Master Of None

The three were coughing slightly against the dry and dusty air. There was very little light which made them rely more heavily on the torches. It was also harder to make sure that they stepped safely on the twisting stairs. " Wonder what is down here. If this is a mag tower and it is made to attract mana, it could be anything." Alma knew very little about mage towers. They were very rare and this was the only one that she knew of. 

"From the number of runes on the tower and the walls, I would say that it is the core of the tower. Since Greed was apparently sealed at the lowest point we might pass the core of the tower." Walker could barely hold off his curiosity. If he was able to find the source of the tower's power and what kept the runes connected, then there was a high chance they could replicate this tower for Genesis instead of building their own with the knowledge of their gathered mages. 

"I don't think we need to worry about the runes too much. These are the same as the ones we have seen the dwarves and the elves use. It's almost like they both took an original rune and modified it for what they preferred and how their magic worked." Su knew this was most likely the case. If runes were invented somewhere then they must have changed over the years based on what they were used for and how they were used. 

"If this is older than the dessert elves and was already in ruins when they came here, then I think that's the case. I would even go so far to say that these are the closest to the original runes we could find in the oldest ruins or records. That should mean these runes found here can change the way magic works for everyone. Time changes things, but it might be better to get back to how things used to be in this case." Since Alma had also seen the different runes in recent days, she was easily understanding Su's points.

"Just look at how they are decaying though. The runes are working so much that they are wearing away here and there. Then the runes that are over the top of them or added in are pretty much gone. That's why the mana is so odd here. The runes can't regulate what is moving through and being attracted to them. If things keep going this way, the runes might cause thus place to collapse." Walker knew well that decaying anything was bad. But the decaying runes would cause a much worse issue. 

"This tower is far enough away that I doubt it would hurt anyone if the tower had a large collapse and mana explosion. But that would be a valuable loss of knowledge that could better many people's lives." Alma had started to put the people first in her mind. It was a very important step to take as a future queen, but even more as a person. 

"If we pass the source of the runes power, the core, then we can try to take it with us when we leave. I don't know what will happen if we do that, but it is clear that the structure of the tower is what holds it up through time. Not the runes." The walls that had worn away were made of weaker sandstone. But the black structure underneath was a very different material. Walker wanted to use his appraisal on it but for some reason, the skill didn't even activate when he tried. He felt that it was a material well beyond what he would understand at his current level. Since this was a very ancient place, more so than the other ruins he had been to, it made sense. 

Speaking of core, this is the bottom." Su held a torch while the shield was ready in one hand. There was a soft scuttling sound and she zeroed in on small insects moving about the floor.

'Yellow stone cockroach

These are very annoying pests. They can live for very long periods of time without food. They are very sensitive to light and can eat almost everything. They rarely grow larger than a few inches. The reason they are known as the worst pest is due to the fact that they multiply quickly when food is available. They will never attack something larger than them.'

The appraisal was enough to make the three relax. However, looking at how many shells were around, they knew that the yellow cockroaches had been there for many years. "I hope that they aren't worse as we explore. It seems like this is just another floor." Alma pointed out another small staircase. This time though, the stairs were short and brought them to another floor. 

The difference was wild, the floor, ceiling, and walls were all covered in glowing runes that were similar to veins. They observed and all three were able to make out the places where the mana could not flow any longer due to decay. The next floor was the same. But in the center of the room, there was a broken floor that lead to makeshift stairs. 

"It looked like this stone box in the middle is where the runes connect. I wonder what's inside." Walker wanted to push it open and look but held himself back. "We can wait until we complete our mission. Let's go deeper." They all knew that the place Greed had been sealed must be lower. That was the only reason someone would break the floor and create stairs downward. It was to the tomb created. 

"Wait, these words here say…beyond these stairs lay a danger beyond our generation. Never allow yourself to touch the being sealed within or you shall bring suffering upon the world." Alma shivered since she knew that was exactly what was happening. 

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