Chapter 104: Idle Hands?

  So, another camping spot was a bust. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that it was a monumentally stupid idea to sleep above a volcano, no matter how small it was. Its dormancy was not even in question, due to what Parth witnessed, both in his dream and in reality. Nonetheless, once the dungeon gets its influx of participants once again, it’ll be itching to feed.

  Within no time, the three voyagers took to the air atop Moira’s low-power diamond card, propelled by her vectors and Parth’s flames. His flames still kept flashing blue occasionally and churning more power than usual. It was too finicky for shaping, so for now, Moira’s platforms would do. But he needed to get this under control soon. The dungeon was not a place where such mistakes could be carried out in perpetuity.

  It was a chore, moving from place to place. Running. Parth was done with it. Once they found a proper campsite, he would not move. He was healed now, the Drake could take another shot at them if it wanted. In his current state, he’d roast it alive. Since Kwame was awake and Moira wasn’t as tapped for mana as before, it was time to stand their ground. And neither did he care about the volcano, as long as they stayed away from it. The entire layer of the dungeon will erupt in flames when the time comes. That would just be another conquered obstacle at that point. One of the myriad flaming hotspots of this layer.

  As they flew away, Parth finally got a good look at their current goal. When he woke up in this trial, he was too hurt to move around. And after he recovered, he was too busy engrossed in the mystery of the cave. But now, he finally drank in the sight of the massive monolith that they’d have to reach. Each layer of the dungeon had one. It was the gateway to the subsequent layer after all.

  The trial of earth had a marble monolith, while the previous layer had one made of ice. In this layer, the one dedicated to fire, the monolith was an eerie obsidian. Orange lines similar to lava cracks decorated the black monolith. It was a bit too on the nose. And it reminded him of his gauntlets as well, albeit obviously crude. The monolith was not crafted by a master craftsman; it was just a crude structure created by the dungeon. The contrasting colors worked, though. It was a promise that there was going to be an ignition soon.

  And they were still not making any headway into this dungeon. They were still just moving around in the regions closer to the various gates, the fringes of the dimension. Essentially, they were traversing the circumference of the dungeon. Parth knew that the dungeon was like an onion, with each layer containing the next. But reading that and experiencing that was a different matter. The dungeon was a dimensional anomaly of the highest order. As long as they were on the edge and sticking to it, they would never get closer to the next layer. Spend enough time traversing the edge, and they’ll be back to the specific gate they’d entered through. They’d have to go towards the monolith to make any sort of progress. But half of this mess was over. Just this obsidian monolith and the one inside the next layer. After that, they’d be free.

  There was a long time to go before the trial of fire started in earnest. Ideally, if they had all their supplies in hand, they should have made their way to the next layer of the dungeon. Clear the trial of fire before it even started. But with just two cases’ worth of supplies remaining, they’d not last long even in the next layer. Especially when their allotted provisions for the previous trial were already consumed. They could survive off the dungeon, but that was a risky endeavor. It wasn’t a sustainable option either.

  Knowing Serval and the others, supplies were coming. They just had to tough it out until then.

  Moreover, these weird dreams and the oddness with his abilities were beginning to seriously unsettle him. It was something out of his control. And naturally, he had only one habit that gave him a sense of control. He needed to settle down at a spot and train. As much as could be done in the current condition. The dungeon would not let them rest easy. Nothing else could be done, so Parth would weather what it threw at him.

  After nearly a day of flying on the fringes of this dimension, they finally found a spot. From up top, it was obscured by a layer of steam. But given what they knew about this specific dungeon floor, steam either meant one of two things. Confident that Parth could handle it regardless, they swooped down to scout the place.

  The confidence was not unfounded, as Parth switched on his heat radar, allowing him to discern what was hidden by the steam. Despite the oddity of the dream, his greatest takeaway so far had been the front-seat experience on how to use this ability.

  “Good news, guys. We’re not looking at a lava pool here.” There had been a few such instances already in the past few hours. Finally, their search bore some fruit at least.

  Moira immediately perked up at once. “So, hot springs?”

  “Feels like it. Let’s take a closer look.”

  The constant emission of steam hampered visibility, but that was no longer an issue for Parth. Zoning in on the heat signature, he began guiding Moira through the steam. It didn’t take them long to descend upon the source. Within minutes, they were close enough now to finally get a proper look at it. Down below, there were several pools of water from which steam was wafting off. Some were large, some were small, but they were all grouped together. The steam coming off of them coalesced and kept rising, shrouding the whole place with a massive dome of steam that they had just passed through. They’d chanced upon a cluster of hot springs.

  Strangely enough, some of them didn’t look natural even from their vantage point. The stonework was too clear-cut and neatly arranged to be natural. At the same time, though, there was a broken-down clay and stone structure that looked like an open shed. And there were more broken clay walls that signified there were some sort of separators between the springs, presumably to divide the male and female areas. Cracked paths between the pools, and a similar path leading out of the hot springs and into the foliage. This whole place reeked of something fishy.

  The first thought that jumped into Parth’s mind was that it was one of those dungeon traps. Like the one they got stuck in way back during the first trial. And he didn’t have to say anything to Moira either, as she slowed to a stop rather than getting even closer to the hot springs. Parth took the opportunity to concentrate even further with the aid of his heat radar. For the next minute, he kept all his focus on monitoring every current of temperature flowing around the place.

  He didn’t find anything odd. So, it was time to poke the bear and see if it was dead. “Kwame, throw the Knuckleball around. At least with enough force to simulate about a hundred kilos.”

  “Sure thing,” Kwame said. The next moment, the Knuckleball zipped out from Kwame’s palm and circled their position. It picked up pace and dropped into the water with a large splash. It did not need its speed boosts. It was a spherical piece of metal. No matter how magical it was, that wouldn’t change. A flying piece of metal didn’t need too much speed to emulate a mere hundred kilograms worth of force.

  Kwame then repeated the same process for all the pools, with nothing happening apart from the splashing of water. The splatter of water and the displacement of air were very vivid in Parth’s heat sense. Too many droplets and air currents to individually keep track of, at his level. But he could understand the situation quite well. So far, there was nothing out of the ordinary. But it never hurt to be careful.

  Once again, Moira seemed to be on the same wavelength as Parth and beat him to the punch, “Knock around a stone or two. Maybe thump the empty patches of ground. Vary the force a bit while you’re at it. Let’s really put this thing through its paces.”

  Parth nodded solemnly in agreement.

  “If you say so. Although, be ready to fire at anything that jumps out,” Kwame said as he followed through once again.

  Parth snorted in response and pointed his palm at the hot springs. “No need to remind me. I’m always up for some pyromania.” His control over the blue bursts of flame was no better than it was about a day ago, but he didn’t have to thread the needle for a problem like this. All he needed was ample firepower. And that, he had in plenty.

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  For the next minute, Kwame was literally and figuratively pounding sand. And nothing happened. The small indents and cracks caused by his hits did not repair themselves. Nothing jumped at them. The place did not transform into any elaborate maze. It was most likely not a trap. For good measure, Kwame smashed apart the already broken clay shed, and it completely collapsed, causing a loud ruckus.

  A few moments of silence later, Moira finally lowered the platform to the ground. Her deck was still in her hand, alert. Kwame did not get up, but the knuckleball was buzzing around him now, prepared. And Parth’s gauntlets were still out, emitting heat that mingled with the hot spring’s steam.

  “Let’s scope the place. I don’t want any surprises again,” said Parth.

  If everything worked out, then this would be an amazing place to recuperate. Especially considering that Parth’s provisions had been destroyed. With mana, their stomachs can handle the minerals in the hot springs’ water. Not to mention the few purifying capsules and the one high-tech filter they had on hand. Since they’d all teamed up after the first trial. Some of these things were divided between their containers so that they could be better prepared for more situations. Each box had only so much space, after all.

  Thankfully, Parth didn’t carry the critical gizmo that the team needed. He only had provisions. But he had more emergency provisions apart from his own stuff to make up for the other things his teammates were carrying. This was because of his preferred mode of combat being close quarters. Which increased the risk to his container. And that was proven to be right, since they’d lost his.

  The one filter would be enough to hold on for now. Food was still a huge question at present, but at least one headache was potentially sorted. If these hot springs were not a trap, then they were a massive silver lining in this steam-filled cloud.

  Moira’s wings manifested as she began floating around the hot springs, trying to see if anything odd caught her eye. Her makeshift platform made out of her diamond barrier was still hovering a few feet above ground, keeping Kwame safe. With the state he was in, it would be impossible for him to scout this place. So, he stayed afloat, ready to snipe at any threat as usual.

  Parth meanwhile jumped from the platform, landing nimbly without making much sound. Mana acted as a nice cushion to mask the jump. It still felt performative, as they had already caused a huge ruckus in this place. But this habit had already formed during the first trial, and Parth was a habitual creature.

  The moment he set foot on the ground, there was an air of familiarity that gnawed at him. Deja vu happens at odd times, Parth knew that. But this was not just deja vu. His gauntlets began emitting feedback similar to how they were acting up when he met Andrea for the first time. Although it was a lot more visceral this time. This was not good. Last time this happened, his aggression cranked up for no reason apart from the two artifacts trying to square up against each other. He didn’t want to know what effect it would have this time.

  As he walked around the gravel, he tried his best to suppress his artifact. When that didn’t work, Parth momentarily tried unequipping the gauntlets back to their tattoos. To his shock, that didn’t work either. His gauntlets were usually an extension of himself. They listened to all his commands. But this was unprecedented. He grit his teeth as he ramped up his attempts to throw his mana and will into the gauntlets, with an intense intention to smother this nonsense. As the triplets had taught him, mana needed intent, direction, and volume to efficiently carry out what was required.

  His arms twitched as the trick seemed to work, and the gauntlets melted back into his tattoos. For a moment, Parth just stood there, basking in the immediate clarity of mind. He knew that he was not defenseless without his gauntlets either. The mental spar against his doppelganger taught him that much. But the pygilist acting up in such a manner was getting increasingly frustrating. Especially at such a crucial stage in their trial. First, the random bursts of blue flames making fine control impossible, and now this weird behavior.

  After that first spar with Andrea, Lord Kach had spent a long time trying to find out the cause of such behavior, to no avail. And the logs of Parth’s predecessors weren’t of much help in this regard as well. He felt incredibly tired of being the subject of some once-in-a-lifetime shenanigans.

  Regardless, he needed to finish inspecting this place, so he kept walking.

  “I don’t see anything odd. All okay over there?” Moira’s called out from the other side of the cluster. Parth looked over to see that she was standing on the ground now as well. There was no visible discomfort in her posture or expression.

  For a second, he stood still, pondering what to say. She was asking about the hot springs, but that was not the only pressing issue here, given what had just happened with his artifact.

  If she had faced something odd with her artifacts, she’d have told him, and it would have been obvious. Heck, she had two artifacts, so if this place was targeting them in particular, Moira would have been affected for sure. So it was just him. With the condition they were all in, Parth didn’t want to unnerve them even more, if it was just a continuation of the weird things he was experiencing. While they were flying over, he had told them about the weird vision, and they too seemed to have an air of frustration upon them due to these oddities.

  “Yeah, I don’t see anything weird as well,” Parth finally said reluctantly. He had this artifact under control now, after all.

  Moira’s wings materialized again as she flew over the pools and landed in front of Parth. Her barrier floated forward, aided by her vectors, carrying Kwame to them.

  “Then I guess, we’re camping out here?” Kwame asked.

  “I suppose. Not right here, though. We’d need to set up camp somewhere close by. Our mana can protect us from most natural gases rising from these hot springs, but only to a certain extent. We never know what can happen inside this hellhole. At least our water situation is somewhat sorted now,” Parth replied.

  “Makes sense. You don’t have your gear. And the spare filters are not as good as the ones on our armor,” Moira said, fiddling with her neck gaiter absentmindedly.

  Parth chuckled in response, waving his hand over his tattered undersuit. Sixty percent of it was just bandages at this point anyway. He was lucky that at least some part of his stuff survived the Severance’s final gambit, even though it was barely hanging on. It was just another headache now, along with the limited rations.

  “Now come here,” Parth said, picking up Kwame and carrying him on his piggyback. Moira’s barrier was nearing its shelf life, and she’d need to create another one. It was pointless to waste mana like that when they’re planning on settling down here. Once Kwame was properly secure, they began walking following the trail that led them out of the hot springs.

  “Let’s find a camp, you can use my spare undersuit...” Kwame trailed off sheepishly midway. He was a couple of inches shorter than Parth, and their frame was different. He was a lanky teen, while Parth was a grown boxer. So Kwame’s clothes would be a very tight fit for Parth. But they had to make do with what they had.

  Not to mention, the situation was not ideal for Kwame and Moira as well. Their armor mesh was made to be waterproof for the previous level. It trapped a lot of heat to counter the cold climate, which was not suitable for the current level at all. Not to mention the damage incurred from constant battle. Moira would definitely be switching to her spare undersuit as well, since the spares were basically their undersuits from the first trial. The armor plates could be refitted to the old suits pretty quickly, so Moira’s situation was sorted.

  Even then, it wouldn’t be ideal until they managed to get their new supplies from their allies in a couple of weeks. The special suit for this level would be breathable and wouldn’t trap any heat. They didn’t already have those in hand because they were undergoing last-minute alterations. It was all costly stuff and took time to make in the first place. But their sudden influx of mana crystals had given them the leeway to spruce up their gear. Which was both a blessing and a curse currently. Blessing, because if it were already made, then Parth’s gear would have still been lost regardless, and a last-minute replacement to send with their allies would be a burden on Lord Kach and Celeste.

  “Nah. I wouldn’t be able to move around and fight in a super-tight undersuit anyway. It’s better if you switch out to your spare undersuit. It’ll help you with the temperature. The heat doesn’t affect me, so I can live with a baggy hoodie and sweatpants if you have any.”

  Parth didn’t need the benefits of the spare undersuits in this level of the dungeon, but the others needed them for sure. And his armor plates were already shredded, so there was no point in his wearing the undersuit anyway.

  “Well, if you’re sure about that, I have my basketball shorts. Should fit you.”

  Moira looked at him weirdly at that, “Why do you have basketball shorts? We’re supposed to be fighting for our lives in the dungeon, you know?”

  “Hey, I always carry a pair just in case. Not to play, just in case my pants got too dirty or torn, or something like that. I know that our dungeon kit doesn’t have those problems. But it’s just a habit at this point. And it’s coming in handy now, isn’t it?” Kwame said defensively.

  Thankfully, Kwame couldn’t see Parth’s wide grin because he was on piggyback, but unfortunately, he could definitely see Moira’s. “Mock me some more, why don’t you? I’d love to see Parth wearing one of your tiny track suits instead.”

  “I didn’t say anything,” Moira raised her hands defensively.

  “Yeah, I’m good with the shorts, Kwame. No need to dress me up in anything else,” Parth said. He angled his head to see Kwame smiling as well. It was a miracle that they could all share a light moment despite the mess they found themselves in. It felt nice to be rid of the negativity for a short while.

  They kept walking, and several minutes later, they spotted a small clearing up ahead, veering away from the trail. It seemed good enough that they wouldn’t be surprised by anything gunning for them. Not that it was now a big deal, given that Parth could now sense any oncoming threats. But he was still new to this ability, so it didn’t hurt to be safe. As they began veering towards the clearing, Parth abruptly came to a stop.

  “What happened?” Moira asked, noticing his halted steps. “Why are you pointing there?”

  “What?” Parth asked, confused. “I’m not pointing anywhere.”

  “Umm,” Kwame hummed as he poked Parth’s right hand, which was extended.

  Parth jerked in shock, looking at his right arm, which was unnervingly still and stiff. It was extended, gauntlet fully materialized, and finger pointing towards the trail. The feedback from it was back in full force, pricking at his head insistently. He knew that he had suppressed his gauntlets and that he hadn’t moved his arm.

  So why was it back outside and moving his hand on its own?