressive vine manipulation, and the Hallowed Foxkin that is currently preventing me from snapping my own ankles. Tragic.

For the ceilings. They will soon be suffering the same level of catastrophic collateral damage as the floor. Meanwhile, Zeke and Avelyn have both reached level sixty-two, placing them only a single level behind me. Ideally, they obtain their enhanced skills before we encounter the dungeon boss. I claimed my own buffed skill at level fifty, which means I intend to save my next skill selection until after the final fight.

There is always the possibility that I choose to do something unreasonable during the battle and earn a higher rarity option as a result, after all. A highly probable outcome. My ears twitch. The constant scraping and digging of stone is fading. Replacing it is something entirely different. At first, I mistake it for more dripping water. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Then I realize water does not usually produce harmonic notes.

The sound resembles distant wind chimes, individual tones ringing softly through the cavern before fading away into the darkness. It isn't quite music, but it is close enough that my brain insists on trying to classify it as such anyway. Beneath it lies another sound. A faint rustling. Soft and continuous. Like leaves moving in a breeze. A very concerning thing to hear while approximately fifty kilometers beneath the surface. We continue forward, quickening our pace slightly. As we draw closer, Avelyn's ears perk.

A few moments later, Sylrae tilts her head as well. They hear it too. My nose finally catches up to my ears, bringing with it the scent of whatever ecosystem lies ahead. There is... a lot going on. Something sweet lingers in the air, faintly reminiscent of flowers or pollen. Beneath that is a sharp, clean scent that reminds me of ozone after a lightning strike. And underneath both lies something dusty and ancient, carrying the same strange quality as old books left untouched for years.

I process the combination for several seconds. Then several more. Nothing. I am completely stumped. I genuinely cannot imagine what kind of environment produces those sounds and smells while also existing this deep into the ground. My tail swishes excitedly behind me. Finally. Something interesting. Eventually, the already massive tunnel opens up. My breath catches. My tail immediately begins swishing harder. A glance to the side reveals that Avelyn's is doing the same. Rin's too.

Sylrae comes to a complete stop, her wings twitching erratically behind her, while Zeke and Marek simply stare. Mouths slightly open. As they should. An absolutely gargantuan cavern stretches before us, making the underground lake look like an overcompensating New York apartment. The distant cavern wall sits several hundred kilometers away at minimum, far enough that even moving at my maximum speed, I would need the better part of half an hour to reach it. The ceiling is also incredibly far away.

It hangs more than ten kilometers overhead, high enough that the cavern could comfortably fit a full Mount Everest with enough room left over for a bonus mountain. The scale is difficult to process. My brain keeps attempting to classify it as a landscape. It is failing. Massive crystal formations protrude from every wall and ceiling, each one large enough to flatten entire city blocks. Their translucent surfaces glow faintly from within, scattering rainbow light across the cavern in shimmering waves.

We stand on a rocky ledge several hundred meters above the cavern floor. A floor that is almost entirely occupied by a vast crystalline forest. The source of the wind chimes. Millions upon millions of crystalline branches sway in the underground wind, colliding softly with one another and filling the cavern with a constant symphony of ringing notes. Most of the crystal trees stand around a hundred meters tall. A few stretch past a kilometer.

One particularly ambitious specimen towers above the rest roughly three hundred kilometers away, rising nearly three full kilometers into the air as though attempting to challenge the ceiling itself. I respect the confidence. Light moves through every single one of them. Not reflects, moves. Rivers of pale blue, emerald green, and soft violet shimmer beneath their translucent surfaces like blood flowing through veins, illuminating the forest from within and painting the cavern in an ethereal glow.

The sheer size of the cavern has created its own weather. A powerful wind sweeps endlessly through the crystal forest, carrying pollen-like motes through the air and producing a constant humming resonance as it passes through countless crystalline structures. The entire cavern sounds like a colossal string instrument being played by the cave itself. I slowly release the breath I had been holding. Stars above. Now that is a dungeon.

The fantasy dial has been turned to eleven and then immediately torn from the control panel. Even the most absurd Minecraft modpacks I explored back on Earth can't compete with this. Questions immediately present themselves. How did this form? Why is it here? How has the ceiling not collapsed? What are the geological implications of— I stop. For once in my life, I make the executive decision not to ask. Some things are simply allowed to be cool. Ten out of ten. Excellent work, system.

I partially forgive you for previous crimes.... Partially. Avelyn lets out a slow breath beside me.

"Gods above... I had heard rumors about the depths, but seeing it in person is... incredible." I nod solemnly. And this is apparently only a medium-sized local dungeon. A deeply concerning thought. If this is what qualifies as medium, then what does a large dungeon look like? What about the levels beyond that? What kind of absurd landscapes exist elsewhere in the world? What kind of aesthetically pleasing nonsense might be waiting inside the Desolate Mountaintops? My tail swishes excitedly. Then again.

Then a third time, just to ensure the sentiment is conveyed with sufficient clarity. I am very much looking forward to the future. Marek eventually claps his hands together, the sharp sound drawing everyone's attention away from the view.

"I know the scenery is incredible, but we're on a time limit. We should get moving." A chorus of agreement follows. I step toward the ledge and peer over the edge.... Three hundred meters. Looks like Sylrae is going to be carrying— Marek jumps. I blink. The enormous Bearkin plummets toward the cavern floor without a moment of hesitation before impacting the ground with an earth-shaking boom. Stone cracks outward beneath him as his legs sink nearly a foot into the crystal-studded floor.

Then he casually steps out of the crater. As one does. Rin and Zeke immediately follow, descending in a series of controlled leaps between crystal outcroppings and rocky ledges while Sylrae simply launches herself into the air. Right. Stats. A few hundred meters of freefall is barely an inconvenience for someone with Marek's Vitality, while Dexterity makes navigating vertical terrain almost trivial as long as suitable footholds exist. Efficient. Avelyn gives me a look.

A vine immediately slips from my thigh and wraps around her waist before she can say anything. She glances down at it. Then up at me. Then back at the vine. Her expression grows slightly disappointed. Concerning. I choose not to investigate further. Instead, I step off the ledge. Several vines anchor themselves to the surrounding rock, allowing us to descend in a controlled series of sweeping arcs. Crystal formations rush past in flashes of violet, blue, and green as we glide toward the cavern floor far below.

Importantly, this method avoids violently dragging Avelyn through the air while I ricochet between surfaces like an artillery shell with poor impulse control. I am the most generous and beautiful prodigy in the universe, after all. Naturally, I deserve recognition for such sacrifices. I flick my hair haughtily. We touch down a few seconds later, and I release the vine around Avelyn's waist. Rin immediately looks over. The faint grin on his face tells me everything I need to know.

"No princess carry this time?" … My ears angle slightly outward. Avelyn's do the exact same thing. Traitor. Rin's grin widens. I sigh. Avelyn sighs. Then all three of us refocus simultaneously. The crystal forest stretches endlessly before us, glittering beneath rivers of flowing light while distant chimes drift through the cavern on unseen winds. We have a job to do, after all. As we move, a vine stretches out from my shadow and presents me with a rock. Avelyn immediately side-eyes me.

This one isn't cool in the slightest, however. I picked it up for a completely different reason. I flick it with all the force my fingers can muster. A sharp crack echoes through the cavern as the stone launches away like a rifle round. It crosses several hundred meters in an instant before impacting one of the crystalline trees. The rock explodes. The tree does not. Marek gives me a questioning look.

"My stats have a tendency to cause environmental damage when I move." He pauses. Very obviously remembers me drop-kicking a colossal worm into the sky. Then immediately accepts the explanation. Obviously. If these trees were normal crystal, simply running through the forest would likely result in ecological devastation on a scale that would earn me several strongly worded letters from environmental organizations.

Considering crystal is generally more brittle than stone, I am reasonably confident that with enough motivation—and perhaps a few particularly enthusiastic kicks—I could also destroy one of the enormous crystals hanging from the cavern walls. If they were normal. Which they aren't. Good to know. We enter the forest. Sylrae and I immediately acquire verticality. She takes to the air, weaving through openings in the crystalline canopy while I begin hopping between branches and protruding crystal formations.

We both possess the highest Perception in the party. This is therefore a tactical decision. It has absolutely nothing to do with me wanting to relive my tutorial days by bouncing between skyscraper-sized trees like a fox-tailed ICBM. Naturally. I remain relatively close to the party regardless. If something attacks, I want to be able to reach them instantly. As I land atop another crystalline branch, Sylrae drifts over beside me.

"I'm going above the canopy. Keep an eye on the party while I scout." I nod. A beat of her wings sends her shooting upward through the glittering branches until she disappears from sight. Silence follows. The crystal forest sways softly beneath the cavern wind. Branches chime. Light flows through translucent trunks. For a dozen suspended seconds, the entire place feels almost peaceful. Then a gunshot rings through the cavern. My ears snap upright. The party below immediately looks up.

That wasn't one of her normal shots. She used a big one. Not the one that damaged the Tyrant, but strong nonetheless. A dark shape suddenly falls from above. Some branches snap beneath its weight. Others refuse. The creature ricochets between them like a pinball, crashing through the canopy while glittering fragments of crystal scatter in its wake. It's massive. Winged. Distinctly insectoid.

Its body shimmers with the same crystalline glow as the forest around it, while translucent wings catch and refract the surrounding light. I tilt my head. What even is that? Sylrae descends a moment later, following the falling creature toward the ground. I do the same. The monster finally impacts the cavern floor not far from the party, a basketball-sized hole occupying most of its torso courtesy of Sylrae's marksmanship. We gather around it. Sylrae folds her wings.

"There are an absolute ton of these things up there. The ceiling is covered in them, and the upper canopy is infested as well. It will be a very bad day if we manage to piss them all off, so be careful." She looks directly at me for the last part. … Rude. I lean closer to inspect the creature. It twitches. My heart stops. My soul immediately begins attempting an emergency evacuation. The thunderous crack of shattered stone explodes throughout the cavern as I vanish.

A moment later, I reappear somewhere behind Avelyn. Specifically, directly behind Avelyn. Using her as a shield. Avelyn tilts her head. Then slowly turns to me. Or at least attempts to. The maneuver is somewhat restricted by the fact that I am currently attached to her. My tail is fully poofed out. My ears are flattened. My eyes remain locked on the abomination lying on the cavern floor. The rest of the party is staring too. At me. Not the monster. Me. … This is deeply undignified.

Avelyn finally speaks, her voice a healthy mixture of confusion and concern.

"Lyn? Are you... okay?" I raise a slightly trembling hand. Point directly at the vile creature partially shattered on the cavern floor, leaking what I assume are important structural components. And deliver my diagnosis.

"Moth."