Tohan and his daughter remained awkwardly silent as the journey continued, still joined by their darkly dressed guards, four members of the Dark Cat Sect. The party walked along, veering off the dirt path after a short while with Blue in the lead. Though the Dark Cat Sect members were aware of the dungeon’s location, they chose not to interrupt Blue as she led Micro and his friends ahead, enjoying the search for the dungeon in their own way.

  “There we are,” Blue announced after less than an hour of walking. “My nose has never failed me!”

  “Your nose?” Micro asked.

  “You can’t smell that?” Blue frowned. “It’s the smell of adventure!”

  “Huh?” Kolt blurted out as Blue hovered in the air in an ordinary looking part of the forest, with nothing in sight but trees, rocks, and the ground beneath them.

  “Look down,” Micro spoke up, his eyes glowing.

  “Oh!” Kolt shouted, his face reddening as he rushed to perceive the energy around him. He soon joined the rest of the party in looking straight down at the ground, where a large amount of intimidating energy swirled around a single point.

  “It is indeed a dragon’s dungeon…” Tring whispered. “I recognize the overwhelming presence of the Dragon Art.”

  “It does feel heavier than the Mountain Art in a way,” Micro replied. “Alright, time to dig.”

  However, as the hired members of the Dark Cat Sect began to dig, Micro started to walk back in the direction of his road.

  “Umm… Excuse me,” Tohan mumbled, slowly gesturing to the ground where he stood. “It’s that way… Master Micro…”

  “I know,” Micro replied casually, stopping a hundred paces or so away from the group. “This is a good place to start.”

  “But it’s down here,” Tohan explained, though he wondered which of them was misunderstanding the other.

  “There are important codes and regulations when it comes to roads that go up and down hills. Safety matters,” Micro answered. “If we’re adding a destination to our road, we definitely aren’t just going to dig a hole. That’s not even funny.”

  “Funny…?” Tohan tilted his head.

  “The quickest way down is down…” Tring mumbled in frustration. “What sort of nonsense do you mean to confuse us with…?”

  “If you want to help, clear the trees around here!” Micro had already begun to dig, and his progress with a scoop resembling an ethereal turtle shell surprised his friends. He called out to them with an eerily assertive tone before disappearing into the tunnel he’d already made. “I won’t have tree roots upsetting the surface of the road.”

  “The destination is yours, of course,” Lena spoke softly to Tohan. “But I shall point out that young Micro’s path is often worth travelling, if time is not of immediate concern to you.”

  “Very well,” Tohan said as he considered her words, then he smiled. “Master Micro has always—”

  “Die, tree!” Blue let out a deafening cry.

  BOOM

  Everyone but Lena and Micro flinched as a tree exploded into splinters nearby. Another projectile fired from Blue’s slingshot then turned one more giant tree into a cloud of debris.

  “Let’s leave the trees to Blue,” Kira announced while walking briskly to the entrance of Micro’s new tunnel. “She’ll be like that for a while…”

  “Indeed,” Tohan declared, following shortly after her.

  BOOM

  ~

  “Wow,” Kolt whistled as he looked around at the cavern Micro had excavated. “Does it need to be this… big?”

  “For a footpath to the entrance of an ordinary dungeon so far from a sect, it does seem excessive,” Arbur added, though he quickly continued with a pale expression. “Not that I question Master Micro’s decision, of course. Your knowledge of roads is unparalleled, Master Micro!”

  “It’s up to code, more or less. The rock seems stable, even without concrete…” Micro replied, pushing a large mound of rubble back up the tunnel, past his seated friends. “Are you comfortable?”

  Micro had cleared a place for his friends to sit inside the tunnel where they now sat watching him work. Arbur had promised to continue cultivating, but he now joined the rest in watching Micro with an expression of curiosity and confusion.

  “I can see that he is strong…” Tring whispered to her father. “His core is more refined than any I have seen, despite his feeble-minded nature. But does the master of a sect clear paths for strangers weaker than himself?”

  “Master Micro is very kind,” Kira replied while Tohan scratched his head.

  “He wouldn’t want me to be rude, so I’ll only suggest that you consider the outcome of his actions instead of judging with your own values in mind.”

  “When did you learn to talk like that…?” Kolt mumbled at his sister.

  “When will you?” Lena sighed.

  “If it weren’t for that daft look on his face, I’d assume this was an elaborate insult,” Tring continued. “To clear a comfortable path for us, as if we were incapable of moving our own arms. And then he carved a table and seats into the wall of his tunnel… Is he calling us weak?”

  “Whether you’re strong or weak,” Micro grunted, lifting a large boulder from the ground and turning to carry it out. “The world needs roads!”

  “Can I interest you in some dried meat or cheese?” Tohan called out. “We brought more than enough for the journey…!”

  “I’m fine for now, but you all enjoy yourselves,” Micro replied as he passed them again, but Kolt and Kira immediately turned their heads toward Tohan with wide eyes. Micro’s genuine smile disarmed Tring for the time being, and the group of unlikely acquaintances, gathered around several glowing crystals of Micro’s creation, began to converse about their journeys while snacking. Even the Dark Cat Sect guards began to relax a little while standing guard near the group.

  Aside from the occasional gravel golem which fell out of the rubble and startled Micro before running out of the tunnel in a hurry, and the rumbling of Blue’s deforestation project on the surface, a strange, peaceful mood fell upon the party. Micro’s mood also grew brighter as he lost himself in the task he’d set for himself. Considering that it would be convenient to connect the tunnel to his main road, he took his time flattening the area and ensuring the tunnel’s shape remained structurally sound. He’d seen the inside of countless tunnels, and he was pleased with the results of his efforts.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  ~

  Kira awoke from a deep sleep to find the cultivators around her meditating, aside from Kolt, who was still snoring next to her. The warm glow of the crystals placed on a rock in the centre of the room-sized cavern only made her sleepier, but the other cultivators stirred as she rose to her feet.

  “He’s done!” Blue’s sharp voice filled the tunnel. “Let’s do this!”

  “You’re here?!” Tring flinched at the sight of the pixie.

  Blue chuckled, then floated down the tunnel. The others followed, and Tohan was the first to speak, with bushy eyebrows raised.

  “I wonder if Master Micro comes from a subterranean culture…” Tohan spoke reverently. “It’s honestly an impressive tunnel.”

  “Thanks, Tohan,” Micro replied from the end of the tunnel, leaning against a pile of rocks in the centre of a large, empty cavern. “I kept the portal buried, in case anything was waiting to come out.”

  “That was wise of you,” Lena praised him, one of her own eyebrows raised in surprise. “It is not a common occurrence, but it is always a risk we take when uncovering dungeons.”

  “What is the purpose of such a massive space?” Tohan asked nervously. “Do you perhaps mean to establish your sect’s headquarters in this space… and monopolize this particular dungeon? Such a venture may be profitable, but the location is a bit…”

  “It’s just a parking lot,” Micro assured Tohan. “Don’t worry, there’s enough room for everybody.”

  “A subsurface shelter in these woods is actually quite a pragmatic solution to the issue of the wandering trees,” Arbur said softly. “Few would go to the effort of displacing such dense bedrock, but the astoundingly safe. Though it is a newly constructed shelter, it feels strong, and dignified…!”

  “Dense? Dignified?” Micro repeated.

  “Like the trees you so effortlessly cut, the rock you are carving away is made impossibly dense by the bountiful energy flowing through here,” Arbur explained, picking up a rock and squeezing it tightly in his hand. However, a drop of blood dripped from his hand while the rock remained intact. “You may not have noticed, being as strong as you are.”

  “So even rocks with energy in them are stronger…?” Micro rolled his eyes. “It seems like everything in this world is just, extra…”

  “Extra what?” Arbur asked.

  “Never mind…” Micro sighed, then turned to look at Kira and Lena. “So, what do you think, Lena?”

  “I think your tunnel is very nice, Master Micro,” Lena said, though she lacked Arbur’s enthusiasm.

  “Ah, not that—” Micro waved his hand, though the compliment did cause him to smile. “Do you think Kira can handle a Dragon Dungeon?”

  “That is a difficult question to answer as her teacher…” Lena’s expression grew cloudy as she looked at Kira closely for a while, causing Kira to blush, then at the hidden dungeon portal. She then gestured to Tohan. “May I ask what the protocol of your own sect is, in regards to dungeons of this level?”

  “Of course, honoured friend, you may!” Tohan said with an extravagant bow, apparently delighted by the question. “While Dragon Art dungeons are well known for their difficulty, they are normally very safe places for young cultivators to gain experience.”

  “Are you familiar with the contents of amber level dungeons in particular?” Lena asked.

  “Acquaintances of mine in amber level Dragon Sects have previously encouraged me to find and challenge an amber level dungeon, as the physical challenges are fairly straightforward and forgiving,” Tohan explained. “However, even in the amber level dungeons, the foremost danger is the one we carry within ourselves.”

  “Oh?” Lena raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

  “While the Jade Dragon Art Dungeon tests your will to protect that which you treasure, the Amber Dragon Art Dungeon is said to test your ability to do so.”

  “What’s the difference?” Kira asked.

  “Yeah…” Micro nodded, also struggling to understand the explanation.

  “Well, I’m sure you would do anything to protect your precious little brother from a scary monster, wouldn’t you, child?” Tohan asked with a sincere smile.

  “Well…” Kira paused. “I guess I would, if I had to, probably—”

  “But to protect something as valuable as a life is not as simple as wishing to do so,” Tohan explained, ignoring Kolt’s sour expression. “Alone before the monsters in these very woods, your brother may lose his life regardless of your will, praiseworthy though your skills may be.”

  “That’s…” Kira frowned.

  “It isn’t enough to be willing to die to protect something dear to you,” Tohan glanced at his daughter, who rolled her eyes. “The dead have no claim to any treasure. You must prove to the dungeon, and to yourself, that you have the power to carry what you hold in your heart, or survive without it.”

  “Thank you for sharing the wisdom of your sect with us outsiders,” Lena replied with a humble bow. “So the greatest danger in such a dungeon is to treasure more than you can carry.”

  “Precisely, Master Lena,” Tohan confirmed with a smile. “That is a most eloquent way to put it.”

  “The Dragon Sects of the world are renowned for their greed,” Lena said.

  “And we carry the greed of our ancestors with pride!” Tohan laughed. “But the dragons of the Dragon Art dungeons do not covet the souls of us mortals. The only way to become trapped in an Amber Dragon Art Dungeon, and many have been—”

  “Is if you hold on to more than you are worthy to treasure…” Lena continued. “I see…”

  “Having to let go of what you desire to pass the trial…” Arbur mumbled. “That sounds…”

  Lena, Arbur, and Tohan shared a knowing glance. However, Micro looked up at Blue with a blank expression, to which she shook her head.

  “They’re saying you’ll get stuck in there if you hold on to more than you can carry,” Blue sighed. “I don’t know how they managed to say that in so many words though. They just go on and on and—”

  “Ah!” Kira clapped her hands after hearing Blue’s simplification. “So the Dragon Art isn’t just about being greedy, but being able to survive despite your greed!”

  “You’re smart,” Micro praised the smiling girl. “I think I’m starting to understand too…”

  “Are you certain?” Tring asked Micro with a suspicious glare. “These are not the sort of teachings one full comprehends after a short conversation in a cave.”

  “It’s reasonable not to carry more than you’re designed to,” Micro replied confidently. “Every truck has its intended uses. I’m rated up to about a third of a ton.”

  “You didn’t strike me as the type to roll over and accept your fate,” Blue remarked. “You never seem to know your limits.”

  “Fate?” Micro frowned at the word. “Roads might not be able to change where they lead to, but we can choose whatever road we like. And as for limits, those often come down to driving conditions.”

  “That mentality may not be enough to see you through this dungeon, with all due respect…” Tohan said with some worry on his face. “There is also the matter of memories being—”

  “Whatever!” Tring scoffed loudly. “I didn’t come here to share the most sacred teachings of our sect with strangers, regardless of their status or sanity.”

  Before her father could rebuke her, Tring broke away from the group, an intense aura swirling around her. Her outburst of energy caused Kolt to stumble backward in surprise, while the rest of the group looked on in silence. Tring wound back her hand, coated it with energy, and then struck the rock-covered portal with her palm, sending a sharp sound echoing through the cavern. Despite the impressive impact, the rocks didn’t disperse as violently as Micro would have expected, but they had cracked enough to start crumbling as the vibrations subsided. Pushing the debris out of the way, the portal was finally exposed, filling the cavern with its warm, amber glow.

  “Oh, wow…” Kira was the first to react. “Th—that does feel, a little dangerous—”

  Micro nodded, and couldn’t deny that the air around the portal felt more uncomfortable than those he had previously experienced. He felt like the dungeon portal’s pure glow was already challenging him. Tring seemed to be affected by the overwhelming light as well, but she marched through the portal without looking back, causing her father to smile widely.

  “She’s just like her mother,” Tohan said, quickly wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. “Always a step or two ahead of me.”

  “Her will is commendable,” Lena said, surprising Tohan with her respectful tone. “You have done well as a mentor.”

  “That is kind of you to say!” Tohan cheered. He then turned to face his bewildered acquaintances from the Dark Cat Sect and nodded. “You’ve served us well. You can wait for us here, or you can head back on your own to collect the remainder of your payment from the sect.”

  “We… shall wait,” one of the cultivators in dark robes replied cautiously. “There is still much… to see…”

  “Well then!” Tohan nodded, then waved at Micro and the children behind him as he walked into the dungeon.

  “So,” Micro said as the portal shimmered. “Who’s joining me?”