18.6

ACT 963161069-26889.20.10-Eve-Smith-Silver Prime

Crystal Core was the only thing keeping Eve sane. The race known as Kobolds had created a massive Warren in the Dungeon. It was a bastion of interlocking tunnels, dead ends, deep holes, meat lockers, and more disgusting repositories. The entire construct was a maze of legendary proportions. She had been working through the place long enough to answer several burning questions. Yes, monsters are edible with a high enough cooking talent. No, magic crystals are not.

Such information alone wouldn’t have been enough to keep Eve from going batshit crazy. Instead, it was the brilliant suggestion made by Crystal Core to assist in analyzing substances worldwide. She had crushed rock, bits of iron, and a smidgen of steel particulate within her blood, now surrounded by Witch’s Dust. It allowed the silver tool to become far more effective than previously.

Before the suggestion from Crystal Core, her Witch’s Dust had trouble deciphering how to make more of itself when she arrived. It could exist and propagate within her blood, but it was challenging to analyze the mana structures of matter in this world. The solution from Crystal Core solved the problem neatly.

The method of analyzing did have a downside of requiring that Eve resupply herself more often with blood. Dungeon-born monster blood wasn’t a viable substitute. Eve had found out the hard way after puking her guts out. Only races from the surface that hadn’t been contaminated with the Dungeon’s mana were viable blood bag suppliers.

That fact had forced Eve to return to the deeper floors where it was easier to find isolated delvers. She was sure by now the rumors of a new monster floating around in casual conversation were about her. She was labeled as either an Angel or a Demon, depending on the gender talking about her.

Conversation in that vein didn’t worry her as much as the fact that a team was being put together to hunt her down. From the surface, the Loki, Freya, and Apollo Familia had several individuals at Levels far superior to Eve. It stood to reason that if she were superhuman at One, those at Four, Five, and Six would crush her like a bug. The first Divines I have an issue with are from a Greek Pantheon. Where is Baba Yaga or Tituba when I need them? Out to lunch in the Outer Realms, that’s where!”

Eve might have taken the risk of getting captured if she had more information. It would have been a quick trip to the surface, albeit under heavy guard. However, no information she had gleaned indicated that the Dungeon had sentient monsters. That meant she could be a mimic or just a dangerous new anomaly. Everyone knows what happens to the things that look human but don’t act it.

Mustering her thoughts back from woolgathering, she stared at the entrance to the Warren. Breaking through here on the fifth level guaranteed she would hit the tail end of Beginning Road. It was almost a straight shot from there to the surface. Mustering the last traces of sanity from the past several days, Eve moved into the first tunnel on the left.

Crystal Core unerringly led Eve through the current known parts of the maze she had already mapped. Fortunately, the Kobolds didn’t change the tunnels often. Privately she suspected it was because they would be just as lost as anyone else if they did. The first few tunnels were empty of life. That was utterly logical, as Kobolds were prey to monsters on the lower floors. Any scaled idiot wandering this deep asked to be returned to the Dungeon’s embrace.

She met her first sentry approximately a third of the way through the Warren. Eve dispatched the spear-wielding Kobold with a blade through the eye, utilizing her vastly superior speed. Kobold's senses were particularly sharp to the scent of blood. That meant she had to use quiet and scentless takedowns as much as possible. Painting the walls crimson, while stress relieving, would eventually force her to retreat. It only took a lucky strike to break through her defenses at her current level. I might be spun back into existence by the Talisman, but that comes with a whole host of other issues.

If the Dungeon decided to treat her power as Divine, Eve suspected she would be utterly screwed. From interrogating some of her food supply, she knew that any Divine presence drove the Dungeon mad. Common sense and rules were flipped off, and it would spawn creatures of incredible power to eliminate the threat. No overpowered threats until I’ve gotten a reliable shower.

Stripping the sentry allowed her to disguise her form partially. It wouldn’t hold up to close inspection, but anyone close enough to see through it would either be dead or dying. Eve created a handful of mini-cone spikes. Made from Witch’s Dust, they were the most efficient way to kill in the tunnels. The tiny cone spikes acted as both weapons and observation platforms.

They could shoot a limited number of tiny thread spikes. Against scales, it did nothing but into an eye or ear. It was death in seconds. Eve grumbled about the range is so short, but she worked with what she had. Moving through the Warren consisted of killing anything in groups of three or more minors. Larger groups of Kobolds lived due to dint of numbers. No matter how fast she was, three was her limit. More than three increased their chance of raising the alarm about unsustainable threat levels. Eve had witnessed the danger of numbers for the first time attempting to get through the Warren. It had thoroughly convinced her the idea was futile at her current Level.

Eve’s skin coloration had been altered to allow her to shift through the shadows more effectively. Stealing the Kobold sentry’s clothing allowed her to color it for camouflage with Witch’s Dust. Any Kobolds that noticed her from afar dismissed her as a rogue. While most monsters had no actual classes, Kobolds were organized enough to have them.

Sentries, Rogues, Casters, and Servants made up the Kobold class system. Most newbies were killed by either Rogues or Casters, as those groups actively hunted. On the other hand, Eve had never seen Sentries outside Warren. Suspiciously low amount of traffic this far into the Warren.

It put Eve’s teeth on edge. The Kobold Warren's regular traffic pattern grew denser the further one progressed. A deviation from the norm meant something was going on out of sight. There was a moment of hesitation that was crushed. The Thirst and Hunger had been growing more rampant. If she didn’t make it to the surface soon, there wouldn’t be much left but a mindless murder machine. I can’t delay any further—time to pick up the pace.

As she started moving through uncharted territory, the song of steel rang out faintly from the tunnels ahead. Eve’s head snapped up in delight as she began to run. The sounds of battle could mean only one thing. Someone else had fallen into the Warren. This opportunity had to be grasped!

“Back to back!”

“Doesn’t work yer too tall, damn elf!”

“Riveria?”

“I’ll use Wynn Fimbulvet. Get ready, you two!”

“Gareth knockback!”

“Finn, cut open some space to work!”

Eve peeked out, seeing a trio of dwarves, elves, and short human shouting at each other. In the center of the multi-racial trio was a group of two female humans and one male. The three large backpacks immediately informed anyone of their purpose.

“Supporters?” Eve murmured. What a rich group to have bag carriers this deep. The group hadn’t triggered the auto-spawn function of the Kobolds yet, but it was only a matter of time. She was about to intervene when the mana stirred, funneling towards the elf. Eve widened her eyes, unwilling to look away. This was mana manipulation by a powerful native!

Witch’s Dust heated up in her blood as it took the lesson to heart, improving her mana structure analysis by leaps and bounds. Eve watched as the funneled mana turned into a spell form within the elf’s body. When massive frost started creeping out over the Kobold masses, it was like a critical shifting within a lock for Eve. She finally had a starting point for analyzing the mana of this world!

With a twist, she finally dissolved the stuff within her bloodstream. Eve grimaced as two words flashed into her sight. Blood Magic I and Blood Manipulation I placed themselves into her Status with the assurance of a King and Queen. She had a sinking feeling confirmed seconds later as any attempt to mimic the ice mana structure failed. Eve’s eyes darkened and closed as the implications became clear. If two Elements were all she had access to, it would have to be enough. Two elements. The heavens are jealous, indeed.

Two would be enough. Eve would make it be enough.

Even as she tried to remain calm, her Thirst and Hunger sounded dissonant notes in her mind. Temper frayed by the realization of her limitations, she snapped. Her silver eyes opened, ambient mana no longer restricting her. She might only be Level One, but that didn’t mean much with access to ambient mana now. Crystal Core moved at supercomputer speeds creating the mana structure to manipulate Blood and Dust. Every second as she stepped out of the tunnel improved her control. Eve looked at the frozen statues before they turned to powder, revealing her entirely to the adventuring party.

The adventuring party that had relaxed as the elf frosted all the enemies over tensed up at her appearance.

The short human boy moved to the front and said, “Greetings, I am Finn. Would you happen to know a way out? The Loki Familia would be willing to pay handsomely for the information. We’ve never seen this part of the Dungeon.”

As she approached, Eve started disrobing her ebony skin, slowly leeching off color until it was a pale bone-white. Dressed in a top and bottom wrap, she finally replied to the child within a few steps, “Congratulations on activating the Hell Mode. They will not stop spawning until everyone here leaves their territory or dies.”

The tense atmosphere grew awkward as glances were exchanged among the Loki Familia.

Finn recovered quickly and said, “In that case, we would like to hire you to escape. Do you know a way out?”

“This was going to be my chance to get out, but you’ve gutted the chance to escape now. I’ll have to retreat.” Eve said as she turned to the closest tunnels. From within, the sound of claws scratching stones sounded out. “Follow fast. I’m on a clock now. I’ll lead you deeper to escape, but you must get me to the surface afterward. Promise?”

There was a pause before the dwarf said, “I promise in the name of our patron goddess, Loki.”

Eve bent her form down as her Jian appeared in her right hand. She looked like a sprinter with a sword, which was precisely what she was. As the first Kobold exited the tunnel directly in front of the group, she leaped forward quickly. The air from her passage rippled the hair of the Loki Familia. Blood Manipulation I and Blood Magic I worked together, eliminating fatigue toxins as Eve moved among the Kobolds.

To those observing her, she was a specter of death.

Eve flickered among the group of twenty like a meat-cutting machine. Arms, legs, and heads dropped to the edge of her Jian. Once all the Kobolds from the first wave were dead, she turned and cocked her head at Finn.

“Are you waiting for an invitation?” Eve said as she turned to run into the tunnel.