*bang* *bang*

“What are you doing knocking on my door so late for?!” Noelani opened her door to see Gan outside of her room.

“Someone saw Fabian and his team leave the campsite!” he answered.

Noelani put on a surprised look and quickly took her things to go out.

Noelani and Gan quickly reached a gathering of camp members talking to each other.

“Noelani you’re here! Let’s compose a team and go get them back.” It was Gideon that said it.

“Why should we? They left on their own volition, why should we risk getting them back? They won’t even listen to us. Besides, they have Fabian on their team, even if they get swarmed by over a dozen corruption shadows, they will be fine.” Simone was the one to reply.

“Even with Fabian, it is still dangerous! The corruption shadows not only improve their strength but also their speed during midnight. If they get swarmed, then some might perish.” Gideon rebutted.

“That’s enough, we can’t keep taking care of them and putting ourselves in danger. If they want to go then let them. But…” Noelani said and paused.

“Adam stole the camp’s innate orb, which I can’t forgive. The camp’s innate orbs are keeping us all safe and are vital for our survival, I will go get them by myself.” Noelani continued.

“What?! No way you’re going alone! We’re coming with you.” Her team began to protest.

“No! You should all know of my water skip skill, I can move faster on my own and if I were to take you guys with me, then I would not be able to escape if need be,” Noelani said.

Everyone tried to convince her but had no success.

It did not take long for Noelani to get an innate orb and leave in the direction of the dungeon, it was obvious that Fabian, who vehemently been asking for skill orbs, would go there right now.

***

*bang* *slam* *bang*

Adam was holding his own Innate orb in the center of a moving purification dome.

Inside of the dome was the rest of his team members, all of them were looking at Fabian going crazy on corruption shadows that keep appearing every now and then.

Because the team was moving in a purification dome, Adam was able to see for the first time how the shadows were created from the dark miasma, the miasma would gather and form a small tornado that will slowly turn into a corrupt shadow.

Also, Because Fabian was killing so many shadows so quickly that the dark miasma, which would thin each time a new shadow would spawn, would quickly replenish from further areas. This caused a swirling wall of miasma surrounding the purification dome.

‘He’s gotten stronger since the last time I saw him fight.’ Adam thought about Fabian.

Fabian’s pace of killing shadows was faster than all the other team members combined.

Fabian would destroy the shadows, without using any weapon and just his bare hands. Fabian has obviously realized his skin’s strong defenses and is taking advantage of it in the fights.

Adam even saw a smile on his face.

***

In front of Fabian, a new corruption shadow was just formed outside of the purification dome, he went and crushed its head with a powerful punch.

He took the shadow stone and paused to think with a smile.

‘This feels too good. I should have entered the miasma during midnight a long time ago, every time I come in touch with this condensed dark miasma, it feels like I have endless power.’ Fabian thought.

There was a momentary pause in his mind, he could tell that the ooze on his stomach was expanding. But something inside him suppressed this worry quickly.

‘It does not matter! If I can get a few more skill orbs and take over the camp with force then I don’t have to worry about trivial matters and can wield this power much more freely!’ It was as though he was bewitching himself towards this power and ignoring the consequences.

He walked back into the purification dome, he frowned, he noticed that it is becoming more and more uncomfortable to be in a purification dome.

“Speed up your pace!” Fabian angrily shouted with a hoarser voice than his usual one.

“But the dungeon entrance is not in this direction!” someone said.

*Bang*

“Ugh!”

“You moron! If we go to the normal dungeon entrance, then we’ll be found, if the camp sent a team after us. We’ll go to the second entrance I found!” Fabian punched the person that spoke and yelled out.

The man was on the floor, clenching his stomach, and didn’t reply.

Adam had a frown on his face, Fabian has cared less and less about the other team’s thoughts.

But no one said anything and just kept moving along.

Soon the team reached a large hole in the ground, it was surrounded by large boulders which made it difficult to notice the whole.

Adam’s purification dome has increased in size after absorbing all the stones gained from the constant fighting during the journey, this will ensure the team will stay enveloped in the dome even when entering the dungeon.

“let’s go!” Fabian said and jumped down the dark hole.

The other team members followed along.

***

*pop* *pop*

Each time Noelani took a step, she would be propelled forward further, there would also be a pop sound coming from her feat.

It was her skill she got, water skip, that lets her move much faster.

Noelani did not try killing any of the corruption shadows unlike Fabian’s team, which was facing much more resistance than her.

But, if one of the camp members were to see her now, they would notice something odd.

Noelani took an innate orb with her, but what was strange was the purification dome was much brighter than normal, even compared to the brightness when the camp was first subordinating multiple innate orbs.

There was also another weird thing happening, the dome was getting even brighter, but by a small pace.

Noelani looked at the purification dome and smiled.

Her thoughts were cut short once she reached the dungeon entrance, it’s the one she usually uses with her team.

“It seems they did not enter through here.” Noelani and her team set up a few mechanisms that could indicate if someone entered the dungeon.

She doubted that Fabian or his team could notice and avoid these mechanisms.

Noelani paused for a short moment in contemplation and then moved in a different direction.