Horin and Fay rode together on Grin, while Maria and Selûne shared one bird. The third pair, Elaruîn and Joan, rode on another, though Joan seemed disheartened not to be riding with Maria.

Overhead, both Horin's buzzard and Mirage followed from behind. In her medium-sized dragon form, Mirage carried Mira on her back. At times, the dragon girl would leave to grab a quick bite, vanishing for a few minutes before returning, clearly satisfied.

Mira, meanwhile, always seemed to be asleep during those times, as if Mirage didn't want her to witness the way she hunted and killed.

As for the riders, they kept close enough to hear one another without needing to shout.

"When do you think the hum's will start attacking, Teacher?" Fay asked, as Grin tried to match the pace of the two birds. It wasn't that Grin was slower, but that his larger size made it too easy for him to overtake them if he wasn't careful.

"A few weeks," Elaruîn replied. "That's how long I believe it'll take for them to regroup and find the courage to return to attack. Selka, the Mistwalker who I posted in your town will alert us when she sees them coming; that's her role now. We'll need to get organized before that.

The time we have is just enough to prepare for what we're planning..."

Elaruîn's gaze drifted toward the horizon. Not far ahead, aether crackled visibly. It was the exact spot the elf remembered, the dungeon's entrance.

It resembled a massive ant's nest, and they could already see movement: creatures coming out or trying to force their way in.

"Is that the dungeon?" Fay asked.

The creatures wandering outside of it looked mesmerized, lost in a daze, while those emerging from within moved slowly and mindlessly.

They seemed sluggish without an ounce of energy.

"Yes," Elaruîn confirmed. "It exerts a strong influence over the weak-minded. That's why we'll need to test everyone first. Anyone who falls under its effect won't be allowed to continue. Only those who remain unaffected may explore, and even then, only the first floor today. We can't risk anyone venturing too deep before they've grown accustomed to its influence."

As Elaruîn spoke, the surroundings gradually shifted from barren wastelands to the edge of the woodlands.

At least the area around the dungeon looked lush and inviting, almost like a trap meant to lure in nearby creatures.

Soon, Grin and the two birds came to a stop a few meters away. Elaruîn didn't want to bring them any closer, aware of the dungeon's dangerous influence, especially since the birds had only been lent to them.

Instead, he tied them to a nearby tree.

"Go on," he instructed. "Explore the path a little. Get used to what it feels like inside the dungeon."

Mira and Mirage remained further back. They were going to return with Elaruîn to the Eluwyn village to heal the remaining sick and begin preparations for relocating the world tree sapling.

Fay stepped forward toward the dungeon. Immediately, a hazy sensation clouded his thoughts, as if someone was whispering in his mind, urging him to come closer.

He didn't listen, though.

The boy suspected the sensation was caused by the dungeon itself, but thanks to his creatures attuned to the dream, illusion, and mind attributes, he was more resistant to its influence than a normal person.

The others weren't as fortunate.

Each showed clear signs of being drawn in by the entrance of the cave.

Joan was the weakest-willed. His green eyes grew unfocused, distant, until Fay gently patted his shoulder and brought him back.

The girls managed better. They shook their heads to clear the haze, slapped their cheeks, and pushed through. Horin went a step further, stretching her limbs deliberately, as if trying to stay awake after nearly falling into a deep trance.

"I think we can manage if we just have someone keeping an eye on the rest. But we need to be careful to stay together when we enter. No one is to leave each other's side,"

Selûne, already informed of what needed to be done by her grandfather, began to speak.

She seemed the most capable of leading them inside.

As for Fay, even though the dungeon's influence had nearly worn off for him, he still didn't know everything about its dangers. He chose to follow along cautiously.

Horin, who didn't like the girl, simply shrugged it off. She knew the trip would still benefit her.

Maria, on the other hand, hesitated, unsure if she should go.

"It'll be fine, kid," Elaruîn said, noticing her unease. "Just remember, your creature needs you to grow stronger, and you need this too. Will you continue to be a slave to the rotten destiny laid out before us, or will you face it head-on and rise above it?"

The elder elf's words seemed to stir something in her. She looked back at him, her expression change to that of resolution.

"Thanks, I needed to hear that…" Maria replied quietly. "No, I don't want to keep depending on others like I have been. I don't want to be seen as the weak-willed girl who lost her family… again."

No one knew her full background, but everyone was aware she had arrived alone. If Fay hadn't found her when he did, her life might have turned out very differently. She could have probably been forced to become someone's wife.

"Good. Then just keep moving, I am sure Fay will be able to handle that first floor with ease," Elaruîn said.

"Also remember, we're on a timer. The hums' invasion force could arrive at any moment," Fay urged, motioning for the group to move forward.

He looked back only once, to wave toward his little sister. She hadn't been allowed near the dungeon's influence and now waited with Mirage, who held her hand in her human form.

"Take good care of her, Mirage!" Fay called out one last time before heading deeper inside.

Only when the nearby creatures noticed demi-humans and humans approaching did they begin to stir. Some tried to flee; they were the stronger-willed ones, but Horin shot them down with ease.

As for those too entranced by the dungeon's spell, they were left alone. They weren't worth the effort, or so Selûne explained.

"What do we do with the bodies?" Fay asked, watching Horin kill five antelope-like beasts in quick succession.

"My grandfather said to feed them to the dungeon," she replied. "We must pay our respects if we're going to enter its walls. It may look like a cave, but it's alive… a breathing living entity."

Everyone nodded as Fay began loading the carcasses onto Grin's back for hauling.

"Don't worry, buddy," he said, giving his summoned beast a pat. "We'll find better food inside."

Still, Fay took a moment to examine each corpse using spirit vision. Even in death, the creatures' small crystals radiated colored light.

"Why do all the creatures here have cores?" he asked, surprised. "Are they the only ones attracted to the dungeon?"

"All living things, creatures, demi-humans, even hums are affected by the dungeon's influence," Elaruîn explained. "But creatures are more attuned. They're the first to sense and find these places."

As they finally reached the entrance, the cave seemed to exhale softly, like something inside was breathing.

"Does anyone feel strange?" Fay asked, his brow tightening. "I feel a little dizzy… but I think I can manage."

Joan spoke as he tried to keep up.

"Good, then we'll begin," Fay said. "Remember your positions, Joan to the left, Maria to the right, Horin in the center. Selûne will lead us, and I'll stay in the back, watching over the beasts and checking if everyone is doing alright."

Everyone took their place without complaint. Fay then summoned Jolt and Somni, intending to have his creatures actively hunt once inside.

With a few cautious steps, they began descending into the cave. From the outside, it had looked normal, but the inside felt like stepping into an entirely new world.

The group moved down a long, straight slope of stairs. On either side were deep, ominous pits, as if designed to catch the careless. The staircase itself seemed to float in midair, leading them downward toward a strange, glowing chamber.

The light above them followed their descent with a soft glow, almost as if the dungeon itself was watching… and welcoming them.

After nearly half a minute of descending, they reached the bottom and were met with a breathtaking sight.

An endless expanse stretched out before them, bathed in pale moonlight. There were trees, tall grass, and wide-open meadows.

Scattered throughout the field were countless creatures of all shapes and sizes, peacefully moving through the terrain.

"How is this even possible?" Fay called out, amazed. He bent down and plucked a few blades of grass, rubbing them between his fingers. Closing his eyes, he activated his spirit vision only to find the grass glowing faintly with aether, just like the cores of summoned beasts.

"Rich in aether… If people could eat this grass, I bet anyone could become a successful summoner."

He even brought the grass close to his mouth only for Selûne to stop him, grabbing his wrist.

"We mustn't harm the dungeon itself," she warned. "It will retaliate. And that grass? It becomes poisonous once you leave. The aether here that doesn't come from stones is dangerous for us outsiders. Eat the plants or fruits here, and you'll slowly become part of this place. So take care not to consume anything, however your creatures can since they aren't part of this world..."

Fay hurriedly let go of the grass, cleaning his hands on his pants.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.