I made my way through the forest, stopping at its edge and waiting for nightfall. I stepped into the field towards town just as I heard a familiar voice. “What the hell are you up to. Even with that concealment cloak, any Beastkin could smell you Zeal, as you have the most peculiar scent. I allowed you to remain hidden earlier, but now you must tell me what’s going on,” said Kiszo with her back to a tree no more than three meters behind me. Whelp, she has her silent feet back.

“I removed the hood of the cloak, and Kiszo came over and felt where my shoulders should have been. “A shifting cloak? Where did you get such an item?”

“From the dead Kobold who killed me.”

Kiszo’s hand froze over my arm. “Explain!”

So I did. I told her everything about the night Luin had been taken. I explained about the runes when she asked as well. When I told her my story, she seemed to deflate and sat with her back to the nearest tree. “This is going to upheave everything we’ve been working towards in town. If what you say is true, the only Kobolds who would dare go against the alpha’s word in public are those closest to him and on his orders.

I don’t know what to tell you, Zeal, or how I can help. If you confront the alpha and the town finds out not only did he have you killed but imprisoned someone against their will without them committing crimes, he will be executed by the laws laid down by our charter.

Who knows how many of the Kobolds will react violently to seeing their alpha dragged out in chains and beheaded. It could very well cause a massive fight within the community. What was your plan? Remember any Beastkin and possibly Kobold as well will smell you before they see you.”

“Not a very good plan, that’s for sure.” I sat next to her with my back against the same tree and looked up into the night sky. “Maybe I can tunnel my entire way there, take Luin back and leave without anyone noticing?”

“That may be possible if you can keep the vibrations to a minimum so they can’t sense them when you get close. I think you should speak with Horrow first. He might have a way to resolve this without bloodshed.”

“Without bloodshed, Kiszo?! They cut my fucking throat and tossed Luin like a rag doll before taking her against her will. If I find out the alpha gave the order, I will kill him. Even now, I can feel Luin close by. She is both happy and filled with rage right now. I don’t know what has happened to her, but I can’t let it continue.”

Kiszo sighed before speaking. “As is your right. If you can sense her, maybe you can use that to get close to take her away. Once she’s safe, return for your blood debt, no one would deny you that.” Kiszo got up and began walking towards the village. “If you decide on something a bit more peaceful, please come talk to Horrow. I will inform him of what has happened and prepare for the fallout.”

I sat there for a while, looking up at the planet in the distance and the even farther out red and blue ring around the planets. Suppose I tried things peacefully, what was stopping them from killing her and burying her to hide the evidence. I wasn’t going to wait a year for her to return. No, I would sneak in and rescue her myself, then claim my blood debt. Wait. What is a blood debt? I should have asked her to clarify that for me.

It took me a while to get the construct down of hollowing out the earth. I had a slanted hole going down into the earth at a twenty-five-degree angle. Reaching about ten meters down, I began to tunnel forward. Each spell took the soil and stone in a three-meter-wide cylinder by ten meters long and compacted itself into the surrounding soil. I was effectively making a perfect tunnel while reinforcing its sides. I would then toss a dull light orb at the ceiling so I could see.

I concentrated on the emotions coming off Luin and slowly made my way towards them, shifting the tunnel every hundred meters. “You know, you could make a decent amount of money-making sewers systems for the bigger cities like this,” came from behind me.

I spun around, an Ice Lance forming in my hand and at the ready. Behind me stood one of the oddest-looking creatures I’ve seen in this world yet. It wore a dark blue robe covering its shoulders and down to the ground. His head had the shape of a salamander but was a dull whitish pink. Around his head were six bright pink-looking plant-looking antennae that waved through the air as if a water or air current had been going through them. It stood there examining the walls of my tunnel. His hand, the same dull white pink as his head, was on the tunnel’s wall.

“Sorry if I startled you. I was nearby studying the mana explosion that happened here a couple of years ago when I felt a large surge of mana a few hours ago. Then just now, I felt mana spike after mana spike coming from this direction. Found the hole and had to find out who could use that much mana back to back. Lo and behold, I find you. A Classless, who is of a race I’ve never met before, with perfect Mana veins going through his body.” He closed his eyes, and the bright pink plants on his head began to wave a bit faster.

I let my mana in my lance disperse and melt away. “Excuse me, but who and what are you?”

He opened his perfectly round black eyes and stared at me for a moment. “Ah, sorry. I forget my social norms. I’m Lastaf, and I’m of the race, Axoli. We're a Mana-sensitive species which are almost always quite inquisitive. Most of us spend our time traveling and trying to uncover the secrets of this world, like the mana explosion to the south two years ago.

Enough mana surged into the atmosphere that it created a storm that surrounded the area for almost a year and a half. It also had a nasty side effect of strengthening two Mana Storms that came close to the area.

You wouldn’t happen to know anything about it, would you? Hmmm.”

“No idea, I’m afraid. I’m Zeal, an Elefvian,” I said as I gave him a half bow, keeping an eye on him.

“Well met, Zeal. I’d like to watch as you work if you don’t mind. It’s a fascinating technique you’ve created, If I may say.”

“I don’t want to be rude, but I’m in the middle of something that may lead to combat.”

Lastaf shook out his hands, and a shimmery deep blue armor coalesced around his body. A helmet covered his head, and a bright pink fern-like antenna pointed out from it. He was holding a sword and shield in the same dark blue. Don’t worry about this old Axoli. I can defend myself.

I didn’t think I’d get anywhere with him, and If he wanted to meddle with the Kobold, so be it. I turned around, not feeling any threat coming from the odd-shaped man. I felt for Luin and adjusted the next tunnel to go down a meter while going forward ten. I created another couple of tunnels before my tunnel intersected with a Kobold’s tunnel.

I looked back to see the Axoli standing ready, staring forward. I shook my head and looked both ways of the Kobold’s tunnel and found no one. I focused again on Luin and could feel her no more than a handful of meters in front of me. Again I made another tunnel, half the size of the last, and when I could see into the next room, my blood began to boil.

On the far wall, a much bigger Luin was chained to the ceiling with her hands over her head. A Kobold to her side, yelling at her to give up, before punching her in the stomach. As soon as the ice lance formed in my hand, a bolt of pink rushed past my head and slammed into the Kobold’s head, painting the cave wall behind him. I dropped my lance and ran forward. “Luin, I’m here, I’m here. Oh god, what have they been doing to you?”

She looked up at me with a happy expression, no words coming out. I stood up and looked at her blood-crusted and cuffed hands. I looked around for a key, even searching the dead Kobold. I heard a click from behind me to find Lastaf holding a now sleeping Luin suspended in the air. “A noble rescue, and to think I thought my adventuring days were behind me. Is there someplace you would like to take our damsel to while you finish what’s currently on your mind?”

“You know what I’m thinking?”

“Oh quite, your bloodrage is seething out of your pores, lad. I do not want to witness what is yet to come, so I will take her and bring her to safety to be healed. Do you have such a place in mind, Zeal?”

“Please take her into town, and find Horrow the chief. I’m sure he and my friend Kiszo can protect her. Thank you, Lastaf. I’m in your debt.

“I know, Horrow. It shall be done. Take care, Zeal. Do not let that blood mana alter your mind.” With that, the blue-clad Axoli and Luin zipped down the tunnel I had made and disappeared into its darkness.

I walked out the door to find two sleeping guards sitting on chairs. I used their cores to recharge.

[ System Notification ]

Two Rank E Jade Cores has given 16 Energy

4 Energy converted to 40 Mana

Cardiovascular System: 138/200

Luin’s prison’s door was the last of many doors down a long tunnel. I looked into the next cell to find it empty but found two young female Kobolds behind the last two doors in the same position Luin had been in.

I found the keys and unlocked their cells. I found the first of the two dead. She had bitten her tongue off and bled to death. The second female Kobold was in better condition and could speak. I retrieved food and water from my bag and allowed her to regain some strength.

She explained the alpha had wanted her, but she refused. He had her tossed in here for his enjoyment. I felt my skin grow hot as my rage grew. When I knew she could walk, I told her about my tunnel and to leave and find Horrow or Kiszo to explain what had happened to her.

As she left, I turned to the main door leading out of this hell of a pleasure prison. I began walking down the next tunnel and met a surprised Kobold heading towards that hell. He spun around and began to run, but his core hitting the tunnel’s bottom was the only noise he was able to make.

[ System Notification ]

Rank C Jade Core has given 16 Energy

5 Energy converted to 50 Mana

Cardiovascular System: 149/200

The tunnel held no other Kobolds until I walked into a large room. It held two rows of beds, one on each side of the room’s walls. Upon each of these beds lay a sleeping Kobold. I ended their lives one by one with a sword I found lying on a table, cutting their throat just as I had mine cut. My rage grew as I killed each in their sleep. The four cores getting me ever closer to my next goal.

[ System Notification ]

Three Rank E Jade Cores has given 24 Energy

Rank D Jade Core has given 12 Energy

Cardiovascular System: 185/200

I slowly opened the door to find a large stone object blocking my path. Looking to the side and found I could walk to the ether side of the large stone. I glanced around and smiled as I recognized the throne room belonging to the alpha.

This must be his throne in front of me. I was about to peek around before I heard the alpha’s voice coming from the other side of the throne. “How has the twin priestess’s growth improved with the core-infused water? Any progress with the bonding magic? If you can’t figure it out soon, I will find a new priest!”

That’s all I wanted to hear. I stepped back into the barracks and summoned my blue Fireball. As the throne in front of me exploded into countless shards of stone, I caught the eyes of a very surprised alpha on the other side of the room. He had not been on or in front of the throne as I had hoped. I summoned an Ice Lance and ran towards the bastard.