[ You have slain an E-Rank, Dormant Monster, Flying Bat. ]
This time Vale heard the sound of the voice clearly.
His breathing was heavy. Though he had remained in full control of the battle, facing two monsters—even E-Ranks—had taken a great toll on his body. Exhausted beyond belief, he slumped against the cave wall, trying to catch his breath.
His gaze shifted to the lifeless bodies of the creatures, his expression unreadable. Then, a sudden realization dawned on his face.
"Mana Crystals!"
He had completely forgotten about them.
When a monster or a person dies, their core shatters, leaving behind the strongest fragment—known as a mana crystal. These crystals were more than just useful; consuming one not only replenished a person's core but also saturated it, gradually increasing its capacity.
Everyone's core had a slightly different limit, but on average, it took around a thousand mana crystals to fully saturate a core.
But for Vale, things were different. His core could rank up—something completely unheard of. And so he had a hunch that mana crystals might serve a different purpose for him.
Wasting no time, he sprang to his feet and approached one of the fallen creatures. With a practiced motion, he used his blade to slice open the monster's abdomen. As the flesh split apart, a dark, glossy crystal was revealed—a mana crystal.
A faint smile crossed Vale's face.
Holding the creature's wound open with one hand, he set his sword down and reached for the crystal.
Then, just as his fingers were about to grasp it, a dark spark flickered into existence.
Its fluid-like form stretched, wrapping itself around the crystal. Before Vale could even react, the crystal was gone.
"Huh?! You damn—"
But before he could curse at his useless ability, a sudden change in its appearance caught him off guard.
The spark appeared to become darker, its form expanding ever-so slightly.
Then, Vale remembered the description of his unique ability.
"...the spark devours all as it continues to grow."
For a brief moment, the spark seemed to have stared at him, floating right in front of his face. Then, just as suddenly, it vanished.
Vale clenched his jaw. Not only was his ability useless, but now it had also stolen his mana crystal.
"Well, at least it does grow…whatever that means."
Shaking his head, he turned toward the second creature.
Just as before, the spark materialized, devoured the crystal, grew slightly larger, and then disappeared.
As he had suspected, the spark also consumed the second mana crystal.
Accepting that he wouldn't be able to use mana crystals himself anytime soon, Vale sighed and rose to his feet. He couldn't afford to linger here any longer—he had to keep moving.
Without another word, he continued forward.
As he walked, Vale summoned his Status window, focusing on his core rank.
Core Rank [E, 3/250]
"3 out of 250…not bad"
Although Vale had already been lucky—receiving a weapon artifact after killing his first monster, he had also hoped to gain something from slaying the two flying creatures. Yet, luck was not on his side.
Not only had he received nothing, but his damn unique ability had consumed their mana crystals, leaving him unable to replenish his essence.
His body was exhausted, his Dormant core depleted. Soon, he would need food and water if he wanted to keep going. If he didn't get out of this cave soon, his situation would turn dire very quickly.
With newfound determination, he picked up his pace, walking just a little faster.
As he moved, his eyes wandered, taking in the monotonous surroundings. He had grown tired of the repetitive sights—the same rocky walls, the uneven flooring, the jagged ceiling, and the occasional pile of rubble in the distance.
Then—
"Wait, what?"
His eyes widened.
Right in front of him, a massive pile of rocks completely blocked the tunnel's opening. Through the cracks, thin strands of light seeped through.
His stomach twisted as a sudden realization sank in.
The passage was blocked.
Using what strength he had left, Vale pushed against the rubble, but the heavy rocks refused to budge. He tried pulling one of the smaller boulders toward him, but it too wouldn't move.
"Dammit!"
Frustration gnawed at him as he lingered, coming to terms with his situation. He couldn't move the pile of rocks—there was no way through. He had to find another way out.
But that would have to wait. His body was exhausted, his core completely depleted after his last battle. Rest was no longer a luxury; it was a necessity. Dismissing his weapon, he lay down on the cold, rocky floor, letting exhaustion take over.
Vale fell asleep.
A few hours later, he stirred awake, shivering from the freezing cold.
"It must be night time," he muttered.
The temperature had dropped significantly, the cave now a frigid void. Fortunately, his torch still radiated heat, keeping him from freezing entirely.
He wasted no more time. Rest had helped, but he couldn't afford to stay here any longer. He had to find a way out.
He retraced his steps through the tunnel, moving swiftly through the familiar path. It wasn't long before he came across the lifeless corpses of the creatures he had slain earlier. Paying them no mind, he stepped over their remains and continued forward.
Before long, he arrived at the point where the two tunnels split.
He didn't hesitate. Having already wasted enough time on the blocked passage, he turned toward the tunnel leading deeper into the cave, hoping it would eventually lead to an exit.
The descent became steep quickly. The deeper he went, the more treacherous the path became, forcing him to watch his footing to avoid tumbling downward. The walls, once smooth and structured, grew jagged and irregular.
This wasn't the kind of change he had hoped for. As he ventured further, the cave lost its artificial feel, transforming into something raw and untouched. The once-polished floor turned uneven and rocky, forcing him to tread carefully.
Then, he spotted a sharp turn—the tunnel's wall curving to the right. He approached cautiously, peeking around the corner before fully stepping out from its cover.
But the moment his head moved past the edge of the wall, a large bat-like creature lunged toward him, its fangs aimed straight at his face.