425 Desert Dungeon (1/2)
Jermine dug down till she hit a literal wall that Zero and Bob took turns analysing. It didn't feel like solidified sand rocks. In fact, the surface was so smooth that it surprised Zero. Who knew that underneath all that sand and sand rocks, there would be a rocky layer?
Mii did some research. While Jermine dug through and mined through the sand and broken rock layers, her claws were not strong enough to break metal or bedrock which was what Zero and Bob were working with. The monsters inside the underground cave were also not strong enough to break the thick wall of bedrock but more surprisingly, Mii concluded that this was no ordinary cave. It was a dungeon.
”Be careful,” the strawcherry fairy warned as Zero and Bob progressed deeper. ”This isn't a normal cave, it's most likely a desert dungeon. These rocks have been formed using magic over time and strengthened by feeding off mana from the creatures in the cave.”
Hearing that it was a dangerous journey, Zero quickly sent Jermine back.
”Bring Truen and the sand walkers down,” he told her. ”Let them stay here for a bit. These rocks will be a steadier shelter than the shabby shelter I created. The sandstorm might tear down the walls if it doesn't go away by tonight and I don't want anyone suffocating in sand falling through the roof.”
The mole girl agreed and left at once. Zero sent word back to his grouchy friend that Jermine was going to pick him up. ”We found a desert dungeon with a better roof. Come down with the sand walkers so that we can have a good night's sleep without worrying if the sandstorm will tear through that roof!”
Needless to say, his friend agreed and started packing up. Worried about Jermine, Zero made a weak mud doll to follow after the speedy mole.
Bob worked on breaking down the thick wall and had to rest to recover his mana. Zero and Bob found out that blasting it with magic wasn't as effective as shovelling through it with claws or objects coated with mana. As Mii suspected, the dungeon walls absorbed magic and Zero was reminded of Sleepy Cave who did similar things.
”Mii, are dungeons common on Earth?”
The strawcherry fairy who was arranging new books stopped her work when Zero asked. ”I'm not too sure, Zero. Some dungeons are discovered and have become hot hunting spots for adventurers while others like this and Sleepy Cave remain undiscovered or banned from exploring because they are too dangerous. You can say that dungeons are part of this planet's life cycle because it doesn't have a managing God.”
Zero told Bob to rest and recover his mana before taking over. He didn't know how thick this cave wall was but according to his mini-map, they were a lot closer to the critters moving around behind the walls. The hostile monsters don't seem to know that Zero was coming and remained idle.
Bob transformed into his miniature dragon body and recovered while Zero toiled. His master worked methodologically without breaking a sweat or tiring out. Sometimes, he forgot that his master wasn't a living creature. His vessel was also a model made to look life-like but Zero himself existed on an entirely different plane from everyone else. In times like this, Bob was reminded again how powerful his master was.