Hera woke up late the next day. Blue, Alex, and Bonnie were already in the ATRs, according to the text on her phone. Apparently, the researcher had dragged them there early in the morning. Leo's last message talked about him arriving at the venue, meaning he wouldn't answer any texts for a while.

  Feeling her stomach rumble, Hera left the inn looking for a nice place to have breakfast. Because of the time, a few places had started serving brunch. Hera chose a nice little restaurant with a view of the bay.

  She still had yet to check the skills she could buy from the Order. While she waited for her meal, Hera opened the website and went to the marketplace to purchase skills.

  Even having only 50 contribution points to spend, there were many choices. Things like fishing, foraging, meditating, and weaving were all very cheap, and there was a reason for that.

  Hera scrolled through the skills she could afford. They all were basic rank and didn't seem to do much at first. For instance, the fishing one wouldn't teach you to fish. It would just increase your ability to catch fish. It wasn't like a movie where you got the compendium and could say, ‘I know kung fu.'

  Some skills gave a glimpse of what they could become in the future. Meditating could become a skill that cleared your mind in any situation. Others were the starting points of more advanced skills. For instance, mining could lead to metallurgy and blacksmithing.

  And while it wasn't necessary to have a mining skill before learning to be a blacksmith, there were some benefits attached to it. A better understanding of minerals and ways to hit ores in order to optimize the amount of material that was extracted.

  As Hera read through the list, one caught her eye. The skill was called etching, and it could later on become runic enchantment. That could let her change and improve the attributes of her weapons and gear permanently. This was the skill that interested Hera the most so far. Before choosing, she gave another look at the list of skills.

  Among them, there was another called weapon maintenance. Thinking about how she had already got some supplies to care for her weapons, Hera opened the description.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Weapon Maintenance - Rank 1

  Improves your ability to care and maintain your weapons.

  The more careful you are with the process, the better the results will be.

  Increased durability: 1%

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Under the description of the actual skill, there was a note saying that as the rank increased, other effects would also be applied. Things like increased sharpness and handling. Hera also remembered that during the training, Mr. Greyson told the class that weapons that were well taken care of could even facilitate the leveling of skills.

  Thinking about that now, Hera could see a world where her teacher was being very literal in what he said. It was possible that some type of weapon maintenance skill actually had the effect of increasing skill acquisition rate.

  Hera wanted to get both skills, but she only had contribution points for a single one. Even though etching could be interesting, she had no idea how to increase the skill. The only thing that came to mind was carving some trees or something.

  However, carving was an actual skill. She had seen it, and part of the notes mentioned that an easy way to rank up was to carve your name on trees inside a dungeon. On the other hand, if she were to get weapon maintenance, it would have a more practical and active effect.

  She bought that skill, and it showed a message asking her to get the compendium at the guild. That was another thing that Helena had told her about. When she got a skill, she could either go to a branch of the guild or to one of the various skill shops associated with the Order of the Lost Court.

  There they could make a quick compendium for her as the actual data was stored on a server. The item itself was nothing more than a file that she could get on her tablet, despite the imposing name.

  The compendium would only tell her the easiest way to get a skill. In this case, it was to take a few quests from blacksmiths. If she wanted to do it by herself, it could take some time. Another suggestion was to care for the weapons of other people in her party.

  Considering she never saw Leo or Alex doing any type of maintenance on their weapons, this could work. She also got the information on a few basic techniques that she could perform to clean and polish the gear.

  Leaving the guild, Hera went towards the port area. She was looking for a ship that was going to the end of the room. It took her a while to find a vessel with that destination. Most ships were going to a village halfway through the cave. However, she finally found one that would go to the edge of the room.

  They were willing to take her along for the ride for 50 gold, 20 if she helped around the ship. But it would be a two-day journey since it took almost a full day just to reach the exit of the cave.

  Hera thanked them and left. There was much to do around here before staying two days in the water. She also had some new information. There was another village on this layer.

  Going back to the guild, Hera stopped by a weapons store and bought a couple of supplies for the new techniques she got in the compendium.

  In the guild, she asked if there was a place she could use for taking care of weapons. The clerk at the front desk pointed her towards the second floor, where some tables were available for multi-purpose use.

  Hera spent the rest of the morning taking care of her chakram. After making the dent a few days back, she noticed that the surrounding area seemed to be cleaner in a way. Using a cleaning product called ‘Rust and Grime B Gone', she scrubbed the weapon with a sponge. Little by little, the dark layer of dirt was removed from the chakram.

  Mayura's Feather had an opaque dark grey color, but after cleaning, Hera could see that the blade could become shining like Iris. Still, it would be something that she couldn't do in a single day.

  Since this was the first time she tried it, Hera avoided scrubbing too hard, afraid of damaging the blade. The small details would also be a problem. Unlike her handaxe, which was a flat piece of metal, the chakram had some crevices and patterns that made cleaning it much harder.

  After some time, Hera got a text. Her friends asked if she wanted to eat lunch with them or if she was already on a boat. Hera wasn't particularly hungry, but since they were going to a dungeon, it was better if they ate together.

  While eating, Hera and Bonnie kept swapping notes about the spells they had. The Explorer could use her Pulse spell a few times before having to recover her mana.

  If she did nothing, it would take 1 minute to recover a single point of mana, but if she circled the mana in her body, she could recover 4 points per minute. The problem was that she needed to focus on moving the energy in her body, so it wasn't something she could do and stay alert at the same time.

  Just before they left the restaurant, Hera asked Bonnie if she had made a decision. The Order could help the researcher a great deal, but Hera had made it clear that she would share the spellbook's contents even if the woman didn't join.

  Bonnie was interested, but she wanted to know some things that Hera couldn't answer. She sent a text to Helena, who just asked for them to wait. She would talk to Bonnie soon about everything.

  Blue and Alex made some progress with their mana, but not enough to unlock it. Unfortunately, the two people who already had mana didn't get any significant breakthrough. Hera also took some time to improve her mana circling ability. If she could use it while fighting or moving around, she could use her pulse spell more often.

  They were getting dessert when Leo sent a text to the group, telling them that he was on his way back. He already managed to become part of the Crimson Coalition. Apparently, his uncle was a high ranking officer, leaving Leo a spot more or less reserved. As long as he finished the dungeon before the final deadline, it was a done deal.

  When they finished their meal, the girls decided to wait for the Hunter near the Doorway. Walking up the hill, they could see the whole town once again. It didn't matter how long they had been here. The sight of the purple forest was still breathtaking. They had bought some cold coffee and waited like college kids in front of the exit, watching the groups come and go.

  Hera was surprised at how many people were using the doorway. She never realized that the traffic here was so heavy. It wasn't like a busy train station or something like it, but every five minutes or so, a group of three or four would pass by. When Leo arrived, he greeted the group and sat down beside them.

  "Hey. Did you miss me?" he smiled.

  "Not really. It was good not to have to give away my kills," Alex got up and stretched, tossing her empty cup into a nearby bin.

  "You went hunting without me? I'm hurt," Leo said, placing one hand on his chest.

  "Stop being dramatic. We took the morning to try to get mana. Now tell us what happened. Was it easy?" Blue asked.

  "Not at all. They had a battery of tests. We were split up into groups by our levels. There was an obstacle course, a capture the flag game and then a tournament. People got eliminated at each step. I got lucky with my team in the game. We had some pretty decent teamwork. In the competition, I only had to win the preliminary round, but there were prizes for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th places. Everyone was from level one to five in my category. I ended up getting fourth place," he explained.

  "Hey, way to go! Who won? A level five, I guess," Hera said.

  "Nope, it was a level 2, and he was a monster. It didn't matter how much I tried. I could barely see him moving. His punches were faster than a frog's tongue. The weirdest part. He is a controller, but he moved like an assassin. The recruiters loved that. Not only did they use that to show that levels are not as important as what you do with them, but they also got a really strong recruit. I just felt a bit bad for the healers that went there. They had to heal a set number of people, and there wasn't enough for everyone. Some of them started fighting. It got really ugly."

  "Wow, why would people go that far?" Bonnie frowned.

  "The coalition is pretty big, and the perks are excellent. If I reach my quota of missions for them, they pay me 5,000 gold a month. Plus, the rewards of each quest. In the upper layers, that is about it. But as you go deeper in the MAZE, you can find sponsored shops that give you discounts for being a member, not to mention the pay increases with each layer and level. If you go to the 8th layer, you can find their headquarters. It is in a room called... something with an X that I can't remember, but everyone knows that room by the Astral Garrison. That's the name of the city they built."

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  "They have a whole city?" Alex gasped.

  "Yep, anyone who is a member can go there anytime they want. If not, you have to pay an entry fee, and you will be taxed on almost everything there. They, I mean, we basically control that room," Leo continued his explanation.

  "And the Guild is ok with that?" Hera turned to the Hunter. By everything that she understood, the Explorer's Guild was not a place that would allow others to take over entire rooms like that.

  "There is not much they can do. We built the city as private property. First, we bought the land, then the resources, and the people just started gathering there. We are not stopping anyone from moving around the room or leaving it. The city was just built in the most convenient place possible and made a lot of things much more accessible. It's kind of like the deal we have with Mondy. We are losing a lot of money, but we get much more than if we didn't have his help."

  Hera stared at the hunter for a moment. The image she had of the MAZE was changing fast. She always imagined that the worst problem she would face were the monsters. Yet, people could be just as troublesome.

  "And what about your uncle?" Blue asked.

  "I got a small piece of information. One of his old subordinates was there. The last time he saw my uncle, he was in the Astral Garrison heading to the next layer. So I guess that's my first step. Reach the garrison."

  "Sure, that seems easy. All you have to do is level up like crazy," Alex said, rolling her eyes.

  "Well, it's just the first lead, right? It doesn't mean I won't be searching for him now, but I, at least, know a place where I can get more information. Probably," Leo said.

  "So now what we need is to level up fast," Blue said.

  "And make a lot of money. Sorry, I know it doesn't help you, Leo. But I still have to deal with my things," Bonnie said.

  "It's ok, Bonnie. I understand. We all have our goals. Any ideas of where to start? I finished all those quests and didn't get a new level. Weren't they supposed to help?" Leo asked.

  "I don't know. Maybe only system quests give experience," Alex said.

  "I'm not sure if it would help. But there were the ruins I found on the map. According to some information I gathered, a dungeon should be nearby," Because of Leo's situation, Hera gave up on finding the dungeon completely by herself.

  She went a bit deeper in her research, while not directly asking for the location. After all, she still wanted to try to figure things out by herself. According to everything, the mage tower was indeed a dungeon. Its location was either in the depression she had noticed on the map or further west, by one of the pillars.

  Everyone agreed to that, after all, Leo still had to finish a dungeon, and they all wanted to have that experience together. Before heading out, the group bought some food rations and a few potions. Each of them had a simple recovery potion that could be useful in dealing with any cuts and bruises. Hera also got a general antidote for various poisons and a pseudo flame tongue oil that could cause minor burns to the enemy when applied to a weapon. She wasn't sure if the oil would actually help, but they needed something to get an extra potion with the purchase.

  "Right here, if we go to the right, we should reach the ruins," Hera walked towards the forest.

  "Are you sure? We haven't heard any creatures for a while," Blue moved a branch out of her way.

  "According to the map, yes, if the map is wrong or not, I can't say," Hera jumped over a clump of roots.

  "Besides, if there really are ruins here, we should be happy that there aren't any monsters around," Alex was following Hera just a few steps behind the Explorer.

  "You are just happy there aren't any more frogs here," Leo taunted.

  "Can you blame me? I hate those things." Alex shivered at the mention of the frogs.

  Hera couldn't help but admire the assassin. Even while dealing with a creature she hated that much, she was able to kill them with no hesitation. Twenty minutes later, they reached the edge of a large crater. Looking at the map, this place looked like a natural depression. However, now the Explorer felt this was closer to an impact crater.

  "Wow, is this the right place?" Blue looked around.

  The area was much wider than Hera expected. The forest formed a ring around the crater, leaving small patches of purple grass inside. There were also large pieces of rock everywhere. On closer inspection, they were not natural. Instead, they were pieces of brick stuck together with cement. Clearly, something made by someone a long time ago.

  "Yeah... I think so," Hera noticed a large clump of rocks directly in the center. She could even see the beginnings of an actual wall there.

  "Did someone or something do this? Or do you think it was always like that?" Bonnie was staring at the same place.

  Hera scanned the area, seeing the vast expanse that was quickly 500 meters wide. The edge of the crater had a sharp fall, but heading to the middle, it turned into a slope. Yet, the strangest part of all of this was the mix of purple grass and the ruins. In any other setting, this would be a harrowing experience. Proof that the environment was corrupt and twisted. Yet, here was the most natural thing possible.

  "Maybe. I mean, the area seems real enough to be an impact crater. But it's the MAZE. We are around purple trees. It could be like this from the beginning."

  "Wait, how do you know what a crater should look like?" Leo asked.

  "I always liked those natural landmarks. Waterfalls, canyons, mountain ranges, volcanos, pretty much anything that was created naturally. I started talking about being an Explorer because of things like that. It's incredible to think about how the universe molds itself. Like this crater, the edges seem rough and uneven, the middle is all broken and tattered, but the slope seems soft and gentle. Where else could you find something so beautiful?" Hera asked.

  Alex stared at the Explorer and then at their surroundings, "I never looked at it that way. But you're right. This is amazing in its own way," Alex said, looking at the crater.

  The group stared at the crater for a few moments. Hera had a large smile on her face. She still couldn't believe that she was here, inside the MAZE. Feeling tears starting to form in her eyes, she shook herself and started to go down the slope.

  "Let's go. I want to see the ruins," Hera said, already sliding toward the center of the crater.

  "I never seen Hera take the lead like this before," Bonnie whispered to the group.

  "Yeah, I didn't want to ruin the moment by saying anything, but it's the first time I've seen her with a smile like that," Blue said before jumping down.

  Being the first to reach the middle, Hera used her Pulse to check if there were any creatures around. The middle part of the crater was much smaller. It should be just a bit over 50 meters wide. As the mana ring moved, the Explorer started to feel the area. Aside from the grass and the debris, there was nothing here. But the broken down walls were filled with dense mana. Weirdly, Hera could feel the stone glowing. She approached the closest part of the ruins and activated her [Inspect].

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Arcanist Tower Ruins

  What is left of a great tower, used by a powerful arcanist in the past. The tower was constructed with research in mind. The walls were reinforced with mana to protect its structure from powerful magic.

  The information about who the mage was and why the tower was destroyed was lost to the ages.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  "What did you find?" Alex noticed Hera's expression, arriving at the center of the crater

  "This used to be an arcanist's tower. The walls seem to be filled with mana," the Explorer explained while she moved towards something strange she had noticed with her Pulse spell.

  "Wow, really?" Bonnie said as she tripped in a piece of the ruins falling into the ground.

  "Did you spend so long reading books that you forgot how to walk?" Blue asked.

  Bonnie just rolled her eyes and walked towards one of the walls. At the same time, Hera kept walking around the area, using her Pulse now and then to check for anything hidden or dangerous.

  The ruins were old, incredibly so. Most of the structure seemed to be buried underground. Hera wasn't sure how that could have happened. Maybe the rain carried dirt, and little by little, it was covered. Still, the stones were clean. They even had that white color, as if they were brand new. This could be the effect of the mana density they had. Although that was just Hera's guess.

  "Check this out!" Bonnie yelled.

  Hera rushed back, worried about the researcher's reaction. When she reached her, the woman had both hands placed in a part of the broken tower and a smile on her face.

  "What happened?" Hera asked.

  "Put your hand into the wall and cycle your mana," Bonnie said.

  Unsure of what to expect, Hera mirrored Bonnie and placed both hands on the wall. When she started to cycle her mana, the wall seemed to be pushing the mana inside it to Hera. The explorer quickly stepped back, spooked by the reaction.

  "What is that?"

  "I'm not sure. But doing this for a few seconds increased my mana by five points," Bonnie explained.

  "Wait. What?" Blue asked.

  "Are you serious? Could this help us get our mana stat too?" Alex asked.

  "Maybe give it a try," Bonnie said.

  "What is this about the mana stat?" Leo asked.

  Hera explained it to the hunter, teaching him the process to cycle his mana. Soon the whole group was with their hands on the walls doing the exercise. As helpful as having more mana would be, Hera was too excited to focus on the training. She kept walking around the area, trying to find something more about the ruins.

  She looked around, using her Pulse every time she reached the edge of her last cast. At one point, she felt something different in the ground. There was still something she noticed earlier, but it was on the very edge of her range. The wall was still glowing, but there was a mark that seemed unusual. Digging a bit, she found the archway she was searching for. In red letters, it was written ‘The Arcane Lookout.' As she read that, a notification popped in front of her.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Treasure map (Evolved from Mapping)

  Allows you to create a map of a place you have been before. The more you know about the area, the more accurate the map will be.

  The map can identify possible secrets and points of interest. Their discovery will increase the information available about the area.

  Requirements: Drawing space, knowledge of the area.

  The tools used in the process may affect the result.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Hera read the description a few times. This was exactly the type of thing she wanted. Something that helped her find interesting places. Not only that, but the skill would also improve as long as she kept searching for good spots herself.

  "That is amazing!" she cheered.

  Opening her map, Hera tried to see if there was any other information available about this location. The first thing she noticed was that the map had a new option. Along with the wireframe, topographic, and planimetric views, there was a treasure hunter's chart.

  In the chart, the map seemed more hand-drawn. It looked like the type of map someone would see in a video game. In the middle of the crater, there was an exclamation mark with the word ‘new' by its side. As Hera tapped in the area, a drawing appeared representing the ruins. Under it, there was a banner that read ‘Arcanist Tower Ruins'. As Hera zoomed in on the ruins, a small text box appeared.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Arcanist Tower Ruins

  Status: Disabled

  The ruins are mana filled debris that lay on top of the entrance to the tower.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Hera raised one eyebrow.

  "Entrance?"

  She walked around the area, activating her Pulse, trying to focus on the ground beneath her feet. On the third cast of the spell, Hera thought she felt something that could be a door, but it was on the edge of her range, and she was out of mana.

  Walking closer to the point where she felt that object, Hera placed her hands in the ruins and started to cycle her mana with the stone's help. She wanted to recover enough to use the spell a few more times in order to find the entrance.

  Just as she closed her eyes, she heard Blue yelling from a distance, "I got it! I got my mana!"

  Hera smiled. She wasn't entirely sure how the controller would use mana, but it would surely help the group. There was no doubt about it. Focusing again on her mana, Hera started to pull the energy from the stone. She could feel the heat flowing through her at an incredible speed. It took a bit over twenty seconds for it to complete a cycle. Hera stopped and checked her mana. She had recovered five full points!

  Focusing even more on the recovery, Hera stood there for a couple of minutes, trying to refill her mana. When she was half full, she stepped away from the stone and looked for the place where she felt the door. Before using her Pulse spell, Hera realized that Bonnie should be at full mana right now. There was no reason for her to be using the walls to recover. She opened her status to check if there was any change and realized that her maximum mana, in those few minutes, increased by one. Bonnie probably figured that out and was trying to grind some status.

  Hera used her Pulse spell a couple more times and managed to find the door she was looking for. It was buried in a spot clear of any debris. She stood above the area and used the spell one more time. There was a pocket of empty space in front of the door, and after it, there was a corridor leading down.

  "I found something," Hera yelled to her friends.

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