Read Novel Full Chapter 252: Peace!
Chapter 252: Peace!
But before he left the feisty cat alone, he was curious...
Vale looked around the expansive meadow, his gaze drifting to the distant treeline that boxed them in.
"Those trees are gigantic."
They weren’t exactly the largest trees Vale had ever seen, but they were easily 25 meters (~82 feet). After a moment, his attention lowered, settling back on the cat curled up on the grass.
"I thought you’d be training. Why are you here?"
Awilix yawned.
"Hello? Have you not seen this prime napping location? Do you think I’m obsessed with training or something? No, no... I’m not..."
Vale wanted to argue, to say, ’You know you’re the weakest now, right?’ The thought surfaced quickly, but he held his tongue just as fast. There was no point in prying open that wound, especially with her already irritated.
So instead, with nothing more to add, he turned and let her be.
As he moved away, however, he started to realize she had a point.
’This does seem like a good napping area!’
The grass beneath his feet was soft and fluffy like a bed. There were no animals. No insects. Nothing fluttering about. Nothing to disturb him if he lay down like Awilix.
Not to mention they were out of the loud, depressive cave. The cave where, no matter where one was, all they could hear was claws scratching stone or a faint ’baduh’ from an imp.
Vale shook his head and let out a quiet laugh.
’Peace...’
He wanted to cry.
’Peace and quiet.’
"What’s so funny, dumbass?! Get out of here!"
Vale ignored the cat again and shifted his focus elsewhere, redirecting his attention to the Dungeon Core, which sat beside the reciprocal teleport orb in the center between the nearest four crystal obelisks.
’It seems normal.’
With that quick confirmation behind him, Vale followed the imp Hope, Slip, and a few others into the white space.
It was entirely the same as before. His eyes drifted across the familiar layout, briefly landing on the door to the Council of Vice, reading the ’44’ hours until it would open.
Plus... the sword.
Lor’s sword was simply lying on the ground in the Core. Drawn in by it, Vale stepped closer and picked it up.
[You have equipped SSR-ranked Item, Dominion]
’SSR, huh...’
As much as Vale wanted to learn about the sword, he shoved it in [Nexus of Beginnings], but first he had to remove the throne so it would fit. Vale headed back into the meadow and, after taking the throne from his pendant and putting in the sword, approached a blue crystal.
As he got closer, two walls that stretched all the way to the sky appeared. They were much like the black substance the summoned challengers produced, but they were blue and transparent.
Vale cautiously reached the crystal, resting his hand on its sleek, cold edge.
[To expand the barrier, destroy the inhibitors!]
’I see...’
Taking a step back, he gave himself space to think, glancing at the evenly spaced crystal obelisks, which seemed to be aligned in a grid.
’So then, if I destroy this crystal, will the blue wall disappear?’
And after it did, it would probably change its course and connect to another crystal.
"Seems simple enough."
Vale reached into the [Nexus of Beginnings] and pulled out [Reshaper].
Testing both the structure and his own strength, he reeled the pickaxe back and slammed it down.
’Oh...’
The tip of the pick bit into the crystal, but all it left was a minor dent, no larger than a fingernail. Even that comparison was generous.
Vale looked around at the various crystals in the clearing, then spotted a few deep in the forest. From there, his attention shifted again, this time to the workers who continuously entered and exited Level 2, transporting materials. Then he looked at the pickaxe. The pickaxe, which was about five times more effective than an Emergent Miner’s claws.
’Well, fuck.’
That single attempt told him enough. Clearing out these crystals did not seem to be as effortless as it had first appeared. Each one, if his estimates were correct, would take a thirty-worker crew a month to excavate, even if they worked nonstop and were all at least Emergent Miners.
Vale sighed as he stored his pickaxe.
On the bright side...
Vale observed the sun high above. Then his gaze trailed down to the forest again. Then, as his thoughts settled, he finally noticed it...
’Shade.’
It wasn’t absolute darkness, but if Vale reached that shade, he could sleep in peace for once.
’Wait...’
Vale looked back up and noticed something off about the sun. Or more so...
’Clouds?’
There were moving clouds. The sun seemed to have drifted slightly, judging by the shift in the obelisks’ shadows. It wasn’t much, and he’d only been there minutes, but if he wasn’t mistaken, the implication was massive.
Vale shouted across the open field to Awilix.
"Awilix, is there a day and night cycle here?!"
Awilix rolled over, her tail flicking furiously around.
"Yes, there is! Shut up and let me nap!"
Vale didn’t care for the disrespect at the moment. He was too preoccupied with the idea of freedom. Vale felt he could cry.
’We need to bring the beds down here at once!’
It would be a bit weird to sleep outside, but it would be darker, no imps, no bugs, and a slight breeze.
All they had to worry about was whether the presence of clouds meant rain happened there.
Well, they could build houses, but his workers were a long way from such intricate designs. Vale didn’t necessarily want to wake up to a roof collapsing on him.
’Wait.’
Vale scratched his head as he inspected the sky.
’Is this floor down or up?’
The first floor was a cave, but the second one was above ground(?).
’It appears to be above ground.’
Being in a cave, he’d just drilled into his head that future floors would be down, as he once thought the floors could be physically connected, not connected by some portal device.
Looking past the ’how’ of how this place even existed...
How was this space connected to the cave?
Vale tapped his foot.
’Eh, it probably means nothing.’
Even so, the thought led him to another small observation. The change did somewhat reflect the names of the ranks. Nascent: underground, as if protected in a shell of stone. Emergent: breaking free from that stone shell and onto the surface.
’What would Bloomed be then?’
As much as Vale wanted to think this over, it was probably merely a correlated comparison with no true relevance. At most, it seemed like a coincidence or a reach. So, Vale shoved that aside in favor of learning all he could about Floor 2.
Only after understanding it fully would he prepare to greet Akkuron.