June taught Elias all he knew. It was an arduous process, but Elias eventually unlocked his Soul Energy as well. They bounded across the path with ease, their steps light and full of energy, as if they were in their twenties again.
Once on the other side, the pair looked at the looming jungle and its dark, shadowy depths, which concealed monsters. June's eyes tracked the nearest tree's trunk up to the top of its branches. It had to be over 100 feet tall. Turning to Elias, they gave a nod before heading into the jungle.
They kept a light but brisk pace, rushing past trees and plants. June soon realized that he had outpaced Elias and adjusted his speed. It was probably because of the Soul Remnant he absorbed and converted into Soul Energy, which enhanced his physicality more than Elias's. They tried to stay as quiet as possible, but that was nearly impossible. Not two minutes into their journey, a Leopard Manticore ambushed them.
It sprang from the treetops, spear poised to skewer June. With his heightened senses and enhanced body, spotting and dodging the incoming attack wasn't too difficult. The Manticore landed silently on its springy spider legs, barely causing a tremor, as its spear stabbed the ground, burying itself deep.
Elias leapt to the side to dodge the attack, and they both raised their rifles and fired. June's shot burned through the Manticore's chest, leaving a three-inch hole right where its heart should be. Elias's shot eviscerated its head as brain matter splattered onto the ground, and it followed soon after.
"Damn, that was easier than expected," Elias said, coming up beside June.
June grunted in agreement as orbs of light floated from the body again, before another Soul Crystal formed. "You take that one since I absorbed the last one."
This time, Elias didn't protest and hurried over, grabbing the Crystal. June stood guard as Elias Cultivated. He was curious to see how long it'd take Elias to Cultivate the Soul Remnant. Last time, he had been deep in meditation, so he had no idea.
Silence filled the air as he stood watch, and June hated it. It was always a bad sign when even the bugs fell silent. But would a Dungeon even have bugs? Was it like the outside world? Or was it more like a simulation?
Sarah then butted in, answering his rhetorical question.
Yes, there are bugs, and no, it isn't. The System may have created Dungeons to simulate life outside, but it is by no means a simulation.
June's heart nearly jumped out of his chest.
Fucking hell. Give me a little warning next time, will you?
How? I'll still need to speak, even if it's just to warn you that I'm about to speak.
She had him there.
Just choose your timing more carefully next time.
Hmph, whatever.
She then fell silent again, leaving June alone with his thoughts.
It hadn't taken Elias long to Cultivate as he opened his eyes, stowing away the Crystal. "How long was I out for?"
"Best guess, ten minutes," June said, helping Elias to his feet.
Elias scowled upon hearing June's answer.
"What?" June asked.
"It only took you roughly five minutes to Cultivate your Soul Crystal," Elias muttered.
"Don't worry about it," June said with a laugh. "Everyone learns at their own pace."
His words did little to reassure Elias. Still, it was a trial he needed to work through. After finishing up, they pushed further into the jungle. As they ran, Sarah spoke up again, her voice riddled with playful mockery.
Is now a good time to talk?
June inwardly sighed, already regretting what he had said earlier.
Yeah, what's up?
The Dungeon ceiling.
Her reply echoed in his mind for a moment, testing his patience.
Did you just seriously—
Before he could continue, Sarah's cackling laughter echoed in his mind.
Sheesh. Chill out, my dude. Can't take a little joke?
The veins on the side of his head bulged slightly as he clenched his jaw.
I'm clearly not in a joking mood right now. What did you need, anyway?
Her snickering ended before she continued speaking.
A little bit of advice: try using your Soul Essence next time you're in a fight. The sooner you learn to control it, the better.
That's right, he had magic. That was something he'd need to begin using, especially in combat.
How do I go about casting spells?
It's less about casting spells and more about asserting your will. Magic in the System isn't limited or governed by strict rules. It all depends on the user—how much Soul Essence they have, their knowledge and grasp of the magical Concepts in the System, and their imagination.
For example, you currently only have access to your Soul Essence. What you do with your Soul Essence depends on you—whether it's shooting Essence Bolts or firing a beam of Essence.
That sounded cool and all, but he still had no idea how to do what she said.
And how do I do that?
Simple. Try gathering Soul Essence into your hand and pushing it out, just like you did with your Soul Energy and the Soul Crystal earlier, to form a ball of pure Soul Essence. Make sure to keep it contained, or else it will just stream out of you wildly.
June followed through with her plan, and it was pretty easy at first, until he had to form the ball. Once his Essence left his body, it became much harder to control as he struggled to keep it contained. A green glow radiated from his hand as his Essence streamed out before dissipating.
The light caught Elias's attention as he turned and looked at June's hand with a raised brow. "What are you doing?"
"Learning to control my Soul Essence," June said, still focused on containing the Essence in his hand.
"You unlocked your Soul Essence as well? How?" Elias asked, his voice filled with obvious shock.
"Yeah," June said, straining. "Don't know how, but I did."
He began to understand how to control his Essence as he visualized it contained within a ball he held. The Essence stopped flowing chaotically and formed into a baseball-sized orb.
Congratulations, June! You have successfully learned how to channel your Soul Essence.
June laughed with delight as he held out the orb.
What now? Do I throw it?
You could do that, or you can fire it like a projectile from your rifle. Since it's your Soul Essence, you can simply propel it forward like a bullet or plasma bolt.
Like a bullet?
June pictured the mechanics of a gun—the hammer striking the firing pin, igniting the gunpowder, and the expanding gas propelling the bullet down the barrel. The gas! He imagined a pocket of condensed gas between his hand and the orb. Releasing the gas and propelling it forward created a mini shockwave that sent the orb rushing ahead of them.
"Holy shit," Elias said as the cracking of wood splintering echoed through the forest when the orb slammed into the trunk of a tree.
"Holy shit indeed," June repeated, looking at his hand.
They fell silent once again as they moved through the jungle. Throughout, June continued to channel his Soul Essence. Control was his primary focus, shaping the Essence into different objects and weaving it to and from his fingers. The more he practiced, the easier it got.
Although he eventually had to stop, using his Essence continuously drained it. He needed to conserve it or he wouldn't have any left for a fight. And use it he did.
The next Manticore that attacked came like the others, dropping down on them from above. Sensing the impending attack, June quickly channeled another Essence orb into his hand before firing it. His attack slammed into the chest of the Manticore's feline body in a small explosion, but it hadn't done much besides leaving a small dent in its chest cavity.
Surprised that his attack hadn't achieved the result he wanted, he leapt backward to avoid the attack. Once it had landed, Elias, from its flank, opened fire and blasted the Manticore to high heaven. It seemed that June had mastered control over his Essence, as he seamlessly channeled and fired it in one smooth motion. But now he needed to put more power behind the attack.
After collecting the Soul Crystal, they didn't waste time cultivating and pressed on. The deeper they went into the jungle, the more Manticores they encountered. Fortunately for them, most of these Manticores were alone, so June and Elias could defeat them quickly and easily.
However, there were times when a group of three or four Manticores would ambush them. The diversity of weapons within these groups varied, ranging from swords, shields, and spears to bows and arrows. The first group they encountered almost ended in disaster.
After killing the first two Manticores that attacked them, the arrow that followed shortly afterward nearly took Elias's head clean off his shoulder. Luckily, he had the eyes of a hawk and dodged the attack just in time. He returned the favor before a third Manticore dropped from the treetops, crumpling to a heap beside the other two.
After this, they remained more vigilant of groups of Manticores, never lowering their guards for even a second. Three long, exhausting hours later, they had killed 37 Manticores, as evidenced by the number of Soul Crystals they each possessed. The backpacks they carried were overflowing with Crystals, forcing them to toss aside any extra gear just to keep them.
An hour later, they found the first structure that could have served as a residence for the Boss. A large platform suspended in the treetops loomed just fifty yards ahead of them. They had almost walked underneath it, like mice heading into a trap, if not for Elias's sharp senses. This had to be where the Dungeon Boss was.
Elias tapped June on the shoulder and pointed to a hill in the distance that overlooked the encampment. June nodded in agreement before they headed over. When they arrived, June pulled out a small pair of binoculars from one of the pouches on his belt and looked through them.
He searched the platform for the Dungeon Boss but found nothing that resembled one. Instead, a solitary pedestal stood tall in the middle of the platform. On top of it was a pearl-like orb that glowed in the moonlight. That had to be the Dungeon Core. Then, a dark mass beside the Core shifted, and his eyes widened in horror.
It was a Leopard Manticore the size of a two-story building. It blended so well with the shadows that he hadn't seen it until it shifted. It lifted its head and yawned lazily before going back to sleep. Two enormous quivers hung from its torso, holding arrows the size of spears, but he couldn't find the bow. It had to be nearby; there's no way it'd sleep without its weapon close by. How the platform it rested on hadn't yet fallen due to its massive size was a mystery to June.
That's not a creature you two could defeat, even with your rifles. I suggest you destroy the Dungeon Core and get out. Fair warning, though, destroying the Core will cause the Dungeon Gate to close. So you'd better leg it the moment it's destroyed.
Sarah hadn't needed to tell him that. Even from this distance, he could feel the immense power the Boss radiated. It was on a whole different level compared to him or Elias.
Elias nudged June to get his attention. "Did you find it?"
"Yeah," June said, handing him the binoculars. "But I don't think it's something we can fight and win."
Elias scowled before glancing through them. June loosened his rifle sling and pulled it back up front. He dropped to one knee and adjusted the plasma bolt's intensity.
Elias clicked his tongue and handed the binoculars back to June. "Yup, it'd be suicide."
June nodded in agreement before looking through his scope and zeroing in on the pearl.
June took a slow breath and exhaled, squeezing the trigger.
Thoom!
The sound of the shot shattered the quiet of the night as the plasma bolt hit its mark, melting the Dungeon Core.
"Time to go!" June said, hopping to his feet.
Shockwaves reverberated from the platform as the Boss let loose a furious roar. June turned just in time to see a giant arrow flying straight for his head. He ducked, pulling Elias down with him, just as the arrow soared overhead.
"Let's get the fuck out of here!" Elias shouted as they darted to the other side of the hill and bolted back toward the cabin.
They faced no resistance during their escape until they came into view of the cabin. A group of seven Manticores had gathered on the beach. Four of them were huddled over the Manticore's corpse, cannibalizing it, while the other three searched the shore, gesturing toward the cabin. Their approach had been anything but subtle. The moment they saw the Manticores, the Manticores saw them as well.
"Shit!" June yelled as the Manticore's roared before charging them.
Their initial salvo of plasma bolts managed to take down three of the seven Manticores. However, the remaining four closed the distance, forcing June and Elias to retreat in separate directions. The four then split into pairs to pursue them.
June dodged to the left, avoiding a spear thrust from the leading Manticore. Before he could return fire, an arrow narrowly whizzed past his head, fired by the second Manticore. Clicking his tongue, he dodged another attack from the first Manticore, this time creating more space between them. He ducked just in time as another arrow flew by before shouldering his rifle, training it on the Manticore with the bow, and firing a shot.
June's face showed utter shock as the plasma bolt whizzed past harmlessly, while the Manticore leapt into the air to dodge the shot. At the apex of its jump, it drew back its bow, aiming the arrow at June. But, having recovered from his initial shock, June already had it in his sights. Before it could release the arrow, June shot, piercing it straight through the heart. It collapsed dead at his feet just as Sarah's panicked voice called out to him.
June, behind you!
June spun just in time to dodge the spear, but the Manticore was too close and rammed into him, bowling him over. Knocked flat on his back, the Manticore scurried over him, and a loud crunch echoed in his ears as pain tore through his leg. In a rage clouded by agony, June raised his rifle and fired a volley of plasma bolts into the Manticore's underbelly, draining its Capacitor. It staggered past him before falling over, dead.
June tried to stand but cried out in pain before falling back down. Looking at his legs, he saw that his left leg was a mangled mess, crushed by the Manticore. That wasn't good. If he didn't get medical attention soon, he might never walk again.
The thooming shots from Elias's rifle abruptly ended, drawing his attention. Elias's Capacitor had just run out of energy, and now he had nothing left to defend himself as the last Manticore descended on him. June had to do something to help him.
In a desperate move, he channeled his Soul Essence, forming a sphere of pure Soul Essence the size of a beach ball in his hand. He had poured over ninety percent of his Essence into this single attack. With a grunt of effort, he condensed the orb into the size of a basketball before firing it at the Manticore. But he never got to see if his attack landed, as unconsciousness overtook him.
Elias was fucked. His capacitor had run out of power, leaving him unable to fight back. His eyes settled on a spear nearby. It seemed he would have to face it in close-quarters combat.
However, before he could even dodge the attack and grab the spear, a bright ball of energy slammed into the Manticore. The explosion that followed shook the area, as if an F-15 had just dropped a missile on them. Knocked off his feet, Elias was sent flying several yards and landed hard on his back.
Elias struggled to get up, coughing violently as sand billowed around him, obscuring his view. When he finally stood, he backed away from the blast zone and surveyed the battlefield. There were no living Manticore in sight as he searched for June. It had to be June who fired that blast; no one else could have. Then he saw him. June lay motionless in the sand about thirty yards from the explosion.
"June!" Elias shouted, racing over to him.
He slid to a stop beside June's battered body. Fear reared its head at him as he stared at June's swollen and bruised face. However, that wasn't the worst of it. June's leg lay crushed, no doubt thoroughly stomped by one of the Manticores.
"Fucking hell," Elias said as he prepared to fireman pick him up, but a gravelly male voice stopped him.
Leave him, Elias. You have less than a minute before the Gate closes.
Elias hesitated for a moment before responding.
I can't! We don't leave soldiers behind!
Fifty seconds.
"FUUUUUUCK!!!" Elias shouted, caught in a tough decision.
Forty-five seconds.
"Elias? Elias? Is that you? What was that loud explosion?" Christine's voice called out from the other shoreline.
"June?" Natalie's voice called after Christine's.
There was no time. Elias quickly got up and spun around to rush back to the cabin. Everyone was outside now. The children were on the porch with Natalie, while Christine waited at the start of the path.
"GO! Get everyone to the Gate now!" Elias shouted, running across the pathway.
Upon hearing Elias's words, everyone hurried to the Dungeon Gate. The blue light of the portal now pulsed in sync with the voice in Elias's head.
Ten. Nine. Eight.
"Where's June!?" Natalie asked as Elias caught up to them. He could only shake his head, and she spiraled into a frenzy. "JUNE!!! NO! JUNE!!!"
She attempted to run past Elias, but he grabbed her by the waist and hoisted her over his shoulder while he pushed the others through the Gate.
Five. Four. Three.
Elias took one last look at June's prone body. "I'm sorry," he whispered, before passing through the Gate with a kicking and screaming Natalie.