Aster and Doriana’s eyes were slightly widened as they stared at what lay before them.
’’Wow,’’ I murmured. ’’So this is what was inside this cave.’’
Doriana remained silent for a little longer, looking at the scene with an analytical gaze.
’’I didn’t expect to find this here.’’
The two of us began walking forward. My eyes sparkled at the sight before me.
And the reason for that...
Right in front of us, numerous crystals glimmered across the floor, walls, and ceiling. They were scattered throughout the area in clusters.
Doriana approached one of the crystals and touched it with her delicate fingers, examining its composition.
’’Aster,’’ she called to me.
I walked over to her.
’’Is something wrong, Dori?’’
She didn’t mind the way I had addressed her. Her attention was fixed on the bluish crystals in front of her.
’’I know what these are.’’
I furrowed my brow. ’’And what are these crystals? Some kind of mineral?’’ I looked around, narrowed my eyes, and said, ’’The concentration of mana in this place is also denser.’’
Doriana shook her head.
’’Yes! ...And that’s why these crystals are here.’’
I leaned forward a little, bringing my face closer to the crystal.
’’So... what are these things?’’
Running her fingers over the crystal as it glowed faintly, she spoke:
’’These are Mana Crystals.’’
I looked at her as she examined the Mana Crystals with great interest.
’What are mana stones?’
Taking her gaze away from that crystal, she began looking around at the countless clusters scattered throughout the area.
As she walked around, she briefly explained:
’’Mana Crystals are formed when mana gathers at such a high density that it becomes solid. A Mana Crystal vein then forms within the ground. When this vein begins receiving more mana after solidifying, it starts expelling the mana that has already solidified, which then spreads throughout the surrounding area. And as long as it continues receiving more mana, this process will go on.’’
I scratched my head a little.
’’So you’re saying there’s a vein of these crystals somewhere in the ground beneath this cave?’’
She nodded.
’’Exactly... Judging by the quantity and quality of these crystals, this vein is small. Its crystals are of low quality.’’
I furrowed my brow while keeping my hands behind my back.
’’And are these stones useful for anything?’’ I asked, already thinking about claiming them for myself.
Knowing what I was thinking, Doriana smiled.
’’Yes! In fact, there are many useful things you can do with Mana Crystals. They can be used for weapons, enchantments, artifacts, and even as an energy source.’’ She turned toward me. ’’There are countless ways to make use of them. Everything depends on how you use them.’’
I gave a satisfied smile. ’’Great!’’ I bit my lip, delighted by my good fortune.
’’Then let’s take some before that monster comes back.’’
I reached toward a cluster to pull out the crystals, but a hand stopped me.
’’Wait!’’
’’Why did you stop me?’’ I asked in confusion.
’’Mana Crystals can’t be collected like that,’’ she said with a smile as she watched Aster pout.
Looking at her with sad kitten eyes, I asked:
’’Then how do we collect them?’’
She chuckled at his childish sulking.
’’Mana Crystals are fragile. The clusters are connected to the vein by a thin strand of mana. When they’re pulled out, the mana returns to its original state and then mixes with the mana in the air. That way, we lose the crystal.’’
Aster’s frown deepened.
’’So, to remove the crystals without destroying them, we need the proper materials.’’
My eyes lit up again, filled with hope.
’’How do we get those materials?’’
Doriana gave a crooked smile, biting her lip.
Looking into Aster’s expectant eyes, she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
’’You’ll need a blacksmith with at least an A-Classification to make the tools, because they’re not easy to manufacture.’’
Aster’s spirits sank.
’’Seriously?’’
Doriana nodded.
’’Ahh, how wonderful... I find a treat like this, but I can’t eat it... That’s cruel.’’
I stood there with my face scrunched up, staring at the crystals. I was trying to find a way to collect them. After hearing what could be done with them, I wanted them more than ever. Their usefulness could greatly help me develop my empire in the future, or even right now. So I didn’t want to give up that easily.
After thinking for a little longer, I remembered something.
’’I forgot for a moment why we came here in the first place...’’ I murmured. ’’Doriana, I was wondering: could that giant lizard be feeding on these crystals? They look like the ones on its body.’’
She narrowed her eyes.
’’Yes, I thought the same thing.’’
Looking at the ground for a while, I scratched my head.
’’If it feeds on these, then how does it do that?’’
’’Did you say something, my lord?’’ she asked, turning toward him.
Aster didn’t answer immediately.
His mind was running through calculations, but he wasn’t getting anywhere.
Raising his head, his amethyst eyes met Doriana’s green ones.
’’If it really eats these crystals... how does it do that? Don’t Mana Crystals disappear when they’re pulled out?’’ I asked, tilting my head.
’’That’s...’’ She stopped and began thinking.
He had a point. How was that monster doing it? Did it have some method or an ability that allowed it to do so?
She wondered about it.
’’I don’t know, my lord. I can’t think of anything.’’
I let out a disappointed sigh.
I looked at the crystals as I thought, ’I’ll leave this for now... There’s nothing I can do about it.’
’’All right, forget about it. We’ll think of something later,’’ I said. ’’Let’s head back before that monster returns. I’m not in the mood to become lizard food, haha.’’
I laughed as I extended my hand toward Doriana and took her hand in mine.
’’Yes, let’s go, my lord,’’ she replied with a smile, squeezing my hand.
I turned around to leave. You are reading on g.com, the official source.
’’BOOM!’’ ’’BOOM!’’ ’’BOOM!’’
I froze in place, my eyes widening.
’’Shit!’’
Doriana, still holding my hand, squeezed it tightly.
’’What should we do, my lord?’’
’’BOOM!’’ ’’BOOM!’’ ’’BOOM!’’
Trying to calm myself, I looked around for somewhere to hide.
’Damn it, damn it, anywhere!’, I murmured. ’Why did that monster come back so quickly?’
Meanwhile, the sound of those footsteps drew closer.
’’BOOM!’’ ’’BOOM!’’ ’’BOOM!’’
Looking toward a particular corner near the natural ramp leading up to the exit, I spotted a crack slightly wider than an adult person.
’’Come on!’’ I pulled her toward it.
Once we reached it, I pulled her inside the narrow crack with me.
The space could comfortably accommodate one person, but with two of us, it became quite cramped.
Doriana’s large, heavy breasts pressed against my chest, while her arm rested around the back of my neck and I could feel her warm breath.
Feeling that heavenly softness, things became dangerous.
’’My lord... I’m sorry for squeezing you so tightly,’’ she murmured softly, her face red.
She looked incredibly cute acting so shy.
I held her by the waist and chuckled.
’’It’s all right... I’m quite comfortable like this.’’
Feeling my hand squeeze her waist, she let out a small, muffled moan.
’’Hmm...’’
Since we were pressed so closely together, I could feel her full, swollen nipples, beneath her large breasts, pressing against my chest.
’Shit,’ I thought.
That sensation was divine, and my dragon was awakening in a dangerous way.
’’BOOM!’’ ’’BOOM!’’ ’’BOOM!’’
The footsteps were already very close.
’’Let’s try not to make any noise,’’ I whispered in her ear.
A shiver ran down the back of her neck as my warm breath brushed against her skin.
She was breathing a little heavily as she nodded.
I smiled and nodded back.
’’Good.’’
We remained there in silence as I pulled her even closer against my body. She was warm and pleasant to hold.
When one of the footsteps drew nearer...
’’BOOM!’’ ’’BOOM!’’ ’’BOOM!’’
We both turned our gaze toward it and held our breath.
At that moment, the monster was passing less than a meter away from us.
.....
Things aren’t going exactly well. The story isn’t seeing much audience activity. I know I’m far from being a great writer; I’m still learning as I write this story. I try not to get discouraged, but sometimes that feeling grows stronger. I wrote a previous story with over 80 Chapters, but I ended up abandoning it because it was going nowhere. Even if I don’t land a contract or achieve real success, I’ll finish the story for the few people who are following it. It will be a long journey, but I’ll press on with determination and the desire to see it completed.