Exploring the Caverns

After a while of thinking and looking over the blueprints, Hala decided to head deeper into the caverns to try out her new powers before starting on her kingdom-building project. She had a decade, after all.

The air grew cooler as she ventured deeper into the crystal cave, the golden glow of the sun fading behind her. The sound of her footsteps echoed, bouncing off the smooth, undulating walls. Crystals of all shapes and sizes jutted from the ground and hung from the ceiling like teeth in the maw of some great beast. Some shimmered with soft blue light, while others sparkled in shades of pink and violet, their facets catching even the faintest glimmers of light.

Hala reached out with her senses, feeling the pull of the crystals. Her affinity with earth and sand made it easy to tap into their latent energy, but crystals were different—rigid, structured, almost stubborn. Manipulating sand was fluid, responsive, like molding clay. Crystals required finesse and precision, which was why she had come here. If she could master crystal manipulation, it would elevate her control over the desert sands tenfold.

Opening her palm, she tried to create a mini sandstorm in her hand. She closed her eyes, feeling the tiny sand particles in the air. Dry. and rough. That's what the air felt like when she was pulling in sand particles to her. The smell of sawdust, salt, and sun-kissed clay, for some reason was what she associated with sand. 

Opening her eyes, she saw a palm sized swirling sand tornado. "I need lightning manipulation."

"Notice: There are many types of Lightning types to choose to specialize in. Would you like for me to list the attribute types of lightning?"

"Hmm. How many types are there? If there is more than ten, just give me the top five types that would fit me the most."

"Understood. Essentially there are twenty lightning attribute types. These are the attributes for lightning that will fit you best:

Black Lightning- Lightning made in Hell Blue lightning- Lightning made from the moon White Lightning- Lightning made from the Heaven Violet Lightning- Lightning from the Void Indigo Lightning- Lightning from the Cosmos

Looking at the list, she contemplated which spoke to her the most. 'Black lightning is the lightning Rimuru has. It looked cool in the anime but it sounds like it's all damage. I need something more. And it also hard to control. And that's something I would prefer. 

Next was blue lightning. 'This one isn't bad, but this sounds like it's more defensive. 

White Lightning. 'In all the fantasy RPGs and light novels, I read in my old life, all Holy lightnings are more affective towards undead, so no to this one too.'

Violet and Indigo lightning were the ones she was interested in the most. Void and Cosmic called to her like a moth to a flame. But...

"Indigo. Thoth, I choose the Indigo lightning." The lightning reminded her of her Love. 'Nent, I hope you're not lonely now that I'm gone. I miss you so much.'

"Understood. Transferring Indigo Lightning magic skill onto Ladis D. Hala."

Dark blue light shrouded Hala for a moment. It felt like the sun was hitting down on her with its heat. Then it disappeared, leaving her hands with strips of indigo colored lightning. 

She was just about to comment on how to add this to her sand tornado when a soft skittering sound echoed from the shadows ahead. Hala paused, her blue and gold eyes narrowing as she scanned the cavern. 

She flicked her wrist, sending a small cloud of sand into the air before her. The particles spread out in an arc, floating delicately in the air.

She twitched her fingers, and the sand responded, swirling in the air before solidifying into a thin wall of crystal—clear and sharp, like a pane of glass. She added a spark of indigo lightning for experiment's sake. Just as the crystal wall formed, the skittering grew louder, and from the shadows emerged the source of the noise.

A trio of giant scorpions scuttled forward, their massive pincers snapping in the air, venom dripping from their stingers. Their carapaces gleamed in the soft crystal light, a dark contrast to the shimmering cave around them.

Hala didn't hesitate.

She raised her hand, and the sand beneath her feet surged upward, spiraling around her in a protective barrier. The scorpions lunged, their stingers striking against the sand shield with a loud clang. With a flick of her wrist, Lapis sent the sand outward, transforming it into a wave of crystal shards that pelted the scorpions, forcing them back.

The first scorpion recovered quickly, charging at her again with surprising speed for a creature its size. Hala leaped into the air, using a burst of sand to propel herself higher. Mid-air, she twisted her body, drawing more sand from the cavern floor and sending it down in a concentrated blast toward the scorpion. The sand morphed into a massive spike, slamming into the scorpion's back and pinning it to the ground.

One down.

The second scorpion attacked from her left, its stinger aimed directly at her. Hala spun, her cloak billowing around her as she summoned a wall of crystal between them. The scorpion's stinger struck the crystal, shattering it into a thousand glittering pieces, but the force of the blow threw the creature off balance. Hala seized the opportunity, sending a wave of sand crashing into the scorpion, burying it beneath the earth.

The third scorpion hesitated, its pincers snapping nervously in the air. Hala landed gracefully, her feet touching the ground with barely a sound. She could feel the creature's fear, its primal instincts warring with its need to survive.

But Hala had no time for mercy.

She clenched her fist, and the sand responded, rising in a spiral around the scorpion before solidifying into crystal. The scorpion thrashed, but it was too late. The crystal encased it fully, trapping it in a sparkling prison.

Hala exhaled slowly, her heart pounding in her chest. The fight had been brief but intense. She wiped a bead of sweat from her brow, glancing around the cavern. The Great Cosmic Thoth murmured in her mind, congratulating her on a well-executed battle, but also reminding her that this was just the beginning.

"Well, that was fun," Hala muttered to herself, her gaze drifting deeper into the cavern.

With a final glance at the defeated scorpions, Hala continued her journey into the heart of the crystal cavern, her senses on high alert.