Chapter 24: The Library's Secret
The old library building loomed before them, its once grand entrance now a gaping maw of twisted metal and shattered glass. A faint, ethereal glow pulsed from deep within its crumbling structure, a beacon of the Tier 2 Mana Crystal Kaelen's Mana Sense had detected. The air here was thicker, charged with a subtle energy that made the hairs on their arms stand on end.
"Alright, team," Kaelen said, his voice cutting through the tense silence. "Ethan, you know this building. What's the safest way in?"
Ethan swallowed hard, his eyes scanning the dilapidated facade. "The main entrance is too unstable. There's a service tunnel entrance on the west side, usually used for deliveries. It might be less collapsed, but it'll be dark."
"Dark is fine," Kaelen replied, already moving towards the indicated direction. "Layla, Caleb, keep alert. Emily, stick close. We're looking for that crystal. And anything else useful."
They navigated the debris-strewn exterior, the silence broken only by the crunch of their boots and the distant, unsettling creaks of the university. Ethan led them to a partially hidden, overgrown entrance. The metal door was warped and jammed, but with a combined effort from Kaelen and Caleb, it slowly groaned open, revealing a pitch-black tunnel.
Kaelen activated his Dimensional Vision, the world around him shifting into a monochrome landscape of mana signatures and structural outlines. He saw the faint mana trails of rats scurrying away, and the stable, powerful glow of the Tier 2 crystal deep below.
"It's clear for now," Kaelen confirmed. "Ethan, lead the way. Stick to the walls, everyone."
The tunnel was narrow and claustrophobic, the air stale and heavy. The only light came from Kaelen's subtle mana glow and the small flashlights they carried. As they descended deeper, the hum of mana grew stronger, resonating within their very bones.
"This tunnel leads directly to the basement storage area, beneath the main archives," Ethan whispered, his voice echoing slightly. "It's usually where they kept old, rarely accessed materials."
Suddenly, Kaelen's Mana Sense flared again. Not the agile, elusive signatures of the Shadow Lurkers, but something larger, slower, and radiating a dull, oppressive mana.
[Warning! Multiple Mana Signatures Detected. Type: Grotesque. Level: 7.][Note: These creatures are slow but possess high physical resilience and emit a debilitating aura.]
"Hold!" Kaelen hissed, raising his hand. "Grotesques ahead. Two of them. They're tough and they'll try to slow you down. Get ready."
Before the team could fully prepare, two hulking figures lumbered into view from the gloom. They were massive, fleshy abominations, their skin a mottled grey, with multiple limbs ending in blunt, heavy claws. A sickly green aura pulsed around them, and Kaelen felt a sudden sluggishness in his movements, a drain on his energy.
"Their aura drains stamina!" Kaelen warned, fighting against the sudden lethargy. "Don't let them get close!"
He lunged first, aiming for the nearest Grotesque. His knives, enhanced by his mana, bit into its thick hide, but the creature barely reacted, its slow, deliberate movements unaffected. It swung a massive claw, forcing Kaelen to dodge narrowly.
Meanwhile, the second Grotesque lumbered towards the rest of the team. Caleb bravely stepped forward, trying to block its path with his sturdy frame, but the creature simply pushed him aside with immense force. Layla tried to dart around it, but its aura seemed to slow her down.
Emily, seeing the danger, gasped. The faint shimmer around her hands intensified. She instinctively pushed her hands forward, and a wave of shimmering mana, almost like a ripple in water, surged towards the Grotesque. The creature recoiled with a guttural roar, its green aura momentarily faltering.
[Latent Ability 'Mana Resonance' activated (Partial Success). Effect: Mana Disruption.]
"Emily! Again!" Kaelen shouted, seeing the opening. He pressed his attack on his own foe, his movements regaining some speed as the aura momentarily weakened.
Emily, though still trembling, focused. She pushed again, a stronger wave of mana disrupting the second Grotesque. It roared in pain, its movements becoming even more sluggish.
This distraction was all Kaelen needed. He swiftly dispatched his Grotesque, then turned to aid Emily's target. With combined effort, the second creature fell, dissolving into a larger pile of essence crystals.
[Grotesques eliminated.][Experience Points gained: 300.]
Kaelen quickly absorbed the crystals, feeling the mana replenish him. He looked at Emily with a mixture of pride and concern. Her face was pale, and she was breathing heavily, but a faint light of understanding was in her eyes.
"You did it, Emily," Kaelen said, his voice genuinely impressed. "That was incredible. You can disrupt their mana."
Emily nodded slowly, still trying to process what had happened. "It felt... natural. Like pushing something away."
"It is," Kaelen confirmed. "It's your mana. It's growing. Caleb, how's your arm?"
Caleb grimaced, clutching his arm. "It's deep, but I can move. Just... slow." [Emily, with her nascent Mana Resonance ability, was not capable of directly healing him at this moment. While she possesses a self-regeneration ability tied to her life energy, that ability focuses on healing her own body, and her current Mana Resonance ability is focused on mana disruption, not physical healing for others.]
"Layla, check for any more of those things. Ethan, lead us to that crystal. We need to move quickly," Kaelen ordered.
They pressed deeper into the basement, the air growing colder but the mana hum more vibrant. Soon, they reached a large, cavernous chamber. In the center, suspended by thick, root-like tendrils of mana, was the Tier 2 Mana Crystal. It pulsed with a deep, mesmerizing blue light, radiating an immense sense of power. Unlike the 'Evolved Seed' which was a chaotic source attracting monsters, this crystal was a condensed and stable form of mana, thus it did not attract large numbers of creatures around it. It was far larger and more beautiful than the Tier 1 crystal Kaelen had found, shimmering with an almost ethereal glow.
[Tier 2 Mana Crystal.][Properties: Contains highly pure, condensed mana. Essential for advanced mana techniques and awakening higher-tier abilities.]
Kaelen's eyes gleamed. This was exactly what he needed. This was the next step.
Reader Comment: A Cat Who Loves Cola
"Meow! This chapter was a real rollercoaster! Shadow Lurkers, then Grotesques? My fur was standing on end! Kaelen's still slicing and dicing, but Emily... oh, Emily's getting interesting! She sent that monster flying! Is she going to be a mana-brawler? I'm excited, but also a little worried about Caleb's arm. Hope they find some good snacks in that library. This world is wild, but at least there's always cola! takes a long, thoughtful gulp of cola, a hint of concern in its eyes"