Chapter 18

Long and Winding Road

Janus had spent his entire life under the ground. But Crow Station’s open cavern was a different story compared to the delver tunnels. It was almost suffocating to be in such a small area, knowing that the only exits were hours and hours away.

He knew that it would only get worse as he traveled onward. Attempting to sleep the night before had nearly been an exercise in futility. Janus simply couldn’t shake the thoughts of monsters roaming the tunnels and waking him as he slumbered.

It was really a lack of security that bothered him the most. Never knowing if he was truly safe. The tunnels were inscrutable as always, extending off to what could be infinity, the ends too far for Janus’ eyes to make out.

Aches and pains still tore at his body, but his HP was relatively high. It was a minor comfort in a world of discomfort, though. If there was a single good thing about the tunnel, it was that it hadn’t collapsed. That was perhaps his greatest fear. The tunnel collapsing behind him, cutting off his escape.

He had read stories about delvers who got stranded in dungeons or tunnels, separated from any earth manipulators that could save them. The thought bounced around in Janus’ mind, refusing to leave.

The tunnel was so uniform; it was difficult for Janus to estimate how far he had gone. The map listed very few landmarks, most of which were caverns and intersections.

The [Torchstones] drenched everything in a clinical white light. Janus had tried to pry them from the metal supports, but only bloodied his fingers in doing so. However they had been attached, it was very secure. He still had his own [Torchstone] in his robe, but more would always be helpful.

He eyed the metal supports and wondered how they were made.

It was a sobering thought, to think of the men and women who dug these tunnels. The process would have been much slower than simply walking through them. Lengths of tunnel that Janus had already traveled must have taken weeks to dig out, even with an earth manipulator. The vibrations from disturbing the earth attracted monsters, and the digging teams often had to fight them off to continue digging.

Pulling the pack off of his shoulders, Janus sat down. He took a sip from a bottle of water and nibbled on bits of bread.

I should have brought more water.

He was worried that he simply didn’t have enough supplies to reach Bear Station. It would be a horrible twist of fate if he made it close, only to die of thirst near the finish line.

Better to not think about such things.

Shouldering his pack, Janus stood and began walking again. His legs were weary, but the sooner he moved, the sooner he returned to civilization.

To pass the time, Janus used [Spell Weaving] and played with mana. The exercise calmed him, reminding him of the hours spent in his room doing the same thing. It was familiar and comforting, unlike the tunnels surrounding him. He refrained from doing anything too complex. The drain on his mana could spell his doom.

He idly browsed through his status, taking note of what had improved.

Status Name Janus Alamy Class Enhancer Level 23 Guild None Life 486 Max Life 486 Mana 607 Max Mana 698 Stamina 539 Max Stam 539 Stat Total Base Class Skill Item Strength 46 23 0 23 0 Endurance 39 23 0 16 0 Dexterity 24 23 0 1 0 Intelligence 115 23 46 46 0 Wisdom 92 23 23 41 5 Skill Level Bonus Bravery 3 5 Wis / Lvl Writing 8 1 Wis / 5 Lvl Sprinting 7 1 End / 5 Lvl Spell Weaving 3 20 Int/Wis + 1 Int, 1 Wis / Lvl Pow. Enhancement 3 20 Int/Str + 1 Int, 1 Str / Lvl Mana Reinforcement 15 1 End / Lvl Mana Burn 10 1 Wis / 5 Lvl Staff Fighter 1 1 Dex / Lvl Empty --- --- Empty --- ---

It was a bittersweet feeling to know he was capable. That he was truly a delver in all but name at this point. Perhaps he would have been more excited before Crow Station had been attacked. Knowing that he would likely never see the familiar faces of his neighbors or his friends shook him more than he thought it would.

The only death Janus ever had to confront was his own mother’s. But that had happened when he was still too young to process what it had even meant. Now, all he had was time. Time to think about what had happened.

His eyes were unfocused as he walked rhythmically forward. He almost didn’t spot the strange, squat figure in the distance. It was moving quickly towards Janus as he identified it.

[Armored Molehound - Level 30]

Janus was already constructing replica arrow point array pointed down the tunnel. The creature had come close enough to examine. Wicked claws sprouted from its brown feet, clacking on the ground as it ran. It’s face was that of a mole and a shell sprouted from the top of its head, running along its back.

The replica arrow points began firing mana arrows and in response, the creature hopped into the air. It twisted and rolled so that the shell on its back deflected the projectiles.

Janus already had his quarterstaff in hand as it barreled through his replica arrow point arrays, causing them to dissipate. He slapped at the creature with the staff, and it simply bounced off of its powerful shell.

He was keeping it at a distance, but wasn’t sure how long until the monster would push past his attempts to brain it with the quarterstaff. A mana marble would likely finish it off, but from this distance Janus wasn’t sure if he would hurt himself with the blast. Not to mention that it could cause a cave in.

Instead of a mana marble, he began pushing as much mana into the creature as he could. Like the beasts in Crow Station, it didn’t seem to do anything. Running low on options, Janus began backpedaling.

He formed two sheets of mana on either side of the molehounds head, reinforcing them so that they became solid. While he was doing this, he prepared his quarterstaff. As soon as the mana materialized, he swung down. The creature attempted to dodge out of the way, but found that the mana panes trapped its head, holding it in position.

His quarterstaff swung down with a crack! The monster seemed to be dazed, but quickly shook it off. Janus took the small moment of reprieve to compress mana below the molehound. He released the mana, and it surged outward, throwing the creature off of its feet.

Quickly forming a replica arrow point array below the monster, he aimed it upwards. The projectiles soon followed and pierced through the molehound’s soft underbelly while it was still in the air. The entire sequence had happened in less than a second.

[You have defeated an enemy: Armored Molehound]

[Your Spell Weaving skill has gained 1 level]

[Your Mana Reinforcement skill has gained 1 level]

[Your Staff Fighter skill has gained 1 level]

Janus wasn’t sure if fighting monsters was getting easier for him. Obviously, his levels and skills had gone up, but the fear didn’t seem to be as strong. Maybe his [Bravery] skill was interfering with his better judgment.

And it gives me wisdom, too. You would think I would be wiser.

Shoving the molehounds corpse to the side, he contemplated if he should try to take some of the meat. He had seen the lady down the street, Emily, slaughter animals before. Janus was sure that the food in his pack would last him, though, and left the corpse behind.

Not staying focused could get him killed, but it was very difficult to not day dream. He pretended like the [Torchstones] ahead were the lights from the rail-line, zipping by outside the sub-train window. In his mind, he was simply on his way to class. Bear Station would be just around the corner.

A cave intersecting with the tunnel broke him from his fantasy and he checked his map. It marked the cave and indicated that he should follow it for an unknown distance until it intersected with another tunnel. He looked forlornly at the [Torchstones] in the tunnel behind him and took out his own from within his robe.

Stepping into the cave, he raised the light high in the air. The ground here was treacherous. It was jagged and uneven, unlike the perfectly flattened ground of the tunnel he had just left.

The darkness affected him more than he thought it would. When he was In the tunnel, the only limit to his vision was distance. Here, though, he could barely make out anything that fell outside the light of his [Torchstone]. The cave walls were ominous and chaotic. Occasionally, an outcropping of stone appeared to be some sort of foe in the gloom.

Janus was on edge throughout the entire cave, prepared to fight at a moment’s notice. He let out a quick sigh of relief as he finally spotted the tunnel ahead. It was an older tunnel, without the supports and lighting of the previous one. Janus was just glad to be on even ground again. The last thing he needed was a broken ankle.

The drudgery of his travel quickly resumed, but he was growing tired. He knew that he would have to sleep eventually, but the dark tunnel did not present itself as a comforting option.

Bringing his light close, he examined the map. There did not seem to be any indication for whether or not a tunnel was lit. He noted that a small cavern was coming up. Perhaps he could seek shelter behind some stone formations.

Again, he wasn’t certain exactly how far away the cavern was. Whoever had drawn the map had neglected to actually define the distance between anything. The parchment was already cramped with lines and shapes. Maybe they simply did not have enough room left to include the measurements.

He began to practice his [Spell Weaving] again, pushing the mana around him outward. He could feel when the mana collided with the tunnel walls. It was a strange sensation. If he kept the mana diffuse in the air around him, it was almost like he could make out his direct surroundings.

Curious, Janus closed his eyes. He sensed where the mana flowed, where it pooled, and where it dispersed. The felt the mana conform to the shape of the tunnel. It was a fuzzy perception, but he placed his hand where he expected the tunnel wall to be. Lo-and-behold, his hand brushed against the stone.

There is so much that I still don’t understand.

The discovery was a little reassuring, especially in the darkness. He could not sense very far using mana, but at least it would be harder for something to sneak up on him.

-

Janus squinted his eyes, looking ahead. He shoved his [Torchstone] into his pocket. Sure enough, there was some light coming from down the tunnel. He decided to keep his own light stowed for now. If there were something down there, it was possible they hadn’t seen Janus’ own [Torchstone].

Walking slowly and deliberately, Janus crept forward. The light was coming from an opening in the tunnel, towards the left. It was likely the cavern that Janus had seen on the map earlier. He continued onward until he was nearly at the cavern. He slowly pushed his head into the cavern.

There was a grizzled-looking man with long, wild hair eating something. A [Torchstone] sat in front of him, on the ground.

Janus quickly pulled his head back, unsure of what to do. The best option would be to simply continue onward, through the cavern, ignoring the man. Janus had resolved to do just that and stepped forward into the cavern. He had nearly reached the bottom when his foot collided with a loose stone. It tumbled down, bumping and cracking as it did.

“Who’s there!” Janus heard the man shout.

Light swung around, revealing Janus in his attempt to skulk through the cavern.

“Who are you? stay back!” The wild-haired man shouted.

His clothes were a patchwork beneath his matted head of brown hair. Strangely enough, the pack at his side looked brand new.

“I’m just passing through.” Janus said, raising his arms. “Are you from Crow Station?”

The man eyed him warily. “No. I’m from no station at all.”

A vagabond?

“I, uh, I mean you no harm” Janus said, identifying the man.

[Hermit - Level 32]

Hermit is a class? I’ve never heard of it.

The man simply stood there, staring at Janus. All at once, the tension seemed to leave the man’s body.

“My name’s Lenny.” He said.

“Janus.” Janus replied.