Chapter 6: Loot

Mar leans against a tree branch and breathes a sigh of relief. The battle with the big wolf had been more difficult than anticipated. Thankfully he has the ability to channel the unknown energy through his body and through the weapons he uses. His strongest asset right now is not his bow and his two arrows but his body and his knife. The knife is reusable with the unknown power while the arrows are broken apart when using the destructive arrow. Considering that Mar only has two arrows left after that fight reinforces the notion that he should become more proficient with his knife. After a few more minutes of resting Mar gets up and brushes the dirt off his pants. The shirt and pants that he had been wearing up until this point had been starting to rip. Between fighting wolves, climbing trees and running around, he had been tough on his clothing. Mar quickly remembers that the wolves had been guarding a treasure chest in the middle of the forested area.

He sets his objective to opening the chest and collecting his loot from this cavern. Mar walks into the lake-side entrance of the forested area and lays his eyes on the chest. It is a chest which looks like it is made of stone and high quality wood. The edges of the chest are all made of stone and the wood makes up the body. Mar approaches the chest with less apprehension than last time but still has his hand in his pocket, ready to draw his knife at any time. This chest looks less run down than the last and more lavish. The latch slides open easily but some force is required to lift open the top of the chest. Mar is forced to use both hands to pull the top of the chest up and the push it the rest of the way open.

Once the chest is open, Mar sees a dagger in a scabbard and a jet black cloak that looks as thick as a robe. Mar takes the dagger out of its scabbard and he stares at the razer sharp blade which is slightly dyed red. Mar is sure that it holds some mystical properties but when he channels the unknown power through the dagger, nothing happens besides him feeling more powerful and the blade feeling stronger, more reinforced. Mar slowly walks back to the lake to take another drink of water, while he thinks. "This dungeon has made it painfully obvious, that changes are occurring. While I am here, what is happening to earth. Am I even going back to earth when I finally get out of this place. Even if I am going back to earth, what if everyone has access to this unknown power." While Mar takes a drink of water from the lake, he worries.

"If everyone has access to this power and not just me, what is stopping humanity from going back to the times where the strongest were rulers over the weakest. If this is the case, then I must become strong enough that I am near or at the top of the new world order." This sparks a certain motivation in Mar, a yearning for power that is even more pronounced than the first time he used the destructive arrow. The cave opposite from the lake that seemed scary now seemed like a change to improve Mar's skills and grow. Mar hurries steadfast into the cave, whether there is danger or not, Mar's curiosity will not be sated until the cave is explored.

Mar brushes his hand on the smooth wall that appears too perfect to be naturally formed. Mar raises his guard, "what if there is a sentient being in here." Mar shook his head at the thought, "if there was a sentient being in here why was the chest unopened and wolves kept alive. Mar kept walking and the cave kept getting darker and darker, the once bright landscape of the 2nd cavern was overshadowed by the sullen nature of the cave.

Mar kept walking until he heard a sound: *Glup*, *Glup*, *Glup*

This was the sound of a weird creature, and it was coming closer. The *Glup* sounds were getting closer and Mar placed his bow on the ground and readied his dagger. Once it got close enough, Mar was able to make out its shape, a round blob coming towards him. Mar almost laughed at the silly looking monster, "how could this thing be dangerous", he thought. *Pitui* the slimy blob spat at Mar. the spit traveled towards Mar's torso. Mar barely sidestepped the spit, and it ended up hitting the wall behind Mar. Mar heard a faint *Sssssss* sound coming from the place the spit hit. Mars eyes widen and he realizes, "the spit is corroding the stone! What would have happened if it hit me..."

Mar re-assesses the slime, he cannot take this opponent lightly. This creature was capable of spitting corrosive spit at him, a projectile. Mar took his damaged dagger out of his pocket and tried to test something. Mar thought, "If it's spit is corrosive, is it's body corrosive as well?" Mar was willing to test this theory out since the two were alone and the monster was not fast enough to pose too much of a threat.

*Pitui*

Mar dodges the spit and rushes towards the slime. Before it can spit again Mar slashes down at the slime and cuts a big gash down the side of it. Before Mar can rejoice he sees the gash instantly form back together as if no damage had been dealt. Mar keeps repeating this attacking strategy while dodging the slime's spit. His damaged dagger gets slowly more and more worn down, the skin of the slime is definitely corrosive. On Mar's next attempt to slash down the slime he decides to stab the slime and hit the middle of the slime.

*Pitui*

Mar lunges forward after dodging the next spit and stabs the slime deeply, part of his hand gets corroded in the process because it was stuck so far into the slime. As the dagger hits the middle of the slime a *Crrkk* sound is heard. All of the sudden something that the dagger hit shattered and the slime turned into a puddle with shards sticking out of the middle of the puddle. The damaged dagger has become borderline ruined, it is now less effective than the sharp rock Mar used to kill his first wolf. Thankfully it is still useful in killing slimes as Mar did not want to corrode his new dagger. Mar's right hand burns slightly as it was in contact with the slime for a split second. Mar shakes his hand repeatedly until it stops hurting. He is ready to continue.