Chapter 247: The Exit

After an hour, Ned couldn't find a way out. They were completely shut-in inside the cave of crystals. Ned's ration of food ran out. The last food he got from Kamma was given to the Shoon in the market of beasts trading with the gun. The gun was inside his Ring together with his other stuff.

Ned had circled the cave back in forth, trying to find a gleam of hope under the cracks of the walls. But he couldn't find any: no cracks, no scratches, no signs of life. As far as he knew, they were the first to stumble upon the lake of mana.

Katolin on the other hand was still unconscious but was out of danger since her blood stopped leaking not more than 20 minutes ago. Although her limbs were torn off, she was now in stable condition. Beasts' bodies worked differently from humans. As beasts were utilizing the mana inside their body to aid their recovery, not like humans that they needed spells to heal their wounds ( if one was lucky enough to meet a Healer type mage) or heal via vials of healing potions. Although humans utilize mana to naturally heal, it wasn't fast enough same as the beasts do.

Whenever Ned was distressed with his companion being wounded, he sometimes thought of Granny Lola. For a moment, Ned's mind wandered off from his current situation and thought of the people from O'rriadt.

Ned Wondered if Xi got off his island and continued with his family's business. Or if Coco was allowed to enter the Academy together with Naari. And if Toni was already in the Griffith Academy, dominating the other students. Where would Toni stay? Perhaps after all these, he might take on Lady Zoreena's wish and visit her in the Ring City.

Ned sighed, too much to do after he rescues Master Will.

But for now, he must find an exit. With little things to do, Ned decided not to waste his energy with all the mindless walking around the chamber. So he went back to the lake and bathe himself with mana.

The mana was purer than any other mana he had absorbed so far. But wasn't pure enough to let his mana rose exponentially. It wasn't Xerontium after all. Ned sighed.

Together with Katolin, Ned enjoyed the abundance of mana.

With all the different colors of light, Ned enjoyed the sparkles of light under the water. Ned had used Detect three times already to make sure that no one was inside the cave aside from them. But only disappointed to see that there were no living creatures inside. No living creatures, no food. Ned sighed.

"ICE," He muttered. He stood at the edge of the lake enough for him to savor the liquid mana. He stood with the liquid lined until his waist.

[Ned.]

ICE's voice recalled something inside Ned. His mind wandered off from the day Calahir was about to transfer his mind to his new body. Ned wondered if he chose to decline his friend, he could be somewhere on some planet either killing—or still killing.

Ned smiled, looks like having sent here was the right decision after all.

"Status," He said without much to do. Ned assessed his current body.

Series of notifications prompted in his mind.

His body was that of a fourteen-year-old boy, but currently, his strength was greater than that of an adult Hollow human by almost tenfold. And almost three times better than humans of his age and were Magic Capable.

His skills at level two were Overclock, Fireball, and Egnious, along with Detect and Inspect, and the Emulator. To his surprise, Ned could feel that the Mark of the Knight was letting off a pulsating force inside his body. The Skill Defender: able to withstand attacks from strength ranging from tier 1 and 2, was a skill given by the Mark of the Knight.

Ned wondered how strong the Marks were? Aside from an increase in his mana pool, Ned couldn't feel anything special from the Mark. If these items were legendary, how come I don't feel anything. Perhaps, these Marks chooses who they cling to. Perhaps these Marks were old devices that weren't compatible with his body.

But why? Ned rubbed the skin under his chin as he thought about the Mark. Why would be the language of the Mark my system could understand. Why some of the Marks were the same as the one in the Gate of Hive. And why would Master Will be on the island of O'rriadt with the Mark? Was it a coincidence that we met? Ned shook his head.

"Yes," he said to himself. "Coincidence, coincidence." He tried to reassure himself.

His mind then took off from Master Will as his eyes darted at the skill under his previously mentioned skills.

"Prime Evolution," he muttered.

'Be careful with the bitch.'

Rassus's voice echoed inside his mind after reading the skill Prime Evolution.

Ned shook his head.

"He's just playing with my mind," Ned said. "I'm sure he was trying to send off ICE as she was the one blocking Rassus. Yes, that's it. That's it."

Ned's thought came to a halt after he remembered the skill Devour. It was a skill he does not want but needed.

Damn you Rassus. Ned thought, and his eyes darted at the digits under the label Prime Evolution. It was the numbers he needed to evolve the Level 0 Prime Evolution to Level 1. Currently, it has—

Ned caught a moan from his left. It was Katolin with her eyes now open and somewhat confused with her current surroundings.

"You're awake?" Ned said, a question so cliché he shook his head after that.

Of course, she is, he thought with a smile.

Katolin nodded, half of her body submerged underwater.

Ned grabbed her under her arm and pulled her out of the lake. Her wound wasn't healed as Ned had expected. Still, the blood stopped leaking. The wound behind her back, where her spider limbs were hidden, was somewhat closed and stopped leaking blood as well.

Ned breathes through his nose, it was still warm. And tried to pull Katolin into a sitting position but somewhere in his action, he remembered something that might help them get out of the cave.

"The air," he said behind Katolin.

"Halooman," Katolin eventually said, confused by Ned's remark. "Halooman Ned, what about the air?"

"The air," Ned said, repeating himself. "The air is fresh, which means somewhere in here, there is a vent."

"And?"

"And that is our exit."