We bolted forward, a path constructed from walls on both sides and every corner carefully guiding us in one direction. We had already gone far past where we initially met Delta, and were motivated by the thought of her catching up to us. Even though she was hit with my strongest skill, Hell Rain, I bet she still had it in her to shake it off.

  I hoped not, but since the experience points never found their way to me, there was a strong possibility she was alive.

  All those thoughts were pushed aside as the misty atmosphere dawned over us again. The effect that kept us constantly in confusion spread across our vision with a sudden gust.

  “Atlas, look!”

  Veyra pointed ahead to a stone building, alone at the end of our path. Its frame slowly disappeared behind the veil of mist, only seconds from being consumed. It was a small structure, probably only one story high, with a single entrance at its centre. There was no signage, no door, not even a second material to make it up. The entire building seemed to be constructed from the same stone that the ruins and maze were made from.

  At that moment, it seemed like a saving grace. We pushed forward as the building closed behind the mist's effects. Right before it could completely disappear, I extended my Parasite skill and cleared our path through.

  (Just run!)

  As we entered the building, questions flooded my mind. Like, why exactly did Delta protect this place or if we’d regret getting there in the first place?

  Nevertheless, we gingerly walked through. I took the lead, with Hollow and Veyra cautiously approaching behind me. Their weapons were drawn, only a second from firing off or hacking away at the first thing that jumped out at us. It was safe to say we were still very much on edge.

  The inside was fairly bright. Light stones illuminated the room from their fittings along the ceiling. The dreary white stone that made up everything was covered in heavy scratches and deep cuts in nearly every corner. Torn pages and notes were littered across the floor, as if this place had been ransacked years before we got to it.

  Is it abandoned? I couldn’t believe the sight in front of me. This has to be a mistake, I thought the masked man was here… Then where is he?

  Hollow stayed at my side, quietly observing my reactions as he usually did. Occasionally, his hand would stray from the hilt of his sword and rifled through the pages across the room, but never too long.

  Veyra, on the other hand, was lost in her own world. Her attention was fixated on the opposite corner of the room, where a workbench held all sorts of gadgets and tools. She held a stone, no larger than her palm, that radiated a deep purple glow.

  I recognised the pattern and shape instantly. It was considerably smaller, but that glow was undoubtedly the same… It was the crystal Freya, and I found her trapped in it when we entered the dungeon.

  Veyra dropped the stone in a panic, and a small jolt of purple electricity streaked past her and smashed into the wall. She dropped it, frightened by the sudden spark, and took a second to catch her breath.

  The rattle of its hollow body echoed through the spacious room as it hit the workbench. Steam radiated from the cinged patch it left on the wall.

  (It’s the same stone you were trapped in, isn’t it?)

  “I think so…” Veyra’s hand hovered over the stone, too cautious to grab it directly this time. She pulled away, gritting her teeth the entire time. “If this is here, then he’s surely here too. Right?” She scanned over the room, as if waiting for him to jump out at any moment.

  My floating claw brushed past and caught an intricate web that had been strung over the legs of a chair. (I thought so too, but look around. Isn’t this place pretty deserted for a hideout? I doubt anyone's been here for a while.)

  It felt a little disappointing after everything we went through, but he really wasn’t there. Still, with the evidence around us, it was clear he had been there at one point.

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  (This looks like some kind of laboratory. See these notes? they look kind of like designs…But I can’t seem to figure out what they’re used for?)

  I gestured to the detailed sketches that covered one of the walls. The same designs were sprawled across most of the pages lying on the floor, half torn to shreds.

  I rummaged through the pages, curious about what the design was, and came across a symbol. It appeared on nearly all the drawings, only differing with slight details here and there. In fact, it looked pretty similar to the one on the crystal that Veyra was in when we found her.

  (Does this look familiar to you?)

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a magic symbol like that before. The elves don’t really use much magic outside out heritage, so I’m not sure I’d be much help in identifying it…” She narrowed her eyes on the pages, then pointed at the centre. “There are notes on this one, maybe it says something?”

  Splotches covered quite a bit of it, but after laying out the notes clearly, we managed to uncover the following words:

  […Core Conduit, d—sign 32.

  Power capacity is sufficient. Containment… unstable. The subject cannot be retained for long durations.

  St—tus: Failure.]

  ?

  Conduit? Is that what the crystal I found Veyra in was called? If so, then this must be the research notes for its design! It says it’s a failure, actually; most of these seem to have similar results. Wait, this one’s different!

  Crumbled into a ball was a set of designs, a lot less deteriorated than the previous notes.

  Conduit capable of handling full mana supply.

  However – area of effect continues – transform into a simulated dungeon.

  All unintelligent life within the field takes on the desired effect set by the creator.

  With minor adjustments, it may be possible to alter the intended host’s consciousness – automated state.

  Status: Failure.

  ?

  My eyes widened as I scanned over the page, then back at the replica conduit on the table.

  This is like the confession of an evil genius or something! All of this chaos. Holding Veyra captive in that mana-draining stone, alone in that dungeon… all of it was part of some failed test?! My claws unintentionally dug into the pages.

  Veyra’s hands squeezed over my grip. Her face delivered a warm look that was more concerned with me than the contents of the note.

  “Atlas, it’s okay.”

  (Veyra… This isn’t over. We’ll get this guy for sure, I promise you.) Anger seeped through my words. (I’m sure if we keep looking, we’ll find a hint to where he went–)

  The screeching cry of nails digging through stone erupted at the entrance. A lone figure entered, only half their body illuminated by the light stones inside. No, there was only half a person there!

  “D…d… you really th…nk you could …ill me?” The frail tone of her voice carried weakly across the room. The gash across her face left her with only half her jaw.

  Loose strands of ivory hair dangled over her single eye. A deathly glare pierced through, as torn flesh sewed back to its solid form.

  Delta…? I knew she didn’t die back there. Still, how can anyone survive those kinds of injuries? There’s no way she’s normal?!

  Her body was mangled to an unsightly state. Standing on a single leg, most of her frame was being kept together by bits of shredded flesh and frail roots that wrapped across her like clothes. Her inards dangled off the right side of her body, barely intact. Lines of green blood trickled down her limbs and open skull.

  “N..ody invited you here…” Her newly regenerated lips creased into a sly wriggle.

  She paced towards the workbench near the entrance and buried her remaining hand deep into her chest. The curve of her large chest was pried open, revealing a faint purple stone hidden under a web of green roots and flesh. It was a conduit, much rounder and faintly glowing.

  “Mas…ter! Gi… I won't… lose!” With a faint cry, she slammed the conduit from the workbench into her open chest. The green flesh wrapped over it, binding the two and allowing a powerful crackle of purple energy to surge across her body.

  Consumed under the overwhelming force, her body regenerated in a matter of seconds. Her face filled out along the sides where it was missing, and her frame followed suit. A new arm grew from her mangled shoulder, coated in red barbed spikes.

  Her slender waist was wrapped in rose petals as her naked form was replaced by a being that resembled the fury of nature. Four gleaming eyes sheared through the tiny slits that appeared over her face. Her ivory hair was replaced by rich purple strands. Her pale skin was coated purple with hardened armour, and not a trace of humanity left in her being.

  She slowly closed her fingers into a fist, enthralled with the sight of herself. As if to test her own might, she drove her fist through the wall and collapsed it with ease. It was then that her attention turned back to us, and the four eyes behind her helm burned with fury.

  “I’ve become perfect. Yes, my master will return shortly to retrieve his greatest creation. I must cleanse this place of unwanted pests.” Her arm aimed towards us, coated with a thick layer of mana, “All of you will die.”