Mana surge
But there was a catch, as always.
[Suggestion: Passive Mana Regeneration Detected.]
[Warning: Insufficient energy for automatic implementation. Consider alternative methods to restore the core's strength.]
Seth's eyes narrowed. It wasn't offering him a free ride. Just a glimpse at a solution, but not the full picture.
There had to be a way to unlock it or perhaps develop something similar that wouldn't require draining his resources.
What if the core itself could be reinforced gradually, using ambient mana from the environment?
"That's it," he muttered.
The core was powerful but fragile, as he'd already seen.
He could manually direct it to absorb smaller amounts of mana from around the dungeon, building up slowly over time.
But he needed to be smart, doing this too quickly could backfire, putting too much strain on the core.
His connection to the dungeon gave him access to multiple options, but nothing concrete.
The system wouldn't spoon-feed his solutions. He had to think outside the box.
"Let's start with something simple," Seth said to himself.
He walked back to the southern room, eyes locked on the mana vortex.
The energy here was strong, stronger than anywhere else in the dungeon.
If there was a way to tap into that, even in small doses, he could start reinforcing the core.
Focusing his mind, Seth issued a new command to the dungeon.
[Command: Ambient Mana Absorption Initiated.]
[Source: Southern Mana Surge.]
The vortex pulsed in response.
Slowly, he felt a trickle of mana flowing back toward the core, increasing his reserves bit by bit.
[Mana Reserve: 85/500 MP.]
It was a start, but far from enough.
Just as he was about to turn away, he felt something, an odd ripple in the air.
Seth hesitated, narrowing his eyes.
The surge was reacting to something… something deeper beneath the surface.
He let out a slow breath, deciding not to jump to conclusions yet.
Whatever was down there would reveal itself in time, and when it did, he'd be ready.
For now, his attention turned back to the adventurers. He needed to prepare.
At the dungeon's entrance, the Elite Shade shifted in the darkness.
Seth had positioned it there to guard the entryway, but its behavior had changed since the upgrade.
It seemed more alert, more aware.
Its body shimmered in the faint light of the dungeon, and though it was still mostly silent, he could sense a deeper understanding behind its eyes.
"Hold your ground," Seth ordered quietly.
The Elite Shade didn't respond in words, but its stance shifted slightly, acknowledging the command.
Satisfied, Seth checked the dungeon's defenses one last time.
The adventurers would arrive soon, and when they did, he wanted the dungeon ready for the next wave.
His mind wandered back to the mana regeneration problem.
The dungeon had hinted at the passive regeneration option, but it wasn't an immediate solution.
There were risks to pursuing it too quickly.
"I'll figure it out," he muttered, "but on my terms."
As the countdown to the adventurers' arrival approached its final minutes, Seth took a deep breath.
The surge remained a mystery, and the core's weakness nagged at the back of his mind.
But for now, he had a dungeon to defend.
....
Soon enough, he encountered the adventurers and he watched the battle unfold.
Seth watched the proceeding of the battle from the core room, his mind racing through strategies.
His mana reserves stood at 85 MP, still not enough to summon another creature or activate certain traps, but sufficient for some minor defensive measures.
He leaned against the cool stone of the core, focusing on the tactical advantages he could exploit in the coming moments.
The adventurers were regrouping near the southern corridor, shaken but not broken.
The Elite Shade and Shade Stalker had dealt significant damage, but two of the five adventurers were still standing.
The warrior, his armor stained with the blood of his comrades, rallied the remaining mage.
A grim determination marked their faces.
Seth could sense the weariness in the adventurers.
They were bruised, tired, and cautious, but not defeated.
The dungeon hummed with energy as he considered his next move.
He needed to strike a decisive blow, but with his mana still limited, he couldn't afford a misstep.
The Elite Shade lingered near the adventurers, waiting for Seth's command.
Its dark, wispy form blended into the shadows of the southern room, ready to strike the moment the opportunity arose.
Seth's connection with the dungeon allowed him to feel the creature's anticipation, but something felt off.
He couldn't sense the Shade Stalker as clearly. It was as if the creature had faded into the void entirely.
Seth frowned.
He'd summoned the Shade Stalker with the hope that its stealth capabilities would give it an edge in the dungeon's darkened halls.
But now, the silence was unnerving.
Just as he was about to issue a command, the southern room pulsed with the strange energy again.
The mana surge.
Seth's eyes narrowed as he felt the strange vibration ripple through the dungeon walls.
What was causing it?
It wasn't just a typical fluctuation in the dungeon's mana, there was something unnatural about it.
He couldn't risk losing focus on the adventurers, but the mana surge was becoming too significant to ignore.
He needed answers, but they wouldn't come easily.
"Alright," Seth muttered under his breath, issuing a mental command to the Elite Shade.
"Hold your position. Let them come closer."
The warrior led the mage into the southern room, cautiously stepping into the zone of the mana surge.
They were weary but undeterred, with eyes darting around for any sign of movement.
The moment the warrior stepped into the room, Seth felt a tug at his core—the mana surge reacted to the presence of the adventurers.
[Warning: Mana Surge Intensified]
The dungeon trembled, and Seth's connection to the core surged with energy.
The mana reserves spiked momentarily before returning to normal, leaving Seth puzzled.
What is triggering this?
The warrior gritted his teeth as the air around him seemed to thicken with tension.