Chapter 7

  Adam’s POV

  I broke my fall with a quick roll, glancing around immediately to ensure there were no threats lurking nearby. Once I was confident the coast was clear, I checked my legs—no sprains or injuries, thankfully.

  Satisfied, I stood up and dusted myself off, my attention drawn to the cliff ahead. Beyond the pond with its softly glowing flora, the sight took my breath away.

  “Whoa… now that’s cool,” I murmured, stepping closer to peer over the edge.

  The cavern below was a mesmerizing expanse of light and shadow. Small orbs of blue and yellow radiance dotted the darkness, emitted by delicate flora clinging to the walls. Sapphire-hued mushrooms and glowing algae nestled in cracks and crevices, their light weaving together with the warm golden glow of luminous stones embedded in the rock.

  It wasn’t just beautiful—it felt alive, like an entire ecosystem hidden beneath the surface of the world.

  “Wow, this is… incredible,” I muttered, marveling at the unexpected beauty. I hadn’t seen anything like this since arriving in this dark, oppressive cave. The gentle glow almost made me forget where I was.

  Almost.

  “But…” I trailed off, my awe giving way to practicality. “How the hell am I supposed to get out of here?”

  The path ahead didn’t lead to freedom; it only plunged deeper into the earth. If there was an exit, it wasn’t up here. Looks like I’m going deeper, I thought grimly.

  “I recommend storing some water for future use,” Nove chimed in, her calm monotone breaking my thought-process.

  “Good call,” I said, crouching by the pond. “At least we can stash it in the inventory.” My gaze flicked to the glowing algae lining the edges of the pond, sparking an idea. “Hey, Nove, you can purify the water, right? What about these glowing algae? Could we, I don’t know, Metalweave them into a light source? Or maybe make a Core Node that lets me glow like a walking lantern?”

  I paused, reconsidering. “Actually, scratch that last one. Walking around glowing like a beacon sounds like a terrible idea.”

  Nove’s response was as level as ever. “While the latter is possible, Unfortunately, you do not possess the Metalweaving arts required to mold biological materials. Additionally, we lack Nexus blood or Nexus crystals to power such a creation.”

  “Wait, hold on,” I said, my curiosity piqued. “Since when did we even have Nexus blood or crystals?”

  “From the Muck Worm,” Nove began, her voice calm as ever. “All monsters possess Nexus Crystals and Nexus Blood. However, while they have a significant amount of Nexus Blood, each monster typically carries only one Nexus Crystal.”

  She paused, then added, “While Nexus Crystals are superior for creating Core Nodes, you are familiar with an alchemical technique that allows the use of Nexus Blood as a substitute. Be aware, however, that Core Nodes made with Nexus Blood are of lower quality. That is why most of the recent Core Nodes I created, aside from the Dirt Core Node, are of 3- and 2-star tiers—they were crafted using Nexus Blood instead of a Crystal.”

  “Oh…” I muttered, realization dawning. I didn’t know she’s been squeezing every bit of value out of that Muck Worm I killed. Not even its blood went to waste.

  Wait—was that why the meat was so tender? Had all the blood been drained from it before I ate?

  I decided not to think too hard about that.

  Nove quietly went about collecting water from the pond, purifying it for me. My hands were filthy, caked in dirt and dried blood, so I used Base Arts to make a small stone cup. After rinsing it out with some of the purified water, it was finally usable.

  The first sip was heaven.

  “Ahhh,” I sighed in relief, the cool liquid soothing my parched throat. “Feels like I’ve been born anew.”

  “Alper, what is your next move?” Nove asked suddenly, breaking the moment of peace.

  I set the cup down and glanced around. The cave loomed vast and foreboding, its shadows teasing at untold dangers ahead.

  “Well, let’s see…” I said, thinking aloud. “This cave is massive, and climbing back up isn’t exactly an option. So, our only real choice is to find another exit.” I looked around a bit it’s tough to see now, cause of the light, my eyes are no longer used to the darkness. Which was a dangerous thing.

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  “I wonder if we can use the materials around here to make some kind of torch,” I mused. We didn’t have wood—otherwise, I’d have just lit a fire and called it a day. The glowing rocks embedded in the walls seemed like the next best option, but they were a frustrating distance away.

  Still, my gut told me that instead of going deeper into the cave, I should aim higher. While this cave was enormous, I could just make out a small opening in the wall ahead of us. And then there was the faint sound of movement coming from below—a soft but ominous reminder that something else was down there.

  Sure, I needed more Nexus Crystals and Blood to strengthen myself, but diving headfirst into danger didn’t seem like the best play. Plus, getting caught by the rescue team was still a no-go. I needed to move fast.

  “Okay, I have a plan,” I announced to Nove. Without waiting for her response, I started gathering all the glowing algae I could find near the pond.

  I chucked the algae down ahead of me like makeshift glowsticks, illuminating the path below. Satisfied that it was safe to descend, I stashed extra water and algae into my inventory. It’s kinda weird that I have a near-limitless inventory that can just store water without a container.

  I remember Nove saying something along the lines of, Unlike regular cores, Sentient Cores came with a list of supportive perks: boost in intelligence and wisdom stats, expanded inventory, and additional Core Nodes for abilities.

  A regular person’s inventory would’ve hit max capacity ages ago, but mine? Only half full.

  Honestly, As cool as some super powers these core nexus gives you, I’m glad I got Nove. She wasn’t just a core—she was the MVP of support.

  But as great as Nove was, I couldn’t help but hope for something cooler from my inert core. “When that other core awakens,” I muttered to myself, “it better give me something awesome—like elemental control. Fire, water… heck, even something that makes me a superhero. Anything that’s more practical... or just plain cool.”

  I shook my head to snap out of my daydreaming. No time for distractions—I had to focus. Carefully, I started my descent into the cave. The drop wasn’t massive, but the darkness made it feel far deeper than it was. Once I reached the bottom, I began grabbed whatever glowing flora I had thrown earlier that came in my way as I made a beeline toward the nearest glowing rock embedded in the wall.

  “Nove, extract this material for me,” I said as I put my hand on it and let her do her thing.

  A familiar game-like window popped up in front of me:

  Glowstone Ore

  Yields a gentle glow, often used in the creation of glowing pathways or enchanting jewelry and items.

  “Ohhh,” I murmured, my gaming instincts flaring up. Enchanting is a thing here? Is it, like, alchemy’s cooler cousin or something?

  Nove extracted the Glowstone quickly and once I had it in my inventory, I turned my attention to the entrance I’d spotted earlier.

  The path ahead forked: one route plunged deeper into the abyss, the faint sounds of movement echoing ominously from inside. The other path climbed upward toward the entrance.

  I wasn’t exactly a professional spelunker, but my instincts screamed that going deeper was a terrible idea. Bad idea territory, as my old mob boss would’ve said. So, upwards it was.

  I ran towards the opening, I didn’t even stop as I threw a couple glowstone ore I just got—Then, with a flair for the dramatic, I smacked my spear against the wall to make some noise, swung it like I was auditioning for an action movie, and pointed it forward.

  “Better to look ridiculous with a quick exit strategy than get ambushed in the dark,” I muttered to myself.

  For a couple of heart-pounding seconds, I waited, every nerve on edge. Nothing jumped out at me. Letting out a sigh of relief, I scooped up the glowstones I’d tossed and plopped down on the cold, hard ground.

  “Nove, let’s make a torch,” I said, blinking as I realized my vision hadn’t fully adjusted to the dark again after all the glowing light.

  I was about to tell Nove to make a basic torch when a better idea struck me.

  “Nove,” I said, grinning, “how about we turn my spear into a torch?”

  Without hesitation, Nove got to work. She processed a hefty chunk of Glowstone, compressing it down until it was small enough to fit snugly into the hilt of my spear blade. Despite its reduced size, the Glowstone shone brighter than ever. Now, my spear doubled as a light source and a weapon.

  “Efficiency, right?” I muttered, admiring the glow.

  I checked my remaining NEP and winced—only about 100 points left. While I was itching to try out the cool skills my Core Nodes had unlocked, like Sticky Webs, Stone Shield, and Petrifying Strike, it seemed smarter to save my energy for emergencies.

  The Glowstone’s light was perfect—not blinding, but powerful enough to easily illuminate the cave around me. The spear felt almost weightless, and I couldn’t help but marvel at how dark the cave had been before.

  “This torch-spear is a game changer,” I murmured, holding it up like a beacon.

  As I slowly ascended the cave, the light revealed occasional patches of funky-colored rocks and ores embedded in the walls. The urge to harvest them was real, but with my dwindling NEP reserves, I had to restrain myself.

  “Don’t worry, pretty rocks,” I said wistfully, “I’ll come back for you when I’m not one bad decision away from death.”

  Progress was slow. I had to stay cautious, moving quietly and deliberately to avoid any surprises from lurking monsters. To pass the time—and distract myself from any paranoia setting in—I decided to ask Nove about the past of the kid whose body I was now occupying.

  What she told me left me stunned.

  As it turns out, my tumble into this cave wasn’t an accident—it was a deliberate act of murder.

  Apparently, Alper had been engaged to someone from another minor clan, with the marriage set for a few years down the line. But jealousy, that old devil, had reared its ugly head. Someone from a different minor clan, infatuated with Alper’s fiancée, had lured him here and given him a not-so-gentle shove into this abyss.

  “All that over a relationship? Seriously?” I muttered, shaking my head. “Who even thinks about marriage at fourteen?”

  The motives of a 14-year-old resorting to attempted murder over a romantic rivalry were baffling. This world’s priorities were just… off.

  But at least now I knew one thing for certain: there were people out there who wanted me dead.

  “Just great,” I sighed, gripping my torch-spear tighter. “Not only do I have to survive monsters and dark caves, but I’ve got to deal with murderous teenage drama, too. This world is fantastic.”