"What are you going to do now?"

  "Troll dungeon," Lev replied, sorting out the next steps in his head. "I want to get 15 dungeon clears out of the way before we escort miners down below. It will likely take a few days for me to do them all."

  "We will be wasting good time. Give me your glaive and go finish the troll dungeon."

  Lev did as he was told, slightly confused. Since there was no reason for him to worry, he put the matter at the back of his mind when Drakys vanished.

  The troll dungeon had a much larger crowd waiting in turn, making Lev hesitate. On one hand, it would be good experience to see how his arrows and lances compared to regenerating monsters with different levels of mana usage. On the other hand, the queue would take hours.

  Sighing, Lev settled in to wait.

  "Hey you," someone called out from behind him. Lev didn't turn at first, not knowing he was being addressed. Someone tapped him on the shoulder, firmly but nothing hostile.

  "You feel like a competent mage. Do you want to team up for this delve?"

  With light blonde hair and dark brown eyes, the person talking to him looked pretty genuine. Behind the person, four of his teammates were observing the interaction.

  "I'm sorry, I am here to delve solo," Lev politely refused.

  "I can see that. The name's Nizar by the way," Nizar offered his hand. Lev clasped it with his own.

  "Lev."

  "Okay, Lev. Even if you can surely just go in and level your skills by yourself, there are more than a hundred monsters inside. Why not join us instead and clear the whole thing?"

  More than a hundred trolls… Lev did some mental calculations, realizing the whole dungeon would eat up most of his pool.

  "Will it count for a dungeon clear quest?" Lev eventually asked.

  "Of course it will," Nizar replied, a little confused. "Is it your first dungeon?"

  "No, just my first time teaming up with someone else."

  Nizar was impressed, though Lev didn't know why. Perhaps people viewed solo hunters differently around these parts.

  "With the little bit of your aura I can sense, you're definitely not slouch. Will be a pleasure to have you on board."

  "Likewise," Lev motioned the Nizar's team. "What does the team composition look like?"

  Nizar waved them over. "We are a party of five. Two mages, two warriors, and a healer. With you, we will have just enough firepower to not worry about damage output."

  I sincerely doubt that it will be 'just enough' but sure.

  [Warrior - Level 121]

  [Warrior - Level 122]

  [Healer - Level 119]

  [Mage - Level 123]

  [Mage - Level 122]

  "The healer is Meera, the gem of our team," Nizar proudly announced, making Meera blush a little. "The mages are Enryu and Reina, and the warrior is Kayn."

  "I'm Lev," he introduced himself, keeping it simple. "Mage focused on ranged attacks. I'll be in your care today."

  Kayn grinned before walking up to Lev, putting an arm around his shoulders. "Don't worry temporary teammate. We are one of the strongest silver teams present in runespires, you're in good hands."

  Lev took a moment to inspect Kayn. He was pretty tall but not bulky with brown hair. With his easy smile and bright eyes, Kayn was the very picture of an Extrovert.

  "…What is the team's position in the queue?"

  "Just a few more minutes before we're let in," Reina replied, observing Lev's armor. "We should give a general overview of our abilities in the meantime. I am a lightning mage, focused on medium and long range spells."

  "Barrier mage, focused on projectiles and arrows."

  "Barrier mage, huh?" Kayn rubbed his chin, lost in thought. "Can you also make any sort of barriers along with the ranged attacks?"

  "Naturally," Lev replied, unable to keep some amusement out of his voice.

  Why on Monarch would I introduce myself as a barrier mage otherwise?

  Nizar spoke up next. "I'm a frontline swordsman. Pure physical strength."

  "Healing and only some physical buffs," Meera spoke, sending Lev an apologetic smile which he waved off. Nothing to be apologetic about there.

  "Now, I can tell you're incredibly curious," Kayn began, faltering under several exasperated gazes. "Tch. I'm a hybrid swordsman."

  "Hybrid?" Lev questioned, curious.

  "With water enhancement," came the proud reply. "Speed and sharpness focused."

  Lev played his part, also genuinely impressed. "That sounds pretty amazing."

  Water was the most mana-intensive basic element, purely because of its formless nature. Unlike fire or lightning, which one could just launch in a direction, water had to be firmly molded into something usable for proper utilization. It was both taxing on the mind and manapool.

  Several Masters had become incredibly strong simply by sticking with their element to make use of pressurized water, which was absolutely deadly with the right skills. Even from Lev's past life, he knew that water could cut stone with ease at high pressure.

  The portal pulsed behind them, signifying the cycle renewal.

  "Our turn," Nizar announced, taking the lead. The rest followed, Meera summoning the gear for everyone present from a ring on her left hand.

  "I'm a fire mage," Enryu, the last member spoke. "Fireballs and other similarly explosive spells."

  The six entered the portal with sure steps, finding themselves in a large grassland not dissimilar to where the portal was present. Several kilometers in the distance, Lev could see groups of trolls spaced apart by quite a bit.

  Summoning his bow, Lev ascended for merely a meter to look around without attracting attention.

  "Nothing near us," Lev informed the team after landing. "Which way are we going?"

  "Flight will be useful," Nizar commented, now entirely serious. "Let's move in formation. Which was the closest?"

  "Left."

  "We go straight then. Meera, you're in the middle. Mages behind us."

  Moving in a simple formation, they jogged their way to the leftmost group of monsters, a trio of trolls.

  [Troll Warrior - Level 123]

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  [Troll Warrior - Level 125]

  [Troll Warrior - Level 125]

  "How do you guys usually do this?" Lev asked beforehand.

  "Save mana for the last three hordes, support the melee fighters," Reina replied, preparing a small spell.

  Lev formed an arrow before infusing it with lightning, keeping the mana usage low. With a single percept of his total mana, Lev could form several such arrows. Despite that, each would be quite a problem for the trolls who had now noticed them.

  Keeping an eye on Kayn and his body enhancement, Lev loosed the first arrow. It flew forward as a blue streak, considerably slower than his usual attacks, but still hit the troll in its leg in a blink.

  Nizar didn't miss the chance, slicing through its other uninjured leg as the lightning locked up its muscles, putting it down in a few seconds.

  Lev observed the remaining two monsters. Kayn danced around them with ease, his moves fluid like the element he utilized.

  With a roar, the troll threw a straight punch at him with all its might. Kayn seemed perfectly calm, twisting a little to let the limb pass inches from his face. Spinning, his sword cut a large gash on the troll's chest.

  Before the second monster could attack him, a lightning bolt locked it in place. Lev made use of the opening, piercing its brain with an arrow.

  Seeing that everyone else was done, Kayn smoothly ducked under a kick and beheaded the overcommitted monster.

  "That went well," Nizar remarked. "How many similar arrows can you fire?"

  "Enough for this dungeon," Lev answered cryptically.

  "Good enough, just don't hold back against the boss."

  "Of course," Lev gave him a long glance. That was a stupid reminder if he had ever seen one.

  "So, barrier mage," Kayn walked up to him, once again throwing his arm on Lev's shoulder with a smile. "How was it? Suitably impressed?"

  "I am," Lev honestly answered.

  Kayn's grin widened at the compliment, and he took the lead again with Nizar.

  "Should I prepare something for the boss?"

  "Hmm?" Kayn turned to him. "Oh right, barriers. What can you do?"

  "Chains for now," Lev thought of other things he could do. "Or a really strong ranged attack."

  "Won't need it, hopefully," Nizar interjected. "Just use stronger versions of those arrows and it will be enough."

  Guess they are competent. Kayn's words about being one of the strongest silver teams might turn out to be true depending on how the final fight goes.

  "Why didn't we harvest the cores by the way?" Lev eventually asked.

  "They're not worth anything. Only the core from the boss sells," Enryu answered, eyes on the horizon. Lev had yet to see the mage fire a spell.

  Moving in a circle, they put down four groups of three trolls before the first group of five showed up.

  "Something new I should expect?"

  "No spellcaster yet. Only keep an eye out for those," Nizar replied, tensing as the trolls noticed them.

  Forming an arrow, Lev put more mana into this one. They could probably still take the group with ease but it was better to not risk anything.

  Enryu took the lead this time, hurtling a massive fireball into the small horde. The blast engulfed all of the monsters yet failed to put down any of them. For all their vulnerability to fire, trolls were tenacious against everything.

  Lev loosed the first arrow before the fire cleared, accurately piercing the chest of one of the monsters. Lightning seared its heart and other organs, the damage thorough enough to overwhelm its regeneration and kill it.

  Reina's lightning bolt put down another troll as the smoke cleared before the melee fighters reached them. Meera used her buff on Kayn for the first time, improving his physical attributes considerably.

  While the melee fighters battled, Lev pondered on why the ranged members of the party didn't help them. Sure, the warriors had it under control but wouldn't it be better to end the fight quickly?

  The only answer he could come up with was that they wanted to save mana. If that was the case, perhaps he had been judging his Wisdom Boost pretty harshly so far.

  Not only that, he also had a large attribute advantage over the other mages.

  Even if I have a lot more mana, how much do small spells cost with the passive skills empowering them?

  The more Lev thought about it, the weirder his expression became under the armor. Thankfully, no one else noticed it.

  I've never given it too much thought before but I have … 70 free Wisdom from my titles. Including my 125% capacity boost, 72% Wisdom boost, and 370 total Wisdom, the total mana I have is… I don't even fucking know, what the hell.

  He no longer had any doubts about why the mages were trying to save mana; Lev's own status was just cracked as hell.

  The dungeon passed quickly enough, the hunters putting down dozens of trolls before only the final groups of monsters remained.

  "Now you can let loose," Reina looked at Lev. "The hordes will have more than ten trolls each. Try to kill at least half before they reach the vanguard."

  "Will do."

  The smaller hordes, each with three, five, or seven monsters, were present in a circle around the portal. The final three hordes were usually found straight ahead.

  Lev flew a little higher to scout. "I see them. Thirteen in this one, two casters."

  "Can you take them out?" Nizar questioned without slowing down.

  I can take all of them… but it would ruin the essence gain for you guys.

  "I'll try. Since they are both spaced apart, only one will fall before they're too alert," Lev lied, finding the act distinctly unpleasant.

  "That is enough, go ahead."

  With a quiet sigh, a normal sized lance formed behind Lev. Streaming mana into his converters, with most of it going to the fire converter, the lance slowly brightened into shades of red and orange.

  Focusing, he launched the lance at the right caster, the attack reaching it in instant. The monster tried to form a wall but the lance was too fast, piercing its chest.

  The hunters powered through the weak shockwave, running to reach the disoriented monsters, courtesy of the explosion.

  Kayn's longsword shone bright blue, releasing a large crescent blade of compressed water, cutting deep into the torsos of two trolls. Nizar charged forward with his huge sword, slapping away a punch with it before thrusting the weapon forward with a roar.

  The injured but regenerating trolls never got a chance to rejoin as a huge fireball and several firespears impacted, the stragglers put down by thick lightning bolts.

  The final caster launched several fireballs, each blocked by Lev's flying shields lazily. It gave up after a few attempts, risking its own life to overload a spell. An arrow ended the attempt before it could begin.

  Like before, the fight only lasted less than a minute but the fighters were considerably more tired now. The mages also seemed slightly spent for whatever reason, something Lev couldn't relate to.

  It was common knowledge that intense spell casting took a toll on the mage's mind and soul, inducing a lethargy in severe cases that could hinder their casting.

  He had never felt that. Sure, arcane classes helped greatly, for they were designed to channel large amounts of mana, but he also-

  Oh, right. Each time I used too much mana, I also passed out. Maybe that was also a reason for losing consciousness.

  Putting the inspiration aside, Lev focused back on the monsters. The next horde perished much the same. Lev's presence alone reduced their threat to null. His arrows found their mark without fail, killing the most trolls out of everyone present.

  The opening salvo took out a major threat in both hordes, letting the mages support the melee fighters without issue. Someone might even have felt bad for the troll caster with how easily its spells were rendered useless by Lev's shields.

  Flying a bit above ground to continue scouting, Lev noticed the final horde before the monsters noticed them.

  "17 monsters. Four casters and one commander."

  "Ooh that's unlucky," Kayn grimaced. "I recommend we turn back."

  "Is that not normal?" Lev piped up before anyone else could vote.

  "Commanders rarely spawn in dungeons, but it's not unheard of. I agree with Kayn as well," Nizar said.

  "Hold on, it can't be that bad. What level is it?" Lev interrupted again, noticing slight frustration on Nizar's face.

  "Over 180. It is much stronger than normal monsters, Lev. Risking it is not worth it."

  "How about this. If I can kill most of them for you, will you group up against the commander?"

  "Can you even do that?" Enryu remarked, raising an unconvinced brow.

  "You will see if you agree."

  "Sure, worst comes to worst, we just fight," Reina said, looking at Meera.

  "If your attacks are not strong enough, we can just run back to the portal," Meera's opinion sealed the deal. "Someone better carry me, though."

  Lev gave her a thumbs-up and turned to the commander. His present company was probably expecting him to fly closer, but Lev did the opposite.

  Backtracking for several hundreds of meters, Lev flew higher and formed three large lances. Mana seeped out of his converters, teleported to the lances through his skill as the monsters remained oblivious to their demise.

  When they were ready, holding nearly a tenth of his total mana, Lev launched all three at the commander instead of the horde.

  In the single second window to react, four different spells were cast but the projectiles landed amidst the monsters before they could even take form.

  [

  You have slain [Troll Commander - Level 182]

  Mana Tempest has reached Level 138

  5 Free attribute points

  ]

  When the explosion cleared, there were only five trolls still standing, and none of them were casters. They were put down with ruthless efficiency by his team.

  Lev slowly floated back to the waiting team who wasted no time in harvesting the core, watching him fly closer with disbelieving gazes.

  Nizar held out the core while looking at the rest of his team. Seeing no disagreement, he tossed it to Lev.

  "Thanks," Lev nodded before they were teleported outside.

  "Wait, where are you going now?" Kayn walked up to him, happy with how things had turned out.

  Lev looked around as he replied. "I'm afraid someone might be waiting for me- oh there he is."

  Drakys was unsurprisingly surrounded by everyone present, even the guard.

  "I'm sure there will be plenty of events in Haven in the near future as well. Chances are, I'll be there with you all."

  Done talking, Drakys motioned for him to follow before flying off. Lev gave one last wave to the wide-eyed silver team standing still like statues before flying after Drakys.

  It was fun while it lasted.