"...Yeah, I call 'em shinies! Cause they have those shiny crystals on their bodies. They're better, faster, stronger than the regular folks. It takes quite a bit of time and talent to become one though. And if that wasn't enough, I hear the transformation isn't exactly pleasant... Quite the opposite in fact. Just rememberin' the screams when someone crossed the threshold in the house next door... Not a thing I would like to listen to, and certainly not a thing I'm looking forward to experience."
-A snippet from a dialogue in the City of Forest's Edge. 57 AA.
Lancelot was slightly less baffled than his mother, who shouted over their connection. It was partly because Lancelot did not care about Beatrice as much as Matilda did, and because his Mana Senses were showing him a sequence of events that was quite familiar with what he witnessed recently.
* * *
Meanwhile, the Healer girl in question was writhing on the ground, screaming her lungs out in agony. She grasped at her head, or rather her forehead as if experiencing an ultra-deluxe-version migraine. The Explorers who were near her were shocked to see her on the ground all of a sudden while she was fine a moment ago.
They then quickly tried to help her somehow, but only holding her down so that she wouldn't accidentally hurt herself. Marilyn and Johann were not far from the scene, being in the same Chamber, so they quickly rushed over. Marilyn, being the ever-concerned leader, immediately tried to understand what happened, rapidly shooting out questions about how this happened.
Johann stood back as it was already crowded, but suddenly his brows furrowed.
He saw green light gather on the girl's forehead, and the sight tickled his recent painful memory. Having an inkling of what might be happening, he spoke loudly, giving out commands.
"Everyone step away! Marilyn and I will handle this!"
This earned him a questioning and worried look from the woman in question. He immediately explained as he crouched down, restraining the poor healer with a firm grip.
"Don't let her touch her forehead! She might be forming a crystal there!"
Marilyn was baffled for a moment, nevertheless holding Beatrice's head from behind, as it thrashed against the ground. She asked at the same time.
"What do you mean a crystal, aren't those..."
Understanding dawned on her the next moment, however.
"Wait... You mean just like-"
"Just like me, yeah."
Marilyn wanted to ask for more details, but making sure Beatrice made it through was a priority.
Seconds turned into minutes as the girl's grueling trial continued. Beatrice's voice had gone hoarse by this point, sore from all the screaming. Marilyn couldn't help but ask her question at this point, as the process was quite a bit longer than Johann's.
"Why is this taking so long?!"
Johann's expression was not much better than her own. He stayed silent for a moment in contemplation, before giving a somewhat vague answer.
"When my 'crystal' formed, it was as if I was burnt and frozen alive at the same time. It was far more painful than anything I've experienced, and I've been through quite a bit."
He then turned his gaze to the girl on the ground.
"...She, on the other hand, is probably not accustomed to pain all that much. Still, there's nothing we can do but trust her to get through it."
Needless to say, the man's words did not ring with optimism. His words instead brought quite grim expectations to Marilyn's mind. She solemnly held Beatrice's hand tight, whispering under her breath.
"...Come on girl, we are with you. You can do this!"
This ironically reminded Marilyn of that one time she helped with a delivery back in Cypress Town. Back then and now a woman's life faced death, only a thin barrier of willpower separating the two.
Thankfully, it would seem that no life would be lost today. Beatrice's struggles lessened, and her breathing gradually calmed down. The green light on her forehead intensified as it swirled with Nature Mana. The cluster of it condensed and seeped into her skin, the whole spectacle soon coming to a quiet end.
In the space above Beatrice's glabella now a rhombus-shaped green crystal pulsed with fluctuating green light. Thin geometrical patterns spread from it, covering her forehead, stopping just above her eyebrows. They pulsed along with the crystal core, like veins throbbing along with the beat of the heart.
Seeing that the girl was fine, her breath stabilizing, Marilyn breathed out in relief. She slumped on her back, letting Beatrice lay on the ground, resting.
Johann too let go of the healer, standing up even though the tension was gone.
"See? She made it through. There was no need to be so worried."
In response, Marilyn shot him a glare.
"...Shut up."
She then remained seated for a while before trying to stand up. Once she tried to, however, she nearly fell to the ground.
Johann heard her murmur something under her breath, so he spoke up.
"Did you say something?"
"...me up."
Her voice was only slightly louder, so he didn't manage to catch it again.
"I'm sorry, I didn't manage to hear it."
Marilyn's ears turned slightly red as she turned up to gaze at him, she spoke on the verge of shouting.
"Help me get up! My bloody legs are numb!"
Johann obediently lent the woman his arm, not understanding what he did to earn the woman's ire.
* * *
Being the being that he was, Lancelot watched the whole transformation from start to finish, cataloging the entire series of events in his memory. He also noted that despite Beatrice's creation of a Core, it differed from Johann's. The difference lay not only in position but also in size and some subtleties and the way it connected to the body's Mana Circuit.
'Hmm... It would seem that the innate 'Class' probably plays a part in the Core's creation. It may also be influenced by other things, such as gender or maybe even age. Further observation is needed.'
Compared to a 'Warrior Core' as Lancelot named it for the moment, the 'Mage Core' did not refine the physique as much, instead further reinforcing the Mana Circuit, even making some small changes to the person's brain, an organ Lancelot had not yet fully figured out.
'Still, it probably means that the brain is as important for a Mage as their Circuit is... If I manage to somehow reverse engineer the modifications, I may discover something.'
But Lancelot then remembered that he already had multiple unfinished projects hanging on his metaphorical neck. Add that to Beatrice being the only 'Cored' Mage at the moment, the idea was made unfeasible for the moment.
Seeing that there seemed to be no more surprises at the moment Lancelot turned his attention away from the group of Explorers. He doubted they would try to delve deeper anytime soon. Lancelot was about to sink back into his research before he remembered that he was still 'on the line' with his mother, as he simply was too distracted with the fascinating process to remember to cut the 'call'.
Thankfully she seemed to notice and figure this out, staying silent, but being ready to listen. Lancelot decided not to disappoint her expectations, finally answering her.
'...Thanks for waiting, I got carried away again. Anyway, Beatrice is fine and dandy, maybe a little exhausted, but she leveled up!'
Matilda's voice could be heard after a brief pause.
'Explanations please?'
Lancelot then summarized briefly what had just happened as well, telling her of the similar thing that happened to Johann. He explained the possible causes and benefits of these human Cores, causing his mother to fall into silence once again. She spoke after a good minute.
'That's... Quite a lot of information to digest. Still, everyone's alive, right?'
'Yup. They should be on their way back soon too. I think they are too tired and lack supplies to go further. Be sure to prepare a welcome party if you want to.'
'Alright, thanks for telling me. It's nice to have a way to keep track of their fate... Whatever it may have been.'
With that, their conversation quickly concluded, with the mother beginning to make preparations and the son preparing to delve into his research once again. The question was which one of the projects to develop. He could technically develop multiple things at the same time due to his thought channels, but his efficiency would not be that good, and the tasks may take months to complete. Plus some systems (e.g. Fog Wall) required direct supervision, not being automated.
Because he didn't want to go away, only to return to a ruined Dungeon, he opted to research one subject at a time.
But these thoughts also gave him a clue on the problem should be solved next. A problem, the solution of which he had recently received a hint about.
'Automation... That's right! What kind of Dungeon Master am I going to be if I have to supervise every little thing, not having time to do anything else? These 'hoofprints' have given me the idea that I need...'
While one of the two Thought Channels that were dedicated to the task formed plans, the other one was already pulling up the memories of the deer 'technique' and everything he knew about it.
And mere seconds later he had a framework compiled, the already proven knowledge supplementing it.
'So... In essence, the Mental Mana acts as an anchor for the Elemental Mana. But Mental Mana also carries intent. So the first question and the first experiment is this: Does intent change the outcome of disturbing the imprint?'
Lancelot acted as always, immediately putting the idea to the test. There was no delay, as there was an auxiliary Test Chamber carved out in his Dungeon already. It was not connected to the rest of it, being on the depth of the Fourth Floor.
There a chaotic environment that housed varied elements lay. It was a result of many previous tests, which he did not bother cleaning up. But he was forced to do so now, as he needed an element-free space.
'...As bothersome as always.'
He could not just 'whoosh' the mana into nothingness, it did not work like that. Instead, he created a dozen Neutral Crystals of various sizes and willed the mana to separate and enter the crystals. While he could experiment with the element combinations again, he preferred having crystals of a singular element for the purpose he had already designed for them.
Multiple openings appeared in the walls of the Test Chamber and the filled crystals were lifted into the air on the currents of everpresent Neutral Mana, floating into them. These openings led to small tunnels which connected to the Fourth Floor that was nearby. They were 'dumped' in various previously empty spots all around the convoluted underground labyrinth.
'Recycling everything even after having died once...'
What could Lancelot say, habits die hard. He was used not to wasting anything, so he put even the residual mana to good use. He would not track whether some Beast snatched and consumed these Crystals or whether they would assimilate into their surroundings and create a Place of Power. Every bit of mana would be put to use either way.
'Finally, let's get this show on the road.'
With the Test Chamber being all cleaned up, Lancelot was free to continued his experiments. So he didn't dally, immediately gathering Mental Mana, as well as transmuting a small amount of it into Life Mana via intent.
He then followed the memories that he had previously stored, the ones that showed how those deer set the traps using their hooves.
Although Lancelot did not have any hooves, or limbs for that matter, to use as a medium, his mastery over Mental Man negated any need for one that a Beast might have. Thanks to this it took mere seconds for a clump of Nature Mana to be trapped underneath a 'web' of Mental Mana.
Lancelot admired his work briefly, comparing to the example he owned.
'Alright, looks pretty sturdy. Even sturdier than the ones created by the deer. But to be honest, if I couldn't do better than some deer, I could directly hand over my Core to someone else.'
Having finished the short monologue, the researcher moved on to the next step.
'Okay, the next major thing is that these things explode on contact. I've attributed this to the mental field that every living being possesses, but what about the rock that was used to disarm one of the traps previously? Surely it wasn't alive?'
While reviewing his memory he found this loophole that contradicted his theory, so he set out to find out why it was like this. Lancelot checked his memories over and over, focusing on various types of mana.
For quite a long while he could only feel the various elements around that rock though. Mostly Earth Mana, covered with just a tinge of Water Mana from moisture and Life Mana from minor growth on it. However, when he was double-checking it yet again, the small patch of moss gave Lancelot a clue he was searching for.
'This moss is life, isn't it? Could it have played a role because of this, its small mental field disrupting the delicate balance of the 'web'?'
Lancelot immediately checked for Mental Mana even more thoroughly than before. He focused on the memory of the object, searching for any trace of the mysterious mana.
In the end, he found it. But not in the way he expected to. There was no Mental Mana being emitted by anything on the rock, instead it was wrapped around the object. And it didn't take long to find out how and why, all it took was another rewind of the memories.
'So that's how it is! The person who had thrown it had left a trace of their intent on it, thus leading to Mental Mana to remain, even if a small amount of it.'
The Dungeon's Core quickly understood several more things about Mental Mana along with how these 'traps' could be disturbed.
'If it was a piece of environment, such as a branch falling off a tree, the trap would not be activated due to lacking intent. Anything consciously thrown or otherwise manipulated would bring a different result.'
'We leave behind Mental Mana on anything, as it bears the intent and thoughts of any living being. Hence, the stronger the intention, the more Mental Mana is used, and more of it remains on the object or place!'
As Lancelot experienced this brief moment of enlightenment, he felt even more in tune with Mental Mana all around him. He felt its flow slightly better than before, his control increasing along with his understanding. But Lancelot had not time to be joyous about the small breakthrough, instead putting the gained theory into practice.
He condensed a small pebble over the trap and thought of using it to disarm it. Lancelot let it go soon after, watching a tiny amount of Mental Mana wrap around it before it swiftly fell down. As expected, the web of Mental Mana was disrupted, and the sealed energy was released. Life Mana burst into the ground, giving life and growth to anything around it. Unfortunately for it, Lancelot had already cleaned up anything that could grow under its influence.
Because of it the Green-colored Mana peacefully dispersed, no explosion of roots taking place. Lancelot estimated that the affected ground got a bit more fertile at best. This was the weakness of Life Mana: Life couldn't appear out of nowhere, there had to be a source, whether it be a seed or an embryo.
Meanwhile, Lancelot continued his experiments, not sinking into philosophical musings. He continuously adjusted the amounts of Elemental Mana and Mental Mana respectively. Lancelot did so to test the required proportions, how much Mental Mana was needed to hold Elemental Mana.
Thanks to this he also understood that different elements required different amounts of it. For example, Earth Mana was stable, requiring less, while Air Mana was more volatile, not liking to be restrained as always.
Having tested the boundaries of balance, now was the time for the easier parts: looking at how an overload of one side looked like.
So he added an overwhelming amount of Air Mana, only barely restraining it. The freedom-seeking element tore against its restraints, and they didn't hold it back for long. As soon as the elements overwhelmed their cage, a violent explosion of wind erupted, sending a massive shockwave across the Test Chamber, causing it to resonate with the sound of it for a couple of seconds.
'Aight, nothing too complicated. A big kaboom. Now let's try the opposite.'
True to his words, Lancelot got on with it. A small amount of Earth Mana was soon restrained by overwhelming amounts of Mental Mana. Lancelot focused on caging it as much as he could, and well... He succeeded overwhelmingly.
Lancelot found himself staring at a clump of Earth Mana that wasn't moving beyond the established boundary. But that wasn't the end of it, unlike Lancelot thought. The Core soon noticed that the Earth Mana around the 'cage' got sucked into it. It got added to the enclosure, adding to the Mana within.
'Woah... Now that's an unexpected bonus!'
Despite having a theory that the intent may define how the whole thing functions, as was often the case with magic that he used, but he was nevertheless happy to see his speculation get proven true once again. Still, he decomposed the structure into Mana, not wanting to deal with the aftermath of an Earthen explosion.
As soon as he was finished, he got on with a thing he was quite eager to test, a thing which could ease his workload by quite a lot. A repelling ward, as he decided to call it.
Lancelot focused his Mental Mana and sharpened his intent, a form and function taking form in his mind, while another part of his mind transmuted Air Mana. Basically, the ward had two functions. One: Gather ambient Air Mana. Two: Blast it out when triggered.
Soon a peculiar scene appeared within the chamber. Air Mana gathered into a shimmering shape midair, a shape that reminded Lancelot of Nordic runes. And while he was surprised at it, he was eager to test its function instead.
So he prodded it with a small amount of Mental Mana, an equivalent to that of an average mouse. To his surprise and delight, the 'Seal' did not react. Lancelot was delighted because it meant that it would not react to lesser Beasts with low intelligence, lessening the effort needed in the future.
So Lancelot decided to instead change the amount of Mental Mana to what an average human had.
As soon as the clump of Mental Mana touched the Seal, the floating construct was disturbed. The organized Mental Mana reacted, the sheer amount that was condensed into the Seal not being destabilized by the inferior amount contained in the human-size one. The next moment the Air Mana contained within erupted, creating a thundering blast in the direction of the invading clump of Mental Mana.
Lancelot whistled at the sight mentally.
'Whew. Dovahkiin would be proud.'