He awoke from his deep slumber, tired but better, his body cannibalizing what was left of his Ethra within his core. His heart beat steadily, filling his body with the life-giving power of both his Ethra affinities in minute quantities, just enough to circulate and keep him active. Muscles sore, Tunde sat up, groaning quietly while cradling his head and the soft headache that softly echoed within his skull.

  His void ring was open, grabbing what seemed to be one of the last pieces of food he had within it. Dried meat with a waterskin filled with vitality-infused water was his go-to ration, something he had formed a habit of since his days left in the forest of trials by Elder Joran. The thought of the elder brought back unbidden memories for him, memories he had suppressed for a long time.

  Tunde had thrown himself vigorously into cultivation and battles to spare himself the bleak memories of what had happened back then; he was self-aware enough to realize that. The elder was buried within a marked off-site in the stronghold, or rather, what remained of him. It was a sobering wake-up call for him that even the blind tiger could meet his death.

  Of course, his death hadn’t been natural; the revelation that Joran had been a homunculus, a clone of someone else somewhere, still didn’t sit right with him. It had caused him countless sleepless nights whenever the memory had come back unbidden within his mind. Tearing into the meat with practiced movements, he forced each bite down his throat with a swig of the waterskin, feeling his body hungrily tear through the nutrients.

  Lord realm had been a bit disappointing for him, at least, from what he’d seen. Tunde frowned, peeking out of the darkened corner of the cave he was in, realizing full darkness had taken over. It was no problem for him due to Ethra sight, revealing the entirety of the tunnel he was currently in.

  One battle after the other, Tunde had refined and rebuilt his fighting style, moving from a fist user to an axe user, and then a short stint with a blade before finally accepting he didn’t have a particular preference in weaponry. His battle art of the boundless asura employed anything within reach, with Tunde eventually hoping to attain a state where he embodied a flawless weapon with his form.

  It was a distant dream for now, his main priority was growing as strong as he could and surviving this invasion of the wasteland king. Of course, with him this deep within enemy territory, it seemed more like a forlorn thought, knowing that any moment he could be found out. The thrill that came with that thought had swiftly died out after his encounter with the scout group.

  Pausing before venturing even deeper into the cave, he checked his Ethra lines. No longer sore and aching, he considered siphoning the core of Jana within his possession, his mind going to the other item also within his possession with a thrill. He clamped it down, it would be completely wasteful to use it in this situation. Feeling the fang’s growing hunger at the thought of siphoning the core, he brought it out.

  Jana’s core was a small thing swirling with red and gold Ethra, barely fitting within his hand. The fang pierced it, cracking its outer layer as it began to drain its content as Tunde sat back down on the ground. He felt the power course through the relic as it refined it, depositing the content within his core, a much safer way than taking elixirs. Cultivating it, the power crackled within his body as he stifled a gasp.

  Raw strength seeped into his flesh, his body seemingly absorbing not just the Ethra but what he suspected was her vitality and life force as well. Feeling as new as ever, he was back on his feet, discarding the cracked core aside and considering his next options. Tunde considered sticking to his original plan of picking off the lords or tier 4 enemies within the ranks of the king’s army.

  Then again, it wasn’t like they were going anywhere, and he wanted to explore the cave he was currently in. Its seemingly endless tunnel stretching on forever in front of him, it was a good place for him to return to after what he hoped would be successful runs against the wasteland army. Realizing he was running low on Ethereon and even regular forged blades within his void ring, he settled for Ethra techniques now that his lines were fresh.

  Moving swiftly but carefully down the tunnel of the cave, he noticed the dampness of the walls the lower he went, as well as the tiny stones that glowed a soft green light within the depth as he went on. Pausing after a few minutes to touch the walls, Tunde noticed the dampness spreading even more, an even clearer sign that a water source was close by.

  Excitement filled his mind at the thought of finding another treasure like the azure spring water, even if the odds of that were slim bordering on impossible, but he pushed on. A few meters more down the line had Tunde pausing as he froze. “Aura,” he whispered as he paused. It was a powerful yet subtle presence that seemed to come from the cave's depths.

  Common sense attributed that wherever there was an aura, something or someone powerful was within the depths, but Tunde didn’t think it sensible that anything would be living that far down the cave. Still, whatever was down there was really powerful if he could feel it all the way from where he was. Bearing that in mind, he pushed ahead, holding the last Ethereon forged blade in his hand, his relic on standby if he had to as the pressure grew stronger and stronger.

  A few more distances down the tunnel had Tunde realizing with a growing weariness that the aura had reached the peak of lord rank and scattered around, like the presence had shattered into hundreds of pieces. He paused again, conflicted as he crouched, touching the ground with his bare hand and feeling the rough floor.

  He realized what he was staring at in tiny, minuscule amounts: jade crystals. Considering the fact that it had been a while since he had seen the crystals, he wondered if the cave was some long-lost forgotten mine of the clan. Still overly wary, he made his way lower, pausing as large clumps of the crystals jutted out of the walls, vein-like lines of the same Ethra running through the walls as well, the level he was in oozing a substantial amount of jade crystal Ethra that reminded him of Rhyn.

  He wondered how the then adept was faring, no doubt a lord by this point, the Heralds would hone his talent to serve them well enough. The first sign of something oddly wrong was the crystals on the next floor of the cave that went progressively deeper than he expected. Tunde had paused to catch his breath, opening his void ring when the crystals on the walls seemed to vibrate, Tunde’s gaze snapping to them.

  He watched with growing trepidation as what looked like insect forms whose bodies were made entirely of jade crystals dug their way out of the ground and walls, converging on him. Glowing green things skittering across the ground, Tunde retreated, dodging some as they came for him. Blade in hand, flashing as he cut through them with great difficulty, even as he layered it with aura.

  Their hardened gem-like carapace made it harder for him to cut cleanly through as he gathered void forge into tiny needles, firing them at the creatures in a storm of attacks. Most were instantly obliterated, shattering like glass as they glittered across the surface of the ground, Tunde breathing a bit heavily.

  It had caught him off guard, and yet as he crouched, picking up the shattered pieces, Tunde stared at the creatures that literally had no innards, no fluid, just crystal on the inside and out. It puzzled him, the creatures of pure jade Ethra, as he got back to his feet, wary to even go lower.

  [jade Ethralites found] Ifa wrote unbidden as if tapping into his confusion.

  [Ethralites?] Tunde asked, [Creatures formed entirely from Ethra. They have no innards or fluids, only the pure essence of their Ethra affinity, such as these insects formed from jade Ethra. These beings are the living embodiment of most times elemental Ethra, molded and evolved by their environment.] it explained.

  Tunde wondered what gave off the aura of a Highlord he still sensed. If these Ethralites, as Ifa called them, had simply formed from a large deposit of Ethra jade within this cave. [How long does it take for these Ethralites to form?] he asked again.

  [Depending on the availability and potency of the elemental Ethra around, it could range from a few years to as much as a decade] Ifa explained. [Some Ethralites evolve even further due to an abundance of potent Ethra and other factors such as favorable conditions to become Grand Ethralites].

  Tunde paused at that as the next corner of the tunnel brought him within a room filled with sparkling jade Ethra crystals that glittered in the darkness, illuminating the underground cavern with a deep green glow. Staring at the room and the powerful aura that came just beyond it, he asked Ifa his next question, already dreading the answer.

  [How powerful are Grand Ethralites?].

  [Beyond the realm of tier 4, they gain sentience, gathering more Ethra till their entire habitat becomes an extension of their will and gain enlightenment at tier 5 or the realm of Highlord] it wrote back as Tunde sighed.

  He had two options: simply head back to the upper layers of the cave that had deep caverns beneath it or forge on and test his luck. He snorted at the thought. The safe bet would be to go back naturally; going up against a tier 5 creature within its own domain was needlessly risky. Staring at the cavern he refused to enter, he found himself contemplating it longer than he should, eyes straying to the last Ethereon forged blade he had in his hand.

  Already regretting what he was about to do next, Tunde entered the cavern as a message from Ifa popped out. [Ethralites are also sensitive to aura, using it both as a sense of direction and to track down their prey] it wrote. Tunde found it a bit offensive that the sentience considered him prey, but still, with conscious thought, flared his aura, allowing it to ripple and flow throughout the room.

  At first, nothing happened, and Tunde was beginning to have the feeling that those Ethralites had been the only ones there. Then the walls shuddered, and he stepped into the room, imbuing his blade with his concept and watching as large forms tore their way out of the walls. Large, green, centipede-looking insects.

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  They gave a loud shriek, Ifa recognizing them as [tier 4 Ethralites] as Tunde shot for the first one. They were in their dozens, even more pouring out of the walls and caverns as they came for him with crystal-sharpened mandibles and claws. His blade swung in an arc, tearing forcefully through the creatures, his two affinities ensuring the raw strength he put into the attack translated well into the crushing power of his force affinity and the destructive effects of his cosmic affinity as well.

  He was through the first two, dodging a swipe of another as Joran’s wrath crashed into the crystal carapace body of a third, cracking it and blasting it backwards. Tunde dove back within their midsts as Ethra sight found it frighteningly easy to predict their movements, his punches and swings of his blade carving a path through them.

  More came as he settled into an easy rhythm of the fight, his blade cracking after a while before shattering, forcefully exploding out and stabbing into the creatures who squealed in pain. Tunde was on them, both hands alight with Joran’s wrath as he forsook the speed of a blade for the raw brutality of his fists. He was a beast among them, tearing through them with as much tempered fury as with strength.

  His void realm settled around him like a blanketed orb, its properties holding them down, slowing the creatures just enough for Tunde to casually shatter them with his fists casually. Feeling his core significantly drained with the added weight of his realm, he canceled his techniques, finally gaining breathing space as he huffed lightly, crushing the head of an Ethralite beneath his feet and moving forward.

  It would take more than a few hours of sleep and a core replenishment to get him back in peak condition, he could see that now. The walls still glowed a bright luminescent green, and the holes where the Ethralites had appeared were now gaping wounds in what had once been a beautiful piece of natural art. Left with a final tunnel that led to what was inevitably the Grand Ethralite.

  This time though, he summoned his relic, feeling it take a huge chunk from his core. The weapon shaped itself into the familiar form of his axe, bringing back sad memories. Its weight comfortable within his grasp, Tunde began walking straight into the next tunnel, leaving behind a veritable wealth of rare jade Ethra crystals.

  Instincts had him pausing as he opened his sight again, realizing that the once bright room he was coming from was dimming. All the jade Ethra was flowing directly into the next room he would reach soon enough, Tunde chewing on it veritably before reshaping his fang into a spear. It ate deep into his core again, Tunde stabbing it into a large rare crystal on the wall as Alana siphoned its Ethra. Thick bands of green jade Ethra flowed first through the weapon before sending dark grey Ethra through his body and into his core.

  Tunde began the process one by one, taking his time till his core was full, watching as the entire room dimmed further, revealing a deep green glow from the cavern's depths. He felt the familiar power of essence flames, hesitantly creeping through the tunnel and deeper towards his final destination.

  The tunnel was significantly larger, missing all the previous tunnels' beauty, but Tunde’s mind focused on his goal. A few minutes more and he stopped in front of a large chasm where a deep pitch-black hole lay in front of him, wide enough to take the entire size of the swan without the sky vessel touching either of its sides.

  It was what hung above it though, that drew his attention. A large green chrysalis hung above the chasm, held by long stalagmites connected from the ceiling of the large room to its body. Tunde’s sight watched as the raw Ethra from the other rooms he had gone past flowed into the chrysalis that held something murky within itself, shielded by the green flames that burned around it.

  The pressure of the Highlord's aura came from the chrysalis. Tunde could feel its oppressive presence even as he stared at the chrysalis, having a bad feeling about it. The crystal chrysalis pulsed akin to a heart, the essence flame around it dimming as it too was absorbed into it, the large crystal seemingly dimming before cracks began to spread all over it.

  Tunde shifted backwards, calm but wary of whatever was inside it. It shattered in an explosion of shards that tore around the room. Tunde dodged a few and slapped the rest away with an aura-imbued hand. He stared at the floating creature tightly wound together in a ball, a green shimmering carapace glowing from within.

  It gave off the pure pressure of a predator, its aura that of a Highlord beast, and for one second, Tunde had the terrifying thought that he was facing another true beast previously lost in slumber. It slowly uncoiled its wound shape like it had all the time in the world, two long green antennae revealing itself before its insectoid face did.

  Its eyes were shimmering glass glowing from within, a pinprick of oily black within its gaze, a sign of sentience. The creature’s body, a mix between a centipede and an ant, was covered in segmented jade plates that reflected light with a soft emerald glow. Each segment was intricately patterned with natural designs, reminiscent of intricate runes, hinting at its deep connection to the earth and jade Ethra.

  The creature's mandibles, sharp and strong, clicked together as it fully emerged. Its numerous legs, sturdy and capable, spoke of both swift movement and immense strength, no doubt allowing it to traverse any terrain effortlessly. Spikes and ridges adorned its back, each one pulsing faintly with a fusion of both jade and earth Ethra. Along its sides, smaller appendages helped it sense vibrations in the ground, giving it an almost preternatural awareness of its surroundings.

  Despite its formidable appearance and the fact that it had come out of a chrysalis like a hatched insect, there was an air of ancient wisdom and calmness about it. Tunde found himself rooted on the spot as its eyes found him.

  “Human,” it rumbled in an almost distant tone, as if it found it hard to focus. Tunde, shocked that it could even speak, struggled to tear his gaze away from the terrifying creature whose aura had seized the entire cavern in a vice-like grip. He cycled his core continuously, gathering his strength even as his eyes strayed to the passageway back up.

  He hadn’t escaped the wrath of Kugan and Jana all to die at the hands of another tier 5 creature, and with his imbued limbs, Tunde shot for the exit of the tunnel, putting everything he had into his lord stage body.

  “Impolite,” the creature rumbled again as its aura seized him once more, slamming him into the ground rather forcefully. Void realm sprang to life around him, reducing the pressure as it swallowed a significant amount of the aura holding him down as he shot to his feet again, pushing for the exit right in front of him.

  The creature rumbled with laughter once more, Tunde watching with dismay as the entrance shimmered before a wall of hardened jade sealed it. Joran’s wrath was on his fist, crashing into the barrier with an explosive force. It didn’t leave a crack, its glossy sheen mockingly staring back at him.

  The force of its aura tore through his dominion, seizing him and wrapping around him in a serpentine manner and raising him into the air, straight at the creature. It paused a few spaces from the floating creature who stared at him. “Leaving so soon?” it asked, its voice slowly being stripped of its calm tone and carrying a hint of madness in it.

  “I mean you no harm, great beast,” Tunde croaked, trying to fight back with his strength. The creature laughed again, its high-pitched tone ringing around the cavern. “Harm me?” the creature asked incredulously. “I who have brought down thousands of your kind and feasted on your bones, I who have advanced to the third realm of enlightenment,” it continued while squeezing Tunde harder.

  “Did they send you? Those traitors and betrayers?” it continued rhetorically, “those who swore fealty to me and collected my boon of power, all to seal me here?” it continued. “Has Rowan and his broods grown so weak that they cannot come and finish what they started?” it asked again.

  Tunde’s eyes widened at the name. “Oh yes, I know of your lord, or is it Highlord now?” it said. “Dead!” Tunde groaned as the creature stopped squeezing him with its aura, pausing. “What did you say?” it asked in a lethal whisper. “Dead! All of clan Verdan!” he continued in a rush. It paused as if considering his words. “Lies,” it said as it reduced crushing him.

  “I swear on my soul that Rowan Verdan and his children are dead!” Tunde rushed in a croak as the oath settled on him. The creature paused again, no doubt feeling the swelling power settling on Tunde before laughing in a voice that shook the entire room, echoing down the chasm.

  “Oh, how sweet those words sound,” it cried. “Tell me, worthless human, how did they meet their ends?” it asked, relieving the pressure on him. All through this time, Tunde gripped the fang tight, waiting for the perfect moment to strike, and the creature had just given it to him. He swung the weapon with all the speed he could muster, the relic going for the creature’s hardened skull.

  Pure Ethra blasted him backwards, the attack simply appearing out of nowhere, sending him crashing into the stalagmite-covered wall as he nearly passed out, barely holding on to lucidity. This time, it grabbed him violently, Tunde spitting blood out even as it shook him, “Ha! I suspected trickery from you, human!” it cried almost jovially. “You will tell me what you know, and I will savor the tale over your slow but painful death,” it continued.

  “But first,” it said as the creature dangled him over the chasm, Alana’s fang vanishing back into his tattoo as he was unable to maintain its presence with clarity of thought. “I will watch you suffer and squirm; it has been too long. I have been trapped down here without entertainment!” it said and promptly dropped him into the chasm.

  Tunde’s eyes widened even as he gathered his aura to fly, feeling some otherworldly power he couldn’t explain coming from the depths of the chasm seize and overpower him. It dragged him with full force down the depths of the chasm, the wind blowing past him as the walls came to life with green and blue runes burning bright.

  Realizing he was about to become pieces of splattered meat all over the floor, he forced himself to concentrate, calling the fang again and slamming it into the wall of the chasm as he fell lower. Stabbing into the walls, slowing down his descent significantly, and slamming into the wall with a painful grunt as he went lower. Then the force tugged him again with even more force as Tunde shot down, crashing into what he hoped was the bottom of the chasm.

  He groaned in pain, the fang vanishing again as he was surrounded by pure darkness. Ethra's sight came to life, revealing the large circular platform he stood upon, dimly glowing runes littering the wall as well as five tunnels that led out of the place he was in. The cackling laughter of the grand Ethralite beast came from above, Tunde turning his gaze up where he could see its form leering down at him from so high away.

  “I see you’re angry,” it gloated. “You might want to save that for those pesky bastards you’d find down there if you want to survive!” it added before leaving him to his predicament. Climbing up out of there seemed impossible; the moment he attempted it, the runes came to life, and his body was seized by that same force again and slammed into the ground.

  Getting back to his feet, he stared at the runes, asking Ifa, [what do they say?] he asked, [runes are too powerful to understand, must advance] it replied. Nodding, no longer having the strength to even talk back at the sentience, he began moving randomly towards the fist tunnel close to him.

  ***************************

  Outside of the cave, over a dozen Corespawns stood along with a true beast, the tall and lithe human-looking creature with two blades strapped to the side of his waist stared at the entrance in silence. Red avian eyes sought to pierce the gloom of the cave as he stared at the runes that seemed to glow on the cave’s walls.

  It had been reported that a few of their scouts had gone missing around the location they were in. First was Yumar dragging him out of his hunt for his sister’s killer, tracing the blood bond they both shared as the killer held her core in his possession. It had luckily taken him to the same location where he had traced the core to, staring at the cave.

  “Send a message to Highlord Yumar,” he said, his voice calm and strong. “tell him that we have found a suspiciously looking cave covered with weird shapes, and it has led me to the killer of my sister as well,” he continued. Drawing the blades as they blossomed to life with red and gold Ethra, “Tell him that I will have revenge for the death of my father and sister,” Heito Blazewing completed.