Before they even entered the core chamber, they could already see a sphere the size of an orange, emitting a faint white and blue glow.
It floated above a stone pedestal, connected to the chamber itself.
Matilda entered first, followed by Sabrina, with Arthur right behind.
"Now comes the interesting part," Arthur said.
Matilda walked up to the dungeon core, placed her hand on it, and began chanting a spell. The surrounding structure started to tremble.
When the incantation ended, the trembling stopped, and the core detached from the pedestal.
"Let's head out to finish the last step, then we'll return to the village," Matilda said, holding the core.
After a few minutes of running, they stopped in front of a rock formation about two meters tall, resembling the entrance to a tunnel dug by a giant worm.
"Stay alert. This is the part that draws the most attention," Matilda said, pressing the core against the side of the cave entrance.
"Alright. I'll check the surroundings," Arthur said, disappearing into the trees.
Matilda began chanting another spell. The core started to glow more intensely.
Blue lines, like circuits, spread across the entire dungeon structure.
Once they covered everything, they began to retract, converging back into the core.
After a few minutes, the dungeon entrance crumbled into dust, vanishing as if it had never existed.
"All set. Job done. We can go," Matilda said, handing the core to Sabrina.
"No. You keep it. Only you can relocate the dungeon. When we find a better place, you'll set it up," Sabrina replied.
Matilda nodded, and the core disappeared from her hand as if by magic.
"The area is clear. No one noticed us," Arthur said, emerging from the shadows.
"Perfect. Let's go. Aron must be worried, home alone," Sabrina said.
They all ran back toward the village.
---
A short while later, Aron entered the house, closed the door, and dragged the chair back into place.
He sat down and began to think.
'No one but me seems to see the light in that plant… and now it absorbs mana from my body as if it belongs to it.'
'Tomorrow I'll ask my mother about it. She seems to know much more than everyone else.'
'If I want to awaken naturally, without a mana-rich environment… it's going to be extremely difficult.'
'I couldn't feel mana inside the house, but near the plant it was easier.'
'Yeah… another question for tomorrow.'
While he was thinking, he heard the door open.
He looked over. Arthur walked in, followed by Sabrina and Matilda.
"How did it go? Are you okay?" Aron asked.
"Of course. Piece of cake," Arthur replied.
"That's good. And the dungeon?" Aron continued.
"It was a standard dungeon, pure mana beast type. It's already under our control," Matilda answered.
"And you, dear, did you miss us?" Sabrina asked with a smile.
"Yes… I was worried, but now that you're back, I feel relieved," Aron replied.
"Well, now that everything's settled, I'll head home. See you tomorrow," Matilda said.
Before leaving, she looked at Aron and winked.
"See you tomorrow, Aron."
"See you tomorrow, Sister Mada."
After Matilda left, his mother went to clean up as well, with Arthur right behind her.
'Hm… now that the dungeon situation is resolved, I can ask my mother about what I discovered.'
A little while later, they came back, clean and dressed in light linen clothes.
"Mom…"
"No. It's time for you to sleep, dear. Come on. Tomorrow I'll answer any questions you have, okay?"
"I know you're curious, but it's late. Tomorrow we'll have the whole day to talk."
"Good night, dear," Sabrina said, kissing his forehead before heading to the bedroom.
Arthur approached.
"Hey, kid. You'd better watch out for that fox. She's an assassin… and the most dangerous thing about that class is patience."
'Hm… where is he going with this?'
Arthur leaned in, lowering his voice.
"When you least expect it… bam. She shows up behind you and pins you to the bed."
'Ah… so he heard Matilda's joke.'
"If you think she was joking, you're wrong."
"Your mother wouldn't mind. That's normal in her race's culture."
'Her race…? Aren't they all human here?'
"Beauty is a weapon in the hands of those strong enough to wield it. In the hands of the weak, it's a curse."
"It might sound confusing now, but you're smart. You'll understand soon enough."
"But you're lucky to be my son. Handsome and talented. You don't have to worry about someone coveting your beauty… they're the ones who should worry about you."
'Modesty is definitely not his strong suit,' Aron thought.
"Well, good night, kid," Arthur said, kissing his forehead before leaving.
'Every day, more unanswered questions…'
With that thought, Aron fell asleep.
---
When he woke up, he was in a soft bed with white sheets. The walls were a very light blue, almost white.
The room had a wardrobe, a bookshelf full of books, a study desk… and a computer.
'Hm… was I dreaming?'
He grabbed his phone.
7:40.
"Damn, I overslept," he muttered, heading to the bathroom.
He took a quick shower, got dressed, and left in the car he had recently bought.
A short while later, he arrived at work. He changed clothes and went to the lab.
As soon as he stepped inside, he felt something strange.
The same sensation as when he noticed the flax plant.
What was even stranger was the silence.
The lab, usually full of people, was completely empty.
He walked toward the source of the feeling.
And then he saw it.
A familiar plant.
It was part of a hybridization project: a species that produced a healing gel through sunlight, combined with another that absorbed pollutants from the air to generate nutrients with minimal light.
The result was right in front of him.
'But why am I feeling the same thing as in the dream?'
'…and why didn't I see anyone coming in here?'
As he was thinking, he heard footsteps.
He looked toward the sound.
A man in a hoodie was approaching.
He looked… familiar.
But at the same time, strange.
"Who are you? Only authorized personnel are allowed here," Aron said.
The man stopped.
Then he pulled out a gun.
And—
pointed it at him.
"Well… now my debt is paid."
The gunshot echoed.
---
Aron woke up, startled.
"What the hell… is that guy going to chase me even in my dreams now?" he muttered.
He looked around.
He was still in the hammock in the living room.
Now there was daylight, and he could hear his parents talking in the kitchen.
'What a weird dream…'
'Could that plant from the project have something to do with my death?'
'But what could it do…? Serve as raw material for healing medicine… and purify the air?'
'No… something's off.'
'Why did I dream about the project… and feel exactly the same thing I felt today?'
'Another unanswered question… at this rate I'll have to start writing everything down.'
'I hope my mother can answer some of them.'
While he was thinking, his mother noticed he was awake.
"Good morning, dear. How are you? Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, Mom… but I have a lot of questions," Aron replied.
"That's fine. Come here. Do you need help cleaning up?" Sabrina asked.
"No, Mom. I'll do it myself. Thanks."
"After breakfast, I'll answer your questions. When you're done, come eat."
After walking with his short legs to the yard to clean himself, he went to the kitchen to have his first meal of the day: wheat bread with thin slices of smoked meat and apple juice.
That day, Arthur was responsible for patrolling the forest to keep predators away from the village.
After breakfast, he said goodbye to Aron and Sabrina and left to meet his companions.
"So, why are you so curious?" Sabrina asked.
"Mom… is it possible to awaken using nature's mana?" Aron asked.
"Yes… but there's a problem," she replied.
"You become a treasure to everyone."