Sotis hours passed in minutes.
While at other tis, weeks passed in minutes.
The flow of ti was erratic inside the Dark Valley. At tis, Adam felt that his train of thought continued for days, while sotis his thought process happened in seconds.
The raven-haired youth had never felt this way before. He grew older in a short span of ti, and sotis he felt like he spent an eternity in just a few seconds.
He sat in the deepest part of the cave, engulfed in utter darkness. He clutched at his head and rocked back and forth as he tried to focus on a specific thought.
What was I thinking?
No... I can’t go on like this, he thought in a state of panic.
This was a type of madness he was unfamiliar with, and it deeply scared him. As the flow of ti continued to ebb and flow, sotis flowing fast and sotis slowing down, he started to lose his sense of self.
He quickly retrieved a journal for his ring and began to write down his thoughts. This was the only way he could think of to keep his sense of self and not lose his sanity as it bled into the river of ti.
’This strange sense of familiarity that I felt when I arrived at this forsaken place, I finally know where that feeling ca from. It’s the spirit world!’
’The flow of ti in the spirit world is similar to the flow of ti in the Dark Valley. I know it for certain now. But how is this place related to the spirit world?’
’Strange. So, very strange!’
’The only way I can keep track of ti here is the interval at which I get hungry. But even that is quite volatile. Sotis I feel hungry just a few minutes after a al. Sotis the sensation cos a day later.’
’Do not keep track of ti!’
’DO NOT!’
Adam’s heart suddenly tightened as dread gripped his being. He could feel a vast presence moving outside the cave.
With trembling hands, he clutched at his Stealth Cloak, activating its enchantnt. At the sa ti, he willed the Faceless Mask to conceal his mana fluctuations.
Boom! Boom!
Boom! Boom!
Those... those are footsteps! He thought in alarm.
The cave vibrated with a deep, bone-shaking rumble as the creature outside shifted its weight. Dust drifted down from the ceiling, and small stones clattered across the floor.
Adam could hear the thunderous movents echoing through the valley walls. Each impact felt like a hamr striking the earth.
A vast presence pressed against his senses, imnse and formless, like sothing too large for the mind to fully grasp.
Whatever prowled outside wasn’t a re beast. It was sothing ancient, sothing... wrong.
The rumbling grew louder and closer.
Adam held his breath and pressed himself deeper into the darkness of the cave, hoping the creature would pass soon.
But as the next tremor rolled through the stone, he realized that the creature stopped directly outside the cave!
Adam’s heart sank, and he desperately held his breath.
Then, slowly... sothing began to scrape against the cliff face, as though an enormous hand was searching for whatever had disturbed its domain.
Adam retracted his Sphere of Resonance as well. Now, he had no dium to sense whatever was happening in front of him.
For the first ti, he desperately hoped that ti moved quickly.
The creature lingered outside the cave for several long monts. Adam could feel its presence hovering just a few ters away from him.
It was searching... listening...
At last, the colossal presence turned away.
Boom! Boom!
Boom... Boom...
The tremors grew fainter as it walked off, its footsteps slowly fading away into the distance. And soon, only silence remained.
Long after the creature had left, Adam still didn’t dare to breathe. First, he extended his Sphere of Resonance. Slowly. After ensuring that nothing was inside the cave, he finally exhaled.
Unbeknownst to him, his back, no, his entire body was drenched in sweat.
That... that thing, he thought in alarm.
Mana Core Rank!!
All this while, Adam thought that the only true threat inside the Dark Valley was the abomination at its heart.
But he was wrong! So wrong!
What is that thing?! A giant? No, that species was never in Tron to begin with! So then what is it? A golem?
The more Adam thought about it, the more fear gripped his being.
If that giant creature was at the Mana Core Rank, then could there be more existences at the sa rank?
If so, then just how many of these powerful creatures resided inside the Dark Valley?
And... have all of them been corrupted by that abomination?
Adam’s thoughts once again drifted aimlessly through ti, and before he knew it, his stomach growled in protest once again.
His lips curled into a bitter smile, and he thought, Just how much more ti has passed since the encounter with the giant?
He retrieved a small piece of smoked at and slowly ate it. Then, he drank only a little bit of water. He had to be very careful in rationing his food and water supply.
After ensuring that the vicinity of the cave was clear—for the ti being, at least—he resud writing his journal.
’There is no going back. Not as a Mana Vortex Magus, at least. Even before arriving at this place, I had prepared to advance to the Mana Core Stage here. But will I be able to?’
’There’s danger and madness everywhere around . Any mont could be my last. If the madness doesn’t kill , the corrupted creatures will. If the creatures don’t kill , the lack of food and water will.’
’I have to do it. I must take the next step. I have found a suitable cave for an advancent. I am going to inscribe the walls, the floor, and the ceiling with rune magic. I will use my own blood as ink to strengthen the formation.’
’And if I die in the process... then to whoever finds this journal, I leave you my inheritance within these pages. And I entrust you with my dream. I hope you will carry on my legacy. I truly hope that you one day reach the pinnacle of magic.’
’My na is Adam Constantine. And right here, right now, I begin my advancent to the Mana Core Rank.’
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