Chapter 34

After five minutes, a new tablet materializes with a soft 'thud'.

[You have learned a technique Meditation]

"Luci?"

"What?! Stop being distracted and focus!"

"But…"

"No buts! Hurry, so we can leave! I am not going outside the other way!"

"But…"

"Now, listen to me, do you want to get out of this monster's stomach?"

"Yes," Stone obediently replied.

"So do what I say!"

"But…"

"Gods dammit! What?" Lucifer gave up.

"I got a message that I learned a Meditation technique."

"…"

"Luci?"

"What did you say? I think there was some interference."

"I learned a Meditation technique," Stone patiently repeated.

"… after five fucking minutes… five fucking minutes… I have seen wizards and monks who weren't able to learn it decades," Lucifer sighed in exasperation. "Good work. Now, go train…"

"Okay," Stone replied. This time he had a clear head. But after another five minutes, he stops, wanting to ask something.

"What did I just say?! Train!" Lucifer yelled. He felt like raising a kid. Which..., as he thought about it, was exactly what he was doing.

"I wanted to ask…"

"For fucks sake! Again?! What?"

"What does the Meditation technique do?"

"Except it clears your mind and helps you concentrate? Ask the freaking Universum," Luci growled, irritated.

Stone mentally beckoned the Universum.

[Technique: Meditation

Five minutes, huh? Well, you were not the fastest, but still not bad.

Clears your mind and helps you to focus.

Allows you to use expertise more efficiently—10% per level faster casting

You are not able to meditate in battle.

Evolvable: Maximum tier 3]

Stone read it to Lucifer.

He figuratively nodded, "sounds right and pretty standard. Now, train! So we can finally leave. We need you to level up and find out how you will evolve. I wonder if classes will be open to you…"

"Classes?"

"Not now, I will explain later. Practise!"

"Loud!"

After five long hours of constant casting in the meditative state, the rewards were plentiful. Stone examined his journal;

[Your technique Ambient Mana Refinement reached the maximum level 25]

[Your spell Mana Shield gained a level 15 times]

[Your technique Meditation gained a level 7 times]

[Your spell Mana Point reached the maximum level (10)]

[Your spell Ants' Souls gained a level 10 times]

"Luci, I am done. I think we can make it now."

"Too bad, he is not strong enough to even hurt this monster. It's a definitively 5th tier," Lucifer thought. "Good, conjure as many souls as you can and put them in the stomach entrance," Luci did not wait for anything and went directly for the goal. He had quite enough of this place.

Stone conjured three souls, waited for around 3 minutes, and conjured another 3. He repeated it until he had a maximum of souls summoned. 11 ants' souls emerged from his body with the help of refined mana and extremely weak mana-links leashed them to Stone. As the refined mana coursed towards the souls, Stone sensed he could control them as he wished. It was another new feeling for him. He liked it a lot. So much that Lucifer had to shout at him for a good 10 seconds.

"Loud!"

"I don't care! Now start moving them with a pattern I showed you before."

As the souls were moving around, the stomach walls contorted and convulsed.

"Gods, devils… anyone… Please! Cut open this monster and pull me out normally…" Lucifer cried while they rapidly moved back to the beak. He knew this was his idea. Still, that didn't mean he had to like it.

"Hehehe, this is fun," Stone enthusiastically commented.

"Nooo! The gods have abandoned meee!" Lucifer yelled as they sailed through the air. After the brief voyage above the heads of screaming druegars, they hit someone's head.

"Stone?"

"Dafur?"

"Ha! Ya're buying beer!"

"What?" Stone was confused... "What's a beer?".

"Ah, nothin'," Dafur realized that he was conversing with a sentient mineral. "It's a dwarven thing… Anyway, I thought ya're dead!"

"I'm fine. I want to leave. It's too loud here," Stone saw everything in his sphere; dozens of strange dwarfs were running around, screaming. Some of them were even smoking as their skin melted. That he did not care for… It was silent. Some were squashed by the Monster's tentacles. Slightly louder… but bearable. The screeching Monster pulled itself on the beach and systematically massacred the consternated druegars.

Meanwhile, the guards and warriors channelled their skills and techniques to protect the villagers. However, the Monster's skin proved itself to be too firm for them to penetrate. They could barely defend themselves while hindering its movement.

Shaman-Ganra woke up and as he gaped around, he felt an undiluted horror. Thankfully, he was powerful enough to fight. Otherwise, the villagers would have roasted and eaten him as a punishment for this failure.

He regained the composure quickly and conjured one rune after another. Swirling mana and elemental attacks bombarded the enraged Shul-Gahat. Some of the runic attacks penetrated its tough skin and forced the Monster to turn the attention to the shaman. It utilized its own refined mana into a powerful spell, while proficiently conjuring a [Mana Shield] around its body.

☁☁☁☁☁☁

Encyclopaedia Stonia

Druegars

Sub-race of dwarfs living deep underground, in the Abyss. They are descendants of runaway crazy and blighted dwarfs and are considered as half-monsters, because of their rumoured brutality, even stronger greediness than at the normal dwarfs and there are rumours that they practice primitive atrocities such as cannibalism. Of course, all of these 'truths' are accepted by the surface-dwellers as sapient creatures from Abyss call them. Actually, there is very little known about druegars.

They are almost rarely seen on the surface, except as slaves and experiments of high-ranked beings, as they hate sunlight because of natural weakness to it.

But thanks to the good adaptation to the underground, they have gained a racial talent called Dark Vision. It allows them to see in the darkness with ease. Of course, like any living being, they crave light too, just not the sunlight, so they use lamps, torches, etc…

Meditation

Some call it the basics, some call it an achievement. The truth is that it dramatically increases the efficiency of training mana-based spells. But it requires a calm, patient mind and clear focus. Many have tried to achieve the state of meditation but failed. Rumours say that it's one of the requirements to achieve higher tiers of wizard-type classes. Each race has a different aptitude. Dwarfs are known for teaching their kids that meditation is a waste of time that can be utilized better, like drinking beer or mining. Elfs, on the other hand, consider this technique as fundamental expertise; those who are not able to achieve it are labelled as weirdos. And Undead... well, they don't give a shit.

Dwarven equipment

The more powerful you are, the more powerful gear you need. With dwarven craftsmen, this rule's importance is doubled. Fortunately, runemasters are experts in engravings and forging great and sturdy equipment; from utilities to powerful weapons and strong armours. Their craftsmanship is sought by many, lest the optimal usage of their creations is in the hands of runemasters.