Chapter 30: No More Sleep

“Huu…I really thought I was going to die this time... Eurval comfort me, tell me nice things. ” I could feel tears welling up as I fell on the floor squeezing myself into the fetal position.

[Lucid…]

Lustrating with Eugene’s materials…

If my first time using my own pills hadn’t prepared me I would have gone into a full-blown panic when I downed the blue vial.

They were at a brightness so powerful it dyed my room a sky blue, it should have served as a warning. Not even the stuff Eugene gave me in the vineyard sub-floor made me feel this way.

It reminded me of the dungeon entrance appearance the moment I opened the pretty box containing the vials.

Poor fool, if only you knew…

I thought back to my poor self smiling so innocently as I peeked into the shining box as if it were filled with chocolates to try.

[Alright… There, there Lucid. Think about the gains you’ve obtained from it. They must be great considering the state it left you in~]

“T-that’s true…” I loosened the tight hug I had on my knees.

That tiny little vial stuffed me full of mana the moment the blue liquid touched my tongue. However, it just kept filling, and filling, and filling. I felt like there was no end…

I felt I was going to explode like an azure firework made to coat the room in bright blue guts.

The stuffing lasted so long I had time to ask Eugene if this was dangerous in any way.

It isn’t.

Maybe death would have been preferable to the pain that came after it finished jamming me past full.

[Lucid really come on…]

Obviously not, but then maybe yes…

I couldn’t enter my mana body’s until I passed out from pain and fear.

Well, on the positive side while I shuddered in pain inside my mana body, my flame friend danced like never before growing higher and this time wider too.

So, thinking about that helped calm me while I had floated in the same fetal position inside the fire.

The way is dances is so adorable. It’s entrancing like a watching log campfire, but cute because it moves with intention.

“Maybe it won’t be so bad tomorrow…”

[There you go Lucid. I’m sure it can’t get any worse than this first time.]

“Y-yeah no way!”

I smiled finally sitting up.

On another note, my magic studies have really slowed down. Everything is becoming difficult to grasp, now midway into joining together magic circles, I feel a tutor might be necessary. I realized this in the hour or so I took while my mana recharged after I had essence trained.

At some point, I won’t understand it until I see someone slowly do it.

I’m not even sure if I’m understanding as of right now,

I’m starting to get why the spearbow barely sold. I might be spreading myself too thin. Maybe Runter isn’t too comfortable in both magic and his sword essence art, which is why he was only using his swords when I saw him.

[That would be nice to think, but he might have not wanted to show his entire hand to Mei, Lucid.]

True.

Bow, Spear, Magic…

Should I drop one?

I thought about it for a moment but couldn’t make any decision.

It’s still too early to say. I’ll see how I feel once I finish the first book of Mischief Rainer.

So far it seems to be going well with just my bow art and the basics of magic, but I feel a close combat art might be better in a general sense.

Mages are special since they can be anywhere they wish to be so long as they have developed the correct magic for the position they want.

[For now, I think it best to continue as you are.]

I agreed there was no point in switching now this would be a conversation saved for after I get out.

Getting out… that’s the questions I’m sure many on the cave floor want to know also.

Thinking about it now, is there anything on the current progress of the dungeons conquering Eurval?

[There isn’t anything publicly, but Rook has a report about Laurent entering the 17th passageway on the southern end, is that fine Lucid?]

I was a bit surprised, nothing?

The big players are probably keeping anything they know to themselves.

Just Rook’s is fine.

Text boxes began to appear along with a small rendering of a forested mountain range I had never seen. It must be what they had explored so far.

[Location: Tole Forest Dungeon – Main Cave Floor – S17P

Status: Priority - High (All Available Hands)

Description: Confirmed passageway taken by Laurent and his party Scale’s Saints. Scout’s recording shows the entrance-exit stands on the side of a massive dungeon floor of forested mountains. Entrance is right above a dense cloud layer on the side of one of the smaller mountains.

Curses: Thick mist that passes in the morning of the simulated cycle of day and night causes instant sleep if not prepared. Strongly affect any stage lower than Noble Apostle. If not awoken there is a high risk of falling into the unknown depth below the clouds or death by a passing hyre. Can be removed or prevented with clarity spells, items, or potions.

Mental Magic: Strong mental magic appears when near edges or looking down into the clouds. Causes one to want to jump off into the unknown depth below. Can be removed or prevented with clarity spells, items, or potions.

Special Tasks: Researching the unknown depths below or climbing the massive mountains. Largest seems to reach heights greater than one hundred miles, end unknown other cloud layers block view of the peak.

Notes: This passageway has a paired exit that leads back into the Main Cave. Passageway to the next floor has not been found and is currently being searched for. Scouts believe Scale’s Saints head downward, but they used cloaking magic midway. Please note this could have been a distraction and Scale’s Saints may have head back up.

Dungeon strategist has personally scouted and studied the area with his assigned team. Found various Class One A to B ranked hyres. Strategist believes this is a strong indication of a possible route towards the Dungeon’s Keeper. Strategist noted the similar trees found in the Tole Forest on the dungeon floor mountainside as another possible indicator.

Divination art users have been tasked to pour resources into this passageway. Currently, all divinations have proved to return inconclusive results.

Current senior divination art users have confirmed the southern end of the cave floor is tied to the dungeon’s keeper. They believe Laurent’s divination user Yila has a special item tied to the previous Tole Forest Dungeon appearance to use in her divination.

Aruc Rook as given the green light to pour all available resources into this assignment.

Return passageway is a thirty-mile climb east of the entrance with the entrance being north it is inside a small cave.

Confirmed parties that have followed Laurent are Blood Claw(Crimson Claw’s), Twelve Heavenly Shadows(Unknown), Dead Log(Unknown), and Shallow Knights(Unknown).

END OF REPORT]

Hmm.

I wonder what kind of party Aruc sent out behind Laurent and Crimson Claw.

I didn’t have access to many parts of the database with specific information, but that type of information wasn’t crucial, for me at least.

I’ll just ask Eugene later.

It now made sense why none of it came from local online sources. It seems this information can only be obtained by the strongest. For an entity like Rook Pharmaceutical it was worth even more to keep it for themselves.

It was interesting, but I couldn’t do anything with it. I wasn’t going to go behind Eugene’s back and sell it either. It was just nice knowing the current progression of the ones that could actually do something about this.

That didn’t mean I could wait idly. I had to make sure I had the strength to survive in the meantime.

Feeling much better now I took out the sleep replacement pill and jumped on the bed.

Now, time for what my other friend has been waiting for.

[Lucid: I’m going to sleep now come do your tests.]

[Eugene: Coming.]

The reply was instant.

I swear a breath’s time hadn’t passed by the time Eugene appeared at my door.

“You said it is your time of rest now?” Eugene seemed excited causing me to worry.

In his floating around him where various machines I didn’t know the purpose of.

“Time of rest…do people actually speak like that? Yeah, I’ll be going to sleep with the pill so you should have a good half-hour to an hour.”

The pill itself replaces a full nights rest to just 15 or so minutes, it is getting to sleep the actually takes the longest. Apparently, the effects are diminished if I paired it with magic or other medicine that helps make me fall asleep faster.

I had already resigned myself and was laying on the fluffy bed when I messaged Eugene. Like the medics and doctors I had seen in front of Rook’s clinic Eugene began setting up similar floating machines all around the bed.

Now up close, I could hear that each one had their own hums and beeps as he turned them on. Luckily, these didn’t need physical contact and just seem to be scanning over me.

Maybe they were a more advanced version of what the clinic had.

My thoughts drifted around, I had swallowed the pill long ago and was now just waiting for the sandman to pay his visit.

“I’m starting the data logging, it isn’t going to hurt okay? Just allow it to happen.”

Just as I was about to sleep Eugene spoke in an extremely suspect manner causing me to awaken a little. I wanted to retort, but, now that I had finished all my tasks for the day, I realized how exhausted I am and didn’t have the energy.

These sheets really are the best…

“Oohhh.” I couldn’t help but let out.

A warmness spread throughout my right arm. I creaked open my eyes and saw Eugene’s hands pulsating with blue colored mana. It looked similar to what he had used on me at the academy but a few levels more advanced.

It’s like a deep tissue massage, I won’t lie and say it doesn’t feel great. Because it absolutely does. The only off-putting part about this was Eugene was in full medical scrubs and a face mask too.

Please don’t tell me the whole thing was a farce and my organs will be parting from me soon…

Eurval said something, but it passed through me and I couldn’t recall as I quickly fell asleep.

***

[Time to wake up!]

Just those words alone where enough to make my eyes shoot open. However, waking up this time didn’t feel bad at all. Unlike my time at the academy, I actually felt as if I got a full nights rest.

[You did have a full nights rest Lucid.]

Incredible.

A little under an hour had gone by. Yet, I felt as if I slept in.

Are there really no effects from using this?

[None have been documented since its creation Lucid.]

Huh.

I looked around the concrete room unsure how to feel about all the extra time I now have. Sitting in a daze I took a good look around the room.

Coming through the tiny window I could feel a soft light from the flowing magma outside flutter in, it seemed to have become even more golden in color. The light seemed to have replaced all the machines that had been spread throughout the room making it feel as if it was just a dream.

Yes, it was all a dream.

[Why, weren’t you enjoying it? Didn’t you say it felt like a massage Lucid.]

Shhh.

I got up from the bed and looked out to the buzzing pop-up city of mismatched buildings. This place is starting to look like its stuck in permanent dusk.

The shantytown was rather pretty and weirdly charming under this light. From the third floor, I could also see the black hole towards the south. The deeper parts of the cave where the magma is being diverted is apparently just a vertical drop off to an unknown depth.

Rested, I got up from the bed and walked downstairs to get something to eat.

Out of courtesy to Eurval for last night’s embarrassment, I was holding back gunning it downstairs and ransacking Eugene’s kitchen for food to satiate my incredible hunger. It always comes every time I essence train and lustrate, but this time it felt particularly bad.

While munching on some saltines I still had taken from the vineyard subfloor I head into the kitchen.

Is it because the mana infused inside of it that it seems to fill my hunger faster than regular food. I wondered while I opened the fridge door.

Barren…

“What the hell? Where is all the food?”

I moved from the fridge to the cabinets and then the small pantry.

There was nothing…

Absolutely nothing. Not a single item of food.

I had been curious about tasting the super expensive foods for the rich of this world.

I sighed and took out two loaves of bread.

Anything I could get my hands on I took from that farmhouse. Milk, butter, cheeses, canned foods. The teaware too.

Besides food, there weren’t any pots or pans to cook with either so I used my own kettle to boil water for my clacka root tea.

Finished preparing my breakfast, which was just slicing the loaves, I began to eat. With a little fire and wind magic, I began to toast the slices of bread spread on the table.

“NOOOOO!”

I had burned one side of all the pieces of toast…

I picked one up and stared at the piece of slightly burnt toast.

I was too hungry to scrape it off so I threw some peanut butter before I stuffed it in my mouth. There was no wasting. Especially now that Eugene might be some kind of voracious eater.

Adjusting to the faster cooking time I was able to cook the second set of sliced bread perfectly.

I scarfed down the entire two loaves while chugging an entire kettle of clacka root tea with a little milk.

With a final gulp, I stood up and head for the door. Today marks the day I become a working man in this world. I was off to the job posting Eurval had recommended.

[I think some people might be attracted to your appearance, maybe ones with a motherly instinct, Lucid? Those might be the ones with the deep pockets also.]

The other job…

As I passed by I could see Eugene sitting at his desk swiping and typing in the air.

“I’m off to go reinforce the levee’s I’ll be back later.”

Eugene waved his hand at me while typing with the other without moving his head.