Chương 6: The Cave

Adom paced back and forth, muttering the riddle under his breath for what felt like the hundredth time. His footsteps had probably worn a path in the dirt by now.

"Dies each night... rises anew..." He pinched the bridge of his nose. Give him a complex spell formula, and he could break it down in minutes. Present him with an ancient magical theorem, and he'd find three different ways to prove it before breakfast. Back in his previous life, he'd written a twelve-volume treatise on theoretical applications of crystalline mana structures while bedridden with fever. And yet here he was, stumped by four simple lines of poetry. He let out a dry laugh.

The irony wasn't lost on him - the man who had once been a hair's breadth from becoming Archmage, defeated by a riddle that a shepherd had apparently solved. Though to be fair, that part still didn't make sense.

"Focus," he told himself, returning to the glowing text. The words swam before his eyes, taunting him. In his old study, he'd had a wall covered in theoretical proofs that had made even senior mages' heads spin. But riddles? They required a different kind of thinking - lateral, intuitive. His mind preferred straight lines, clear paths from A to B.

"Something that dies... but comes back..." He started pacing again.

"Something marked by the past... but clean..." The moonlight was starting to fade. Soon he'd have to either solve this or come back another night. And wouldn't that be a blow to his pride - the former almost-Archmage, having to admit defeat to a leprechaun's door puzzle. Adom sat down, crossing his legs. Fine. If his mind wanted logic, he'd give it logic. He pulled out his notebook from his inventory and began writing.

"Dies each night, rises anew... The sun?" He looked up expectantly. Nothing.

"No, the sun doesn't really die..." He scribbled more notes.

"The moon? No, always the same... Stars? Same problem... Dreams?" He spoke each answer to the glowing text. Nothing.

"Something marked by the past but clean..." He tapped his quill against the paper.

"Water? It carries sediment but looks clean... No, doesn't die each night. The tide? Close, but not quite..." An hour passed. His notebook filled with crossed-out answers.

"Dawn? Day? Twilight? Night itself?" Each answer met with silence. Finally, he threw his quill down.

"Why?!" His voice echoed off the cliff face.

"Why was I chosen to come back if I can't even solve a simple riddle?!" He stood up, frustration boiling over.

"How am I supposed to change anything? How can I possibly alter the future when I can't even..." His voice cracked.

"How can I... how..." Wait. The future. His breath caught in his throat.

"Rises anew... never the same..." The words took on new meaning.

"What's never the same but always happens?" He glanced up at the moon, thinking about coming back the next day. Tomorrow... His eyes widened.

"Tomorrow," he said slowly, testing the word.

"Dies each night - because today becomes yesterday. Rises anew - each dawn brings a new tomorrow. Never the same but always true - because each tomorrow is different, but it always comes. Marked forever by what came before - because every tomorrow carries the weight of yesterday, but..." He smiled.

"Yet clean as dawn upon the shore - because it's always a fresh start. A new beginning."

"Tomorrow," he said with certainty.

"The answer is tomorrow." The silvery text hung motionless in the air. One second passed. Two. Three. Adom's smile began to fade. His certainty wavered.

"Oh, come on," he whispered, that familiar frustration starting to bubble up again.

"That has to be—" The rune pulsed once, brilliant moonlight flooding its channels. A deep rumbling sound emanated from within the cliff face, like the mountain itself was waking up. Adom stumbled back as the rock wall began to shake. Dust sprayed from hairline cracks appearing around the rune. The rumbling grew louder, accompanied by mechanical clicks and the hum of old magic awakening. The wall split along those cracks with precise, geometric movements.

Segments of rock shifted and retracted, layers sliding against each other like the workings of some ancient machine. Each piece moved with purpose, accompanied by that grinding sound and puffs of centuries-old dust. When the movement stopped, a crescent-shaped entrance stood before him, edges too clean to be natural, too rough to be purely magical. Moonlight spilled through, catching the dancing dust motes. Adom let out a laugh that was half relief, half disbelief.

"I did it," he breathed. Then louder, "I actually did it!" He stared at the crescent-shaped entrance, his heart still racing. What if he'd been wrong? What if the wrong answer had triggered some ancient defensive magic?

"Nope," he said firmly, shaking his head.

"Not going down that road. Some questions are better left unanswered." And for someone who'd spent two lifetimes pursuing knowledge, it was probably the first time he'd ever been happy not knowing something. [New Location Discovered: Moonfall Cavern] Adom waited for the worst of the dust to settle. Still, better safe than sorry - he pulled his shirt collar up over his nose and mouth. Years of working in ancient libraries had taught him that centuries-old dust was never pleasant to breathe.

He wove [Flame] with ease, a small but steady fire materializing above his upraised palm. The light illuminated the path ahead, and he could not see how deep the cavern was. Taking one last deep breath through his makeshift filter, Adom stepped into the opening. The grinding sounds had stopped, but he could still hear the occasional settling of stone, like the mountain was slowly exhaling after holding its breath for too long.

The air inside was stale, carrying that distinctive smell of long-sealed spaces - a mix of old stone, mineral deposits, and time itself. As his flame cast moving shadows on the rough walls, tiny creatures scuttled away into cracks - mostly beetles and cave crickets that had somehow made their way in over the centuries. Spider webs, ancient and dusty, stretched between jutting rocks.

The passage wasn't natural - while not perfectly smooth, the walls showed signs of deliberate shaping, with geometric patterns occasionally visible beneath years of mineral buildup. Water had dripped down some walls, leaving behind crystalline streams of calcium deposits. Adom paused, frowning. Something wasn't adding up. None of this - the rune, the mechanical entrance - had been mentioned in the news when this place would be discovered.

In his past life, he'd read about a shepherd simply finding a cave with treasure. He'd always wondered about that...

"The rune must have expired," he muttered, his voice echoing slightly.

"That's why the shepherd just walked in. All this..." he gestured at the walls with his flame-bearing hand, "would have been sealed away until the magic finally failed. Dude probably just had the dumb luck to be here when it happened." He snorted.

"Five hundred thousand gold pieces. Just like that." The sum still boggled his mind. Something caught his eye - a faint glint in the darkness ahead, different from the usual mineral sparkle. The way it reflected his flame's light was distinctive, almost like it was responding to the magical energy itself...

"Is that a mana crystal?" As Adom approached the glinting object, he used [Identify]. The response was immediate: [Object: Waypoint Crystal Type: Transportation Focus Status: Active (Auto-triggering)]"Wait, what do you mean auto-triggering—" The crystal pulsed with azure light. Adom tried to step back, but it was too late. The light enveloped him, and the sensation that followed was like being pulled through honey - slow, disorienting, and slightly uncomfortable. The world stretched, twisted, and then...

He hit something with a metallic clinking sound. Multiple metallic clinking sounds, actually. Something was digging into his back, hard and irregular. Groaning, he pushed himself up to sitting position, fighting back a wave of nausea as his head spun. His stomach lurched, and he had to take several deep breaths to keep from emptying its contents right there. He froze as he finally got his bearings.

"Tsk. Transportation crystals," he muttered, waiting for the world to stop swimming.

"Would it kill their makers to add some stabilization magic? Even a basic momentum dampener would..." He swallowed hard.

"... would be nice." Groaning, he pushed himself up to sitting position, and froze. Gold. Not just a few coins. Not even a chest's worth. Gold coins spread out beneath him like a metallic beach, flowing down in gentle slopes. Gems caught the light of... wherever it was coming from, throwing rainbow sparkles across the chamber. Ornate cups and plates peaked out between coins, their precious metals tarnished but unmistakably valuable.

A sword hilt studded with rubies protruded nearby, its blade still miraculously gleaming after all these years. His mouth went dry. He'd seen the imperial treasury once, during a special ceremony. This... this was more. [Location Discovered: The Serpent's Labyrinth - Treasury Chamber] He stood carefully, coins sliding and tinkling around his feet. The chamber was vast, its ceiling lost in shadows above.

The treasure spread out before him wasn't a mountain - you couldn't swim in it like those ridiculous children's stories - but it was more wealth than he'd ever seen in either lifetime. Enough to buy a small kingdom. Enough to... Something moved in the shadows at the far end of the chamber. Adom's heart stopped. This, he realized with growing dread, was definitely not in the shepherd's story. Adom's mind kicked into survival mode. First rule of unknown magical environments: gather information, don't panic.

Stay alive long enough to think. He maintained [Identify] as a constant thread of magic while his eyes scanned the chamber methodically. The skill's feedback was concerning - multiple magical signatures, some he'd never encountered before. Ancient protections, probably. No one left this much wealth unguarded. His hand found the ruby-studded sword, lifting it carefully. The balance was surprisingly good. [Item: Flamebrand Sword (Class S) Type: Enchanted Weapon Status: Active Properties: Unknown] Better than nothing.

He kept his casting hand free - in his experience, magic was always more reliable than steel. The [Flame] spell still hovered above him, casting moving shadows that made everything more uncertain. Another movement in the darkness. Then another, from a different direction. The coins shifted somewhere to his left with a gentle tinkling sound. He was in the open. Exposed. Amateur mistake. Slowly, deliberately, Adom began moving backward toward the nearest wall. Keep your back covered. Control what can approach you.

Basic combat principles he'd read lifetime ago. The magical signatures were getting stronger. Or closer. Something slithered in the darkness. The chamber suddenly felt a lot smaller, and the shadows a lot deeper. Adom canceled [Flame]. Relative darkness swallowed him for a heartbeat. In that same instant, he wove [Fireball], launching it high into the air above. The chamber exploded with light, and time stopped. There was no time to see all the details, but one thing Adom was sure of. Snake. Massive snake.

Jaws open. Coming straight for him— Adom's body moved before his mind could process. Pure instinct threw him sideways as the massive head struck. The impact shook the chamber, stone cracking where he'd stood a fraction of a second before. Coins sprayed everywhere like metallic rain. Adom rolled to his feet, already weaving another [Fireball], this one with enough power to drain half his mana. The spell struck the creature's scales with a thunderous roar.

The beast screamed - a sound that belonged in nightmares - as flames engulfed its head. There was no smell. No smoke. The first fireball above was fading. In its dying light, Adom spotted an archway across the chamber. He ran. Gold coins scattered under his feet, treacherous as marbles. Behind him, the creature thrashed, its massive body sending treasures flying. Something hot brushed his back - its breath? Poison? He didn't want to know.

"Shit shit shit shit—" He vaulted over a fallen pillar, nearly lost his footing on landing. The archway seemed impossibly far. The sound of scales on coins grew closer. Too close. A fang caught his shirt, almost ripping it away. Adom didn't look back. Looking back meant death. The archway was just ahead, ten steps away, five— The beast lunged. Adom dove forward, rolling through the arch as massive jaws snapped shut behind him.

He scrambled to his feet, running blindly into the darkness beyond, the creature's frustrated roar echoing off the walls.

"What—" Adom gasped for air, "—the actual hell?!" He wove [Flame] with shaking hands, nearly botching the spell. The light revealed stone corridors branching in multiple directions.

"A maze?!" His voice cracked.

"A MAZE?! That idiot shepherd just found some gold in a cave my ASS!" He stumbled forward, still trying to catch his breath.

"Nobody said anything about a giant snake! Or a labyrinth! Or—" Another roar echoed through the corridors, making him jump.

"Or THAT!" The sound of something massive moving through stone tunnels came from... everywhere? Nowhere? The maze's acoustics made it impossible to tell.

"If I survive this," he wheezed, picking a direction at random, "I'm finding that shepherd and—" He caught his foot on an uneven stone, barely keeping his balance.

"And I don't know what I'll do, but it'll involve a very long conversation about the difference between 'I found some treasure' and 'THERE'S A GIANT SNAKE GUARDING IT IN A MAZE!'" Another roar, closer this time. Or was it? Damn these echoes.

"And what kind of idiot am I?!" He turned a corner, then another.

"Oh look, a mysterious rune and a sealed cave! Let's just walk right in! Brilliant, Adom. Absolutely brilliant!" Adom slumped against a wall, chest heaving. No. Panic wasn't helping. Panic would get him killed. He needed to think. He forced his breathing to slow, trying to quiet his thundering heart. Think. Analyze. Solve. The crystal had transported him directly to the treasury. No path in, just... there. Which meant finding his way back to the entrance wasn't an option - there might not even be one.

And now he was in a maze with... Another distant roar. Right. That.

"Okay," he whispered, organizing his thoughts.

"Facts. That fireball was strong enough to kill a horse. It's still alive. Probably resistant to fire magic." He grimaced.

"Would've been nice to know that before using half my mana." The sound of something large moving through stone echoed again.

"Can't fight it. Can't outrun it forever. Can't find an exit I don't know exists." He closed his eyes, thinking.

"There has to be a way out. Nobody builds something like this without an escape route. The crystal brought me in, so..." He opened his eyes.

"There has to be another crystal." The question was: how to find it before that thing found him? As Adom caught his breath, something moved in his flame's light. He instinctively tensed, but it was too small to be the snake. [Creature: Cave Hopper Type: Indigenous Maze Dweller Status: Alert] The creature looked like a rabbit, if rabbits had evolved in darkness - pale, with oversized ears and eyes that reflected his flame's light. It froze upon seeing him.

"You survive down here," Adom whispered.

"You must know safe places..." The hopper bolted. Without thinking, Adom followed. These creatures always knew where to hide, where predators couldn't reach. The hopper bounded ahead, surprisingly fast. Adom's [Flame] bobbed as he ran, casting wild shadows that made following harder.

"Wait, you little—" The ground vanished. There was a moment of weightlessness, a sharp intake of breath, and then— Impact. Pain shot through his side as he tumbled down a steep slope. His [Flame] spell flickered out. Something cracked under him - multiple somethings. He rolled to a stop in complete darkness, groaning. When Adom rewove [Flame], the light revealed what had broken his fall. Bones. Hundreds of them. Small ones, large ones, complete skeletons and scattered remains. Some belonged to cave hoppers.

Others to creatures he didn't recognize. All picked clean. His hand had landed in a ribcage big enough to belong to a deer.

"Oh no," he breathed, scrambling to his feet. A skull rolled away, disappearing into a pile of other bones. The chamber wasn't large, but every inch of floor was covered in remains. This wasn't just a pit - it was a feeding ground. Something moved in the tunnel above. The sound of scales on stone grew closer.

"Hsssssssssssss..." The sound made his blood freeze. Adom's hand found the sword in the darkness, gripping it tight. He adjusted his glasses while his heart hammered so hard he could hear it over the rattling of disturbed bones beneath his feet. Two enormous eyes appeared in the tunnel above, reflecting his flame's light like mirrors. Adom quickly used [Identify] while preparing [Barrier].

[Creature: White Wyrm Level: 10 Life force: 500/500 Type: Indigenous Great Forest Dweller Status: Enraged] The eyes drew closer. Adom's grip on the sword tightened. Wait for it. Let it commit to the strike. Don't waste energy on useless movements. A massive head emerged from the tunnel, scales gleaming dully in the flame light. The creature's mouth opened, revealing rows of teeth longer than daggers. Muscles tensed along its neck. Adom's breath seemed unnaturally loud in the sudden silence. The wyrm struck.

[Barrier] flared to life as Adom dove sideways. Fangs scraped against magic with a sound like nails on glass. The beast's head smashed into the bone-covered floor where he'd stood. Now. Adom swung the sword with everything he had, aiming for the creature's neck— The blade bounced off scales with a metallic clang.

"Oh, that's not fair." The wyrm's head snapped toward him, jaws opening wide. Adom rolled through bones as massive jaws snapped shut where he'd been. His mind raced through facts like flipping pages: Immune to steel. Immune to fire. But it reared back from the flames. Why? Why fear something that can't hurt you? The wyrm's head tracked his movement. Those eyes. If he could just— He grabbed a handful of small bones, hurling them at the creature's face while weaving [Fireball].

Not a massive one - just enough to— The beast's head jerked back instinctively from the flying debris. Perfect. Adom launched the fireball directly at its eyes, already moving, already reaching for the sword again. The flames wouldn't hurt it, but the light, the surprise— The wyrm reared back, exactly as he'd hoped. Adom charged forward, sword aimed for those massive eyes— Something massive swept his legs. The world spun. His newly made [Barrier] shattered like glass.

[-24 Life Force] [Status: You Suffered A Moderate Injury] Adom slammed into a pile of bones, air rushing from his lungs. His glasses cracked. Pain exploded across his ribs. The sword clattered away somewhere. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

"Hssssssssssss!" The wyrm thrashed wildly, still blinded by the fireball's light. Its massive body whipped around the chamber, smashing into walls. A rib cage larger than Adom went flying. Then he saw it. Through cracked glasses, he watched the beast's underbelly scrape across a jagged bone. A tiny cut appeared. [-0. 5 Life Force] (499. 5/500) Adom's eyes widened. He spotted a narrow crevice leading up out of the pit.

"Alright," he whispered, scrambling toward it. A plan crystallized in his mind.

"[Pull]!" Adom's hand shot out, magic yanking the sword through scattered bones just as the wyrm's jaws struck. He caught the blade and dove into the crevice, brushing past plant leaves that partly obscured the narrow opening. Fangs scraped stone inches behind him, the beast's frustrated roar vibrating through the rock itself. Too narrow for it to follow. The sound of the massive body thrashing against the opening echoed after him as he climbed. But he kept going. He had a weakness to exploit now.

Adom stumbled into a cavern where crystals caught his [Flame]'s light, throwing scattered rainbows across pools of water. Cave hoppers and other small creatures scattered at his approach, their tiny feet pattering away into darkness. The sword clattered to the ground as he practically fell forward, plunging his face into the nearest pool. The water was cold, almost painfully so, but he didn't care. His throat felt like sandpaper.

He kept his head submerged longer than necessary, letting the silence calm his racing thoughts. The water muffled everything except his heartbeat and the soft echo of drops falling somewhere deeper in the cave. When he finally came up for air, his mind was clearer. The beast had found him multiple times now, always after he'd made noise. The running, the fighting, even just talking to himself - sound carried far in these tunnels. He touched his bruised ribs gently, wincing.

The snake's reactions were almost predictable - it struck at movement, at sound. It would rear up to deliver killing blows, exposing its belly in the process. If he could somehow... Adom picked up a small stone, tossed it into a far pool. The splash echoed weirdly, seeming to come from multiple directions at once. Just like the snake's movements had seemed to come from everywhere earlier. His eyes narrowed, studying the cavern's layout. The uneven ground. The pools.

The crystal formations creating natural acoustic channels. He could use this. If he positioned himself just right, created noise in specific places... he could make the snake strike exactly where he wanted. And when it reared up for the kill... Adom picked up the sword again, testing its weight. He'd only get one chance at this.

"Alright," he whispered, "let's set up a welcome party." The cavern's acoustics revealed themselves with each careful step. Adom's fingers traced the crystal formations, feeling vibrations travel. Three large crystals created a natural funnel for sound - perfect. A tap here echoed precisely where he needed it. His boot slipped on wet stone. The scraping sound echoed. He froze. Nothing. Breathing slowly through his nose, he began digging near a pool's edge. Each movement had to be silent.

The ground gave way easily, softened by centuries of water seepage. His hands worked methodically, measuring depth against his arm's length. The sword laid carefully aside, he widened the hole just enough - no more, no less. Extra space meant extra sound. A crystal tumbled. Adom's heart stopped. Silence. Sweat dripped despite the cave's chill as he positioned loose stones around the hole's edge. When struck right, they'd create a sequence of sounds like running prey.

The echoes would lead straight to— Something shifted in the tunnels beyond. Adom didn't breathe for ten seconds. False alarm. Water from the nearest pool was already seeping into his trap, softening the earth further. The snake's weight would do the rest. He tested the hole's depth one final time, calculating the sword's arc. It had to be perfect. One chance. A distant hiss froze his blood. Too soon. He eased himself into position, every movement measured. The sword aligned just so.

Loose stones ready to create their deadly symphony. Now came the worst part. Waiting. As expected, the wait was unbearable. One. Two. Three. Water dripped somewhere. Each drop echoed like thunder in Adom's ears. His arms ached from holding the sword at the perfect angle, but he didn't dare adjust his position. Four. Five. A pebble shifted near the tunnel entrance. His heart stopped. Too soon. Please be too soon. Silence returned. His muscles screamed to move. Six. Seven.

"Hsssssssss..." The sound came from everywhere and nowhere. Adom's fingers tightened on the sword grip. Sweat rolled down his forehead, but he couldn't risk wiping it away. Eight. Ni— A crystal shifted. Wrong timing. Wrong place. The hiss grew closer. Don't move. Don't breathe. Don't— Something heavy scraped against stone above. Particles of dirt rained into the hole. One landed on his nose. It itched unbearably. Ten. Eleven. The massive body slithered past his hiding spot. He could feel the ground vibrate.

Just a little further. Just a little— His leg cramped. The sword trembled slightly. The movement above stopped. Twelve. Thir— The snake's head snapped toward his position. A heartbeat of perfect stillness. Adom's free hand found a loose crystal. One chance. He flicked it. The carefully arranged stones responded, creating a cascade of sounds - prey running, stumbling, panicking. The acoustics carried the symphony exactly as planned. The massive head whipped away, following the phantom prey. Almost... almost...

The wyrm's body tensed, coiling. Adom could feel its weight shifting above him, preparing to strike. The ground groaned under its mass. Now.

"AAARGH!" The sword thrust upward as the snake struck downward. Scales parted. Resistance, then - a give. Every muscle in Adom's arms screamed as tons of serpentine flesh threatened to wrench the blade sideways. His shoulders felt like they were being torn apart, but he held the sword steady - if it tilted even slightly, the strike would fail. The blade sank deep into soft flesh. The beast's own momentum did the rest. Steel tore through the wyrm's entire length as it shot forward.

Blood cascaded into the hole like a red waterfall, hot and thick, drenching Adom completely. The creature's shriek shattered crystals, a sound of pure agony that echoed through every tunnel of the maze. Internal organs spilled from the massive gash, splattering across the cavern floor. The snake's body thrashed wildly, its coils smashing against walls, its blood painting everything crimson. Adom held the sword steady, even as more blood poured over him, into his mouth, his eyes.

The blade kept cutting, kept tearing, until the wyrm's momentum finally ceased. The massive body collapsed, twitching, organs still sliding out of the horrific wound that had split it nearly in half. A final, wet hiss escaped its jaws. Then silence. [Achievement Unlocked: Serpent Slayer] [You have slain the White Wyrm (Level 10)!] [Stat Increases: Intelligence +3 (Quick thinking in combat) Strength +2 (Wielding sword against massive resistance) Dexterity +2 (Precise movements under pressure) Vitality +2 (Survival against overwhelming odds) Wisdom +3 (Strategic planning and execution) Agility +2 (Evasive maneuvers)] [Note: Specific stat increases can be hidden by the user.] [Life force 100 → 205] [Inventory increased to N/10] Blood-soaked and trembling with exhaustion, Adom let out a shaky breath.

The sword slipped from his fingers, clattering against stone. He was alive.

"I'm alive." Somehow.

"Wait a minute," he frowned, addressing the System, "I thought you didn't grant power? Why do I have stat increases?" [Clarification: System does not grant power directly. Recent combat experience has pushed your body and mind to their limits, resulting in natural growth. Stat increases reflect your own achievements and adaptations during intense stress.] Adom nodded slowly, processing the information. He glanced at his hands, flexing his fingers. The trembling had subsided.

"And the life force increase? The inventory expansion?" he pressed, still skeptical. [Life force increase is a natural result of pushing beyond previous limitations. Inventory expansion is a System feature unlocked by demonstrated growth, as previously explained.]"I see..." Every inch of Adom dripped red as he hauled himself from the hole. The blood had seeped everywhere - under his fingernails, between his toes, in every fold of clothing. His hair was matted with it, thick and warm.

It filled his ears, coated his tongue with a familiar metallic taste that made him pause. His boots made wet sucking sounds as he pulled them from the red pool that had collected in his hiding spot. Blood ran down his glasses in rivulets, turning the world red. He took them off. The wyrm's massive corpse stretched across the cavern, internal organs still spilling from the terrible gash. Parts of its tail still twitched, muscles remembering life.

The wound gaped like a second mouth, showing just how perfectly his sword had split it. [Warning: Special Blood Detected] [Analyzing...] The blood dripped thick and warm across his skin, making odd ' clop clop' sounds as it landed. A strange tingling sensation began to spread wherever it touched, though the blood itself remained stubbornly present. Wait. Tingling? Adom froze. Blood wasn't supposed to tingle. Not normal blood, not monster blood, not any kind of blood.

His heart began to race as the sensation intensified, spreading across his skin like pins and needles.

"No, no, no," he muttered, frantically trying to wipe it away, only managing to smear it further. His mind raced through everything he knew about monster parts. Hearts could grant abilities if you were born with the right constitution. Some organs were sought after as aphrodisiacs by foolish nobles with more gold than sense. Certain flesh just tasted impossibly salty, while other parts would kill you outright. But blood? Blood wasn't supposed to do anything except maybe poison you if you were unlucky.

The tingling grew stronger. Was this how it felt to be poisoned by monster blood? Monsters were mutants, creatures warped by concentrated mana over time, and no two were exactly alike. That's what made them so dangerous - you could never be entirely sure what effects their parts might have. What worked like a charm for one adventurer could kill the next. And this was a White Wyrm - a creature he knew very little about. Who knew what its blood might do?

He'd heard horror stories of adventurers who'd gotten monster blood in their wounds. Some dissolved from the inside out, others suffered mutations that... He cut that line of thought off, his breathing becoming rapid and shallow. [Wyrm Blood properties integrating with host body]"Integrating what? Wait!" He shouted, as if that would have changed anything. [New Passive Skill Acquired: White Wyrm Body (Very Rare) (Level 1)] [White Wyrm Body: Your flesh remembers the serpent's blood that bathed it. Each instance of body damage will gradually strengthen your physical resistance. Current defense multiplier: 1. 01x. Through successive damage and healing, your body will develop resistance potentially surpassing the White Wyrm's own scales while maintaining human flexibility and adaptability. Maximum potential: Unknown.] Adom's panic subsided as he read the system notification, replaced by cautious relief. A skill? That was... unexpected. As the system notification faded, the tingling gradually subsided.

He took a deep breath, his panic giving way to curiosity as his analytical mind kicked in. A skill from monster blood? That wasn't supposed to happen unless...

"System," he started, trying to keep the hope from his voice, "did something change with my constitution? Like, can I safely consume monster parts now?" The possibilities raced through his mind.

"Is this some sort of... reward for coming back?" [No. You are not special.] Adom blinked at the blunt response. [Monsters are mutants. While their effects on humans are generally predictable, variations can occur. This particular White Wyrm happened to possess this property, which was transferred to you through blood contact. Had it been another White Wyrm, the effects could have ranged from nothing to death. You were merely lucky.] There was a long moment of silence as Adom processed this.

"Was the'you are not special' line necessary?" [The System only provides accurate information.]"... Right," he muttered, wiping more blood from his face.

"Thanks for that." Looking at his blood-soaked reflection in one of the pools, Adom raised an eyebrow.

"So, let me get this straight - you want me to get hit. A lot. Repeatedly. For this to get stronger?" [Yes.]"Alright, just making sure we were on the same page," he muttered dryly, wiping futilely at his face and only managing to smear more blood around.

"Because getting beaten half to death is exactly what I had planned for my weekend anyway." The system offered no response to his sarcasm. The wyrm's corpse just continued its death spasms behind him, as if to emphasize exactly what kind of punishment his body would need to endure to reach that level of defense.

"Awesome." [Note: A critical area remains unaffected. Upper mid-back unexposed to Ancient Blood. This will remain normal and vulnerable.] The System displayed. Adom froze. His hand reached for the spot between his shoulder blades, where he found a leaf. Probably from the earlier crevice. It was the only place untouched by the wyrm's blood." Oh, no you don't," he muttered. He turned back to the still-pooling blood, crouched, and scooped a handful into his palm.

Without hesitation, he reached over his shoulder and smeared the warm liquid onto the bare spot. It soaked into his skin instantly, leaving a faint, almost imperceptible tingle in its wake." There. Perfect." Adom glanced at the still-warm blood pooling around his feet.

"Hey. Can I store some of this? You know, just in case I missed a spot somewhere important?" [Analysing...] [Blood absorption window has expired. Current blood properties: Normal. No special qualities remain.]"Of course," he sighed, then turned his attention to the wyrm's split carcass.

"Well, might as well not waste everything." He waded through the gore toward where the massive heart lay exposed through the wound. Even in death, it was larger than his torso. The organ would fetch a considerable price - monster hearts always did. And if he was lucky, he might find a Constitution-gifted individual willing to pay even more. Those rare few who could consume monster hearts and gain their properties... a gift Adom unfortunately never possessed.

He picked up his sword again, carefully cutting away the crucial connecting tissues.

"At least something good came from getting a blood bath," he muttered, working the heart free.

"Besides the whole 'please hit me harder' skill." [Heart of the White Wyrm has been added to inventory] [Item will remain in stasis until retrieved] Adom looked at the sword in his hands, still dripping with wyrm's blood. He trained in swordsmanship for some time when he was younger. It wasn't just that he was terrible at it - though he absolutely was. The countless bruises from dropped guards and mistimed parries proved that. No, the bigger problem was that he'd never wanted to learn.

Why spend hours swinging a sword when he could be learning about the theoretical foundations of elemental magic? His father had eventually given up, though the disappointment never quite left his eyes.

"Well," Adom muttered, "looks like I don't have that luxury anymore." This world wouldn't let him hide behind books.

"System, what exactly does a rank S weapon mean?" [Rank S represents one of the highest quality classification possible. This blade was forged from Star-fallen steel, a material of celestial origin.] The corner of his mouth twitched upward. A Star-fallen blade. The kind of weapon that made collectors lose their minds - and their fortunes. The type that, in the right hands, could carve its way into legend itself. In his hands, though... He shook his head. That would need work.

"The treasure," he suddenly remembered. The sword wasn't the only secret this place held. He spotted a deeper pool nearby and waded in, watching clouds of red disperse in the clear water. The cold bit at his skin as he scrubbed wyrm's blood from his clothes, his hair, his skin. Once reasonably clean, he climbed out, clothes soaked but at least no longer crimson. He oriented himself, trying to remember the path back to the treasure room through the maze of tunnels.

The route now eerily quiet without the wyrm's presence. When he finally reached the treasure room again, he let out a low whistle. He hadn't been dreaming - this was far beyond the reported 500, 000 gold pieces. This had to be at least 50 million, maybe more. The disparity between historical records and reality was puzzling. How had such a vast difference gone unreported? A question for another time perhaps but for now, he had more pressing matters.

Reaching into his inventory, Adom pulled out the dimension bags he had purchased earlier. He began filling the bags methodically, watching as the system confirmed each one's capacity. One bag full. Two. Three. Four. Five. About fifty thousand gold pieces secured, and it barely made a dent in the massive pile.

"That'll do for now," he decided, storing the bags back in his inventory. He'd need to check the rune at the cave's entry later, make sure it wouldn't expire at an inconvenient moment. The rest of the treasure would have to wait. Adom cast one last look at the glittering hoard.

"Don't worry, I'll be back. But first, I need to find a way out of here." The exit, as it turned out, didn't require an epic quest through winding tunnels or another death-defying swim. No, it was right there in the treasure room, because of course it was. A seemingly innocuous crystal jutted from the wall behind where the wyrm had originally coiled, barely visible unless you knew to look for it. Adom stared at it for a solid minute, fighting the urge to facepalm.

All that running, all that planning, all that blood... when he could have just... He shook his head, choosing to file this under "things we don't talk about" along with that time he spent three hours trying to open a locked door before realizing it opened outward. The crystal hummed at his touch, and the world shifted. In an instant, he found himself back in the entrance chamber. As he stepped out into the moonlight, the cave entrance sealed itself behind him with a soft grinding of stone on stone.

He turned back, eyes narrowing as he studied the rune patterns etched around the now-sealed entrance. His fingers traced the air, memorizing each curve and line. He'd be back, of course. Fifty thousand gold pieces was nice, but there were still millions more waiting down there. Not to mention whatever other secrets that treasure room might be hiding.

"The Salty Dog," Adom corrected himself as he made his way down the cliffs, his steps careful in the darkness. Midnight had probably come and gone, and he felt a twinge of guilt about keeping the kind stranger waiting - if he was even still there. The strider was the first thing he saw, its massive form silhouetted against the tavern's warm lights. The creature turned its long neck toward him, letting out a soft warble that was surprisingly gentle for such an intimidating beast.

Adom reached up to pat its feathered neck, earning another pleased sound.

"At least you're still here," he murmured to the creature, trying not to think about how much trouble he'd be in if the rider had given up and left. The walk back to Xerkes would be... unpleasant. Taking a deep breath, Adom pushed open the heavy wooden door of The Salty Dog. The tavern smell - ale, smoke, and something vaguely resembling food - washed over him as he stepped inside. The tavern fell silent the moment he stepped in.

The music was interrupted, conversations died mid-sentence, and every head turned toward the door.

"Oi, Garth," a grey-bearded man slurred, swaying on his stool.

"Garth. Garth. Y'see what I'm seein'? There's a... there's a li'l ghoul right there. Right by th'door. Ain't there? M'not... m'not seeing things again, am I?"

"For heaven's sake, Morris, that's a child," a woman's voice cut through the silence. She stood up from behind the bar, wiping her hands on her apron as she approached Adom. She crouched down, her face a mixture of concern and alarm.

"Sweet merciful God, child, are you lost? What happened to you?" Adom caught his reflection in the mirror by the door and finally understood their reaction. His hair was plastered to his head, clothes torn and mud-stained, and despite his earlier attempts at cleaning up, dried blood still caked parts of his skin and clothes. He looked like something that had crawled out of a grave.

"Oh, it's not my blood," he said helpfully. The woman's expression froze.

"I was hunting," Adom added quickly, "There was an accident..." He raised his hand, conjuring a small [Flame] that danced above his palm.

"Ahhhhh," the entire tavern seemed to exhale in unison.

"Magic student," someone muttered.

"That explains it."

"Remember when my nephew started at the academy? Came home looking like he'd fought a tornado."

"Mages," several people said simultaneously, shaking their heads and returning to their drinks. The woman laughed, it was a very memorable one. The kind of warm laugh that made her whole face light up. Her eyes crinkled at the corners "Must have had quite the adventure, haven't you?"

"You have no idea."

"Come sit, I'll fix you something to eat—""Actually," Adom interrupted, glancing at the strider outside, "I'm looking for someone. The owner of that strider out there?"

"Oh, you mean Kai? He's just gone to the privy. Mentioned having one last fare tonight – that'd be you then?" Adom nodded.

"Well, come on then," she said, taking his hand.

"At least have some milk and cookies while you wait. You're skinny as a rake, child." Adom chuckled, about to politely decline when—"Oi, Tara!" came a slurred voice from the corner.

"Can I 'ave some milk an' cookies too?"

"Me too!" another drunk chimed in, then turned to Adom with an exaggerated wink.

"Don' turn 'er down, lad. Best chocolate chip cookies this side of the isles, I tell ya!"

"Are you grown men really trying to mooch cookies from a child's plate?" Tara put her hands on her hips.

"Noooo," came the collective response, followed immediately by, "Maybe a little?" She sighed the long-suffering sigh of someone who'd been dealing with these regulars for years.

"Come on, love," she said to Adom.

"Before this lot tries to adopt you just to get at my baking."

"Too late!" someone called out.

"I already picked out a name for 'im!" Adom settled at the counter while Tara bustled behind it.

"Just took a fresh batch out of the oven," she called over her shoulder.

"Give them a minute to cool."

"Thank you, ma'am." Tara's smile warmed.

"Such nice manners." He felt it before he saw it - that distinct sensation of being watched. Turning slightly, he caught sight of a man with an impressive red beard staring at him intently. Adom looked at the counter. The ceiling. The door. Anywhere else. The man kept staring.

"Warm or cold milk, dear?"

"Warm, please."

"Coming right up!" The staring continued. Then - poke. Did he just- Adom thought while facing him.

"What?!"

"Do a trick."

"... What?"

"A trick. Do a trick." Like moths to a flame, other patrons gravitated toward them.

"Yeah, you're a mage, ain't ya? Show us somethin'!" Before he knew it, the whole tavern was chanting, "Trick! Trick! Trick!" Adom glanced around and sighed at the eager faces, clearly belonging to men who'd had a few too many drinks. He supposed he could entertain them, even for a bit.

"Anyone have a deck of cards?"

"Ooooh, a card trick!" The red-bearded man produced a weathered deck from his pocket, nearly dropping it twice before successfully handing it over. Adom shuffled the cards with practiced ease - one of the few useful skills he'd picked up in his past life's countless nights of solitary research. The familiar motion drew everyone closer.

"Sir," he addressed the red-bearded man, "would you like to assist?"

"Me?" The man straightened up proudly.

"Name's Shawn!"

"Alright, Shawn. Pick a card, any card." As Shawn reached for the deck, Adom channeled a tiny thread of mana into the cards. Just enough. Not too much. Shawn selected a card, showed it to the crowd (Seven of Hearts), and returned it to the deck. Adom shuffled again, then paused. The bard, who had resumed playing softly in the background, caught his eye. With a slight nod, the musician changed his tune to something more dramatic.

"Now," Adom said, raising his voice slightly, "your card will come to me." He held the deck in his left hand, raised his right, and snapped his fingers. A small [Flame] appeared above his palm, and simultaneously, a single card floated up from the deck, spinning slowly in the air. The tavern went silent. The card continued rising until it was eye level with Shawn, then flipped to reveal - the Three of Clubs.

"That's... not my card," Shawn said, disappointed.

"Oh?" Adom feigned surprise.

"Are you sure? Maybe you should check your pocket." Shawn reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a card. The Seven of Hearts. His eyes widened.

"But how did you—""Wait," Adom interrupted, pointing at the floating Three of Clubs.

"What's that behind your ear?" Shawn reached up and found another card. The Three of Clubs he'd just been looking at was now somehow behind his ear, while the one that had been floating was gone. The tavern erupted.

"MAGE! MAGE! MAGE!" Tara, returning with the milk and cookies, had to weave through the celebrating crowd.

"Well," she said, placing the plate in front of him, "I haven't seen them this excited since the time Old Morris convinced everyone he'd caught a mermaid, and it turned out to be a painted cod."

"Thank you, ma'am," Adom said, reaching for a cookie. The moment he bit into it, time seemed to slow down. The chocolate chips were still melting, creating perfect pockets of richness that contrasted with the crispy edges and soft center. The buttery sweetness spread across his tongue, accompanied by hints of vanilla and... was that a touch of cinnamon? The cookie somehow managed to be both delicate and substantial, crumbling just right without falling apart.

The system displayed: [+1 Life Force] He closed his eyes, savoring each note of flavor like it was a symphony. In seventy-nine years of living, he'd never... His eyes snapped open.

"Hey!" Where there had been a plate full of cookies moments ago, there was now a single lonely survivor, surrounded by guilty-looking crumbs. The drunk men around him were all chewing suspiciously, avoiding eye contact. Tara's laugh rang out.

"Don't worry, dear. I've got more batches cooling. I'll pack you a tray to take with you, since you seem to be enjoying them."

"These are the best cookies I've ever eaten," Adom said with complete sincerity, the kind that could only come from seven decades of comparison.

"TOLD YOU!" shouted the man from earlier, spraying cookie crumbs everywhere. He swallowed hard and pointed at Adom triumphantly.

"What'd I say? Best cookies this side of the isles! This side of ANY isles!"

"I'll definitely come back here whenever I can," Adom said earnestly, reaching for the last cookie before anyone else could steal it. Tara laughed.

"You sound just like my boy. He's around the same age as you too. Gets this same look in his eyes every time I bake a fresh batch."

"Really? Your son is lucky to have these at home," Adom said softly, then added more quietly, "Makes me miss my mother's cooking even more." He made a mental note to visit home as soon as possible. Maybe take a leave?

"Say, Tara," one of the men piped up, swaying slightly on his feet, "wasn't your little one wanting to be a mage too? Should introduce him to our cookie mage here. At least he'd be paying for his treats, unlike some of us freeloaders." Adom felt his cheeks burn - the drunk had a point.

"Oh, no, I couldn't possibly—" Tara started.

"I'd love to help," Adom interrupted.

"I could be his sponsor at the academy." Tara fell silent, her hands stilling on the counter.

"Are... are you sure?"

"Absolutely. These cookies are more than worth it," he smiled.

"Has he been tested already?"

"Yes, since he was four. The stone turned silver for him."

"Oh?" Adom's eyebrows rose.

"Why wasn't he taken in then?" Tara's expression flickered, her hands twisting her apron.

"There were... some complications with the process..." Noting her discomfort, Adom quickly changed the subject.

"Well, I'll do my best to have him join Xerkes by next semester. I mean it."

"Thank you!" Tara's eyes were suddenly bright.

"I... thank you." She looked like she was about to cry, and probably, to not ruin the mood, she exclaimed, "Oh! Wait just a moment," before disappearing into the kitchen. She returned moments later with a cloth-wrapped bundle that smelled heavenly.

"Here you go, dear. Still warm." Adom accepted the package, the warmth seeping through the cloth into his hands.

"Thank you, really." At that moment, a deep voice came from behind.

"You're here." Adom turned to see Kai, looking exactly as he had hours ago, as if time hadn't passed at all.

"I'm sorry for making you wait," Adom said, but Kai waved it off.

"Not a problem. Usually head out around this hour anyway." He looked Adom up and down, taking in the dried blood, torn clothes, and general dishevelment.

"Rough night, huh?"

"Very. Yes." Adom turned to Tara, who was still dabbing at her eyes with her apron.

"Good night, ma'am. And thank you."

"GOOD NIGHT, KAI!" the entire tavern erupted in unison, then, "GOODBYE, COOKIE MAGE! COME BACK SOON!" Adom waved, unable to suppress a smile as he followed Kai out, carefully clutching his precious bundle of cookies. The last thing he heard was someone attempting to start another round of "MAGE! MAGE! MAGE!" before the heavy door swung shut behind them. The journey back to Xerkes was quiet, largely because Adom fell asleep almost immediately after settling into Kai's cart. He woke to a gentle shake of his shoulder.

"We're here," Kai said.

"Oh. Thank you," Adom mumbled, still groggy.

"See you around." Kai just waved, his strider letting out a soft whicker as they turned away. The academy structures loomed unchanged before him - thank goodness. He made his way to his dorm, feet moving automatically along familiar paths.

"HOLY SHI-!" The scream pierced the quiet as he opened the door. Sam's eyes went wide.

"Dude! What the hell happened to you?!"

"Went hunting," Adom said casually. It was a perfect excuse, really - mage students, especially those in their first three years, were actively encouraged to practice their spells through hunting, particularly if they were interested in becoming battle mages.

"You wanna be a battle mage?" Sam's eyebrows shot up.

"Been thinking about it."

"You've been so weird today. Like, cool, kinda. But weird."

"Thank you, Sam."

"You're welcome— wait, is that... are those cookies I'm smelling alongside all the blood on you?" Adom chuckled.

"Best cookies ever." He unwrapped the bundle, the aroma filling their room.

"Wait, should we get milk?"

"There's the distributor down the corridor. Still should be working at this hour," Sam said, already heading for the door.

"Don't start without me!" Adom settled on the floor, exhaustion finally catching up with him. There was something nagging at the back of his mind, something important he'd forgotten, but no matter how hard he tried to grasp it, it slipped away like smoke. Sam burst back in with two bottles.

"Only one cow milk left. The rest is mooyak," he said, holding up a bottle of familiar blue liquid.

"Dibs on the mooyak then."

"Fine by me. I prefer cow anyway." Sam tossed him the blue bottle and dropped down beside him.

"These smell amazing."

"Try one." Sam bit into a cookie and his eyes immediately closed, just as Adom's had done earlier.

"Who made these?!" he demanded through a mouthful of crumbs.

"A nice lady back at a—" Adom's eyes suddenly went wide.

"What? Are you having a stroke or something?"

"His name."

"Huh?" Sam asked, already reaching for another cookie.

"I didn't ask for it!" Adom groaned.

"Her son's name! I just... I promised to help get her son into Xerkes and I don't even know his name..."