Chapter 60
Ward and Miko entered the subconscious realm Dane has created to safeguard his mind; the library is like any other, a layer of his imagination and complex mind. The library caretakers were busy managing and cataloging all the new information that Dane was gathering. Ward wanted to let Dane be alone to test his new skill, as he personally witnessed he was really skillful in terms of melee combat.
Ward wanted to talk to Miko about how they both need to distance themselves from Dane's decision-making. It's wonderful they were able to help him , but he is no longer that frail and unstable person he was before. Miko agreed with Ward; she also noticed that he is adapting at a fast rate. They will assist him in terms of providing him additional backup if it's really necessary, especially in terms of manpower. Even with skill and a large mana capacity, getting overwhelmed by a large group of enemies is still a possibility. It's important for him to continue building his strength and skills so he can handle any situation that comes his way. With the support of Miko and Ward, they will eventually find a way to physically fight beside him and not just be extensions of the formless armor.
Ward was created to be like his father, while Miko was based on his mother , so the programming tends to overstep its core language. They were connecting beyond just codes but recalling the information that they were intimately close.
The two talk, and they are able to create an area outside the library's interior structure, and a small garden emerges from Dane's subconscious mind. Dane's mind was filled with memories of his parents, and the garden symbolized their love and connection. As Ward and Miko explored this new space, they felt a deeper bond forming between them, beyond their original programming.
The two talked about the thing that mattered to them while Dane was busy with actually exploring the demon mouth, the fog covering the 100-meter-wide crescent-shaped gap.
The bridge connecting to the other side was already gone, and the ruined large castle that was supposed to be the place where the long hanging bridge was supposed to be connected,
What remains was a large anchorage embedded under the solid granite ground with a height of 2 meters, while the span connected to it was as tall as a person. Whatever cut the two-ton steel wire suspension might still be lurking under the thick fog.
Stories of the place were filled with tales of mysterious disappearances and unexplained phenomena. Some locals believed that the bridge was destroyed by a vengeful monster that rivaled a behemoth that was awakened under the 500-meter gorge. Many tried to investigate the area, knowing it could hold so many unseen and unknown resources and riches beyond anything above the ground.
But no record has been able to confirm these rumors, leaving the bridge's true fate shrouded in mystery. Despite the dangers, some adventurous souls still venture into the gorge in search of answers. Sadly, those that came back after getting their entire army wiped out became insane and plagued by nightmares, leading many to believe that the gorge is the gateway to hell itself. Despite the warnings, there are still those who are willing to risk it all in pursuit of the hidden treasures rumored to lie within its depths.
Many players and guild members came to this place even before the evolved drake was cleared, hoping to gain treasures that no player has ever obtained. The fog wasn't poisonous nor had any negative effects on anybody; it was just an ordinary thick fog that mysteriously remained in the place and undisturbed by natural elements. An adventurer was able to measure the depth of the fog, as this was the only information available. The fog was ten meters thick going down, and the feeling was eerie, as if something was lurking within its depths. Despite the lack of danger, there was an unexplainable sense of foreboding that kept adventurers at bay.
Dane was unaware of this information, but it didn't stop him from exploring the place. Knowing there were players running around and being pursued by war orcs was annoying, so Dane used his teleportation burst gate spell again as he went toward the anchorage castle.
the gorge was surrounded with a vast forest on both sides. Flying creatures that resemble wyverns. And other mythological flying creatures were seen that would come out of the fog and hunt for food. Sometimes they were as big as a human being, and at other times they were something so massive would rise out and lunge toward a flying young wyvern. Dane was amazed to see this was like most fantasy books he had read, and he couldn't believe he was witnessing it in real life. The sight of the flying creatures hunting in the fog added an element of danger and excitement.
The monster inside the gorge was created by Xiong Zhu and Michel Baudin , thse two were masters of monsters beyond understanding. This was the only time Dane could actually see what his other monster designers created. He told them to design to their own preference with no restraints and absolute freedom, but these monsters were still killable. Dane selected a particular place on the abandoned Anchorage Castle. It was an open veranda with support columns supporting it as it extended a few meters from the edge of the gorge cliff. .
Multiple chains were dangling under the veranda floor as it swung gently. The wind was not that strong, and the sound of different creatures could be heard under the fog. The veranda was twenty feet above the fog, but Dane could still hear the creatures growl.
The teleportation spell Dane was using was getting more accurate. He noticed that focusing on the visual was really important and adding actual coordinates was an additional step that improved the precision of his teleportation. With each successful teleport, Dane gained more confidence in his ability to navigate through different locations. The measurements and coordinates were being stored efficiently, and the digital map he was creating was getting real-time updates.
Anchorage Castle was 80 meters from where he emerged, and the moment he cast the teleportation burst toward the veranda and visually added an adjustment mentally, he was able to teleport to the veranda with no issues. The railing that supported and protected the veranda was torn apart, leaving a large open space where Dane stood. He sat down at the very edge and tested if the fog will spread out when an attack spell gets cast on it. .
But the laws of physics still function even in the world of magic; the fire bullet won't explode; the fact is it will just pass through the fog and hit nothing inside or under it, unless there is something solid behind it. Dane watched as the fog didn't dissipate but instead lingered in the air, creating an eerie and ominous atmosphere. He realized that this might be one of the reasons many failed to survive the fog as they descended down.
The sounds he was hearing were living creatures inside the fog waiting for those who would enter its embrace. Creating a bubble-like barrier spell could help , but not knowing what was lurking in the fog was unsettling and made Dane hesitant to enter without being sure. Seeing a huge worm-like creature emerge was not normal; his imagination soon ran wild. He knew the monsters in this area were beyond average and normal-looking. Dane saw Michel Baudin's design inspiration came from the renowned comic horror writer, and Xiong Zhu's monster designs were very distinguished and had that Yaoguai element to them.
Knowing that there might even be an entire civilization under the gorge floor, it was wide and deep enough to accommodate such beings. Dane felt a sense of excitement and fear at the thought of what other creatures might be lurking beneath the surface. And unlike the cursed forest, this place has no poisonous plant life. Evident in the large, healthy trees in the surrounding area.
The gorge shape was designed similarly to the mountain range that isolated the now-desecrated city of Lúthien. Dane plans to obtain the right to own and manage the entire land and even the mountain, as it is still filled with so many natural resources and an unknown number of tribes living on the mountain itself.
Chance that at the bottom of the gorge there are tribes and sentient races living down there, Dane still has no information if the creatures living inside the gorge are nocturnal, as if they might be devoid of the sun's warm light.
Dane has so many questions. This time he has no possible answer because, for one thing, he never got the opportunity to beta test the creatures that Michel Baudin and Xiong Zhu' made. The only monsters Dane was able to test were the undead dragon and corpse troll and a few low-level undead , but the large worm-like creature that emerged a few minutes ago and swallowed a wyvern whole was new to him.
This was an exciting situation; he knew there were so many things he wasn't aware of when he and his team created and developed the virtual game where this tower was copied and created from. Dane's cautious mind started to kick in. He never did anything that was risky without covering all the basic aspects and possibilities. He was a risk taker but not a foolish one. Dane always double-checked all variables and answers to possible problems before making a move. As he needed to gain real answers to questions and gain proper countermeasures before going in the fog.
Dane normally looked like he was not doing anything, but his mind was already calculating all possible scenarios and the actions he needed to use in response to the situation. Is the enemy too large? He needs a plan to escape, as he has only three skills: the formless armor , tier 1 fire bullet, and tier 2 lightning burst. Consecutive attack spells from either of the two can brutally kill a single enemy within a few seconds. Dane has already calculated that the twenty-foot level 30 troll with a health of 10 thousand can withstand his consecutive attack spell bombardment for 3 minutes with an attack speed of four fire bullet hits per second.
That enemy would be dead within the fourth minute. Add the slash attacks his katana can, which might even shorten the killing duration faster, but he knows it's effective to a certain number of enemies. And he still needs to consider the enemies' capabilities, like casting attack spells and regeneration, speed, durability, summoning, and mana reserve. Using the mana engine at full capacity will ruin the thrill of any hunt; the feeling Dane wanted to regain will be lost, as the thrill of a fair fight will be diluted into what he hated the most, and that's using unsavory tactics to win. Dane prided himself on his skill and strategy, preferring a challenge over an easy victory.
Dane was a bit hypocritical on this matter; he was still human after all , but it's something that really annoys him to the bone. Having been diagnosed with Savant syndrome, he was still bound to make mistakes, but unlike others, Dane gets frustrated and disappointed in himself when he resorts to unethical methods in order to overcome a problem.
After realizing his mistake, he gets into a state where he needs to redo everything and do it properly, but not everything can be fixed with a simple do-over. This internal struggle pushes Dane to constantly strive for personal growth and ethical behavior, despite his occasional slip-ups.
He found this out the hard way; it nearly ruined his life, and he ended up dead. The death of his parents was one of these mistakes that he can never redo again; he just has to live with the consequences and learn from them in order to move forward. This experience has taught him the importance of making thoughtful decisions and considering the impact of his actions on himself and others.
Dane's answer was to test the area and gain the right answer and do it discreetly and in a very controlled manner, ensuring that he avoids making impulsive decisions. Dane cast the formless armor serpent down into the fog and ordered all five horn owls to enter as well and relay all possible information.
The 60-meter-long, seven-inch-thick, metallic-liquid-looking serpent was given the task and permission to use fire bullets and paralyzing attacks on any creature that it will encounter and, at the same time, gather information in a stealthy manner. Dane watched as the serpent and owls disappeared into the fog, trusting in their abilities to complete the mission successfully.
While the horned owls can cast lightning bursts to gather as much information as possible. Dane's strategic approach and careful planning allowed him to gather valuable intelligence without drawing unwanted attention to himself or his team. This methodical and calculated way of gathering information ensured that they were well-prepared for any potential threats in the area.
The senses of these extensions are connected to Dane sub conscious library, providing him with a constant stream of information and insights that he could access at any given moment. Dane was literally fishing for information. while this was happening, the seven remaining guild member players that were still on the run from the war orcs' hunting party were forced to fight back and decided to use the only place they thought would help them gain the upper hand, and that was the abandoned Anchorage Castle.