A Cold-Blooded POV

Adventurers have been intrigued by the Lands Below for centuries. After all, who can resist the lure of untold riches, mysterious creatures and a chance to prove one's bravery?

With so much on offer beneath the surface, there's no wonder why so many brave individuals have taken it upon themselves to delve deep below in search of fortune and glory. But they must tread carefully - the Lands Below are home to many unknown dangers, and only those with the courage and resourcefulness to survive will make it back alive.

Rare mineral types never seen before, underground trees who's wood contains incredible properties, gems infused with mana are all highly prized, but the monsters themselves have always held the greatest treasure.

It is well known on the surface that certain monster parts, when treated correctly, can be prevented from dissolving back into the Dungeon and then turned into miraculous equipment and tools that cannot be replicated using only surface materials.

Although expensive to purchase, items crafted from monster parts can be found in almost any civilised town, often something as simple as plough could be constructed using stalker wolf fangs as the blade, or carved completely from the tough bones of a larger beast.

Among the most sought after items from the depths of the Dungeon are monster cores. Monster cores are crystallized material produced by some monsters that are rich in mana and can be used to craft powerful weapons or even create magical artifacts.

The power contained within a single core is so great that these items have become highly coveted among delvers, or any realm for that matter.

While the process of crafting such artifacts is complex and difficult, the rewards are worth the effort. The weapons created using monster cores can be strong enough to harm even powerful monsters and gain their user an advantage in battle.

In addition, magical artifacts crafted with monster cores have a variety of uses that range from providing protection from magic to enhancing everyday items.

Monster cores are highly sought after by almost all races, and some even view them as a form of currency. They often take pride of place in royal courts, not only for their power but also for their aesthetic appeal; they can be crafted into unique pieces of jewellery or weapons that offer unparalleled strength and protection to the bearer.

However, harvesting monster cores can be an incredibly dangerous task, as in order to claim them - you'd have to kill the monster who holds it.

This gets even more challenging, as the only monsters that form cores are decently strong and can even make official knight struggle. Careful tactics and expertise must be used when attempting to acquire these cores, but the rewards are often more than worth it.

The core of a monster is an incredibly valuable resource. It is the only known substance in existence capable of naturally storing and harnessing the powerful energy that mages use to perform their miracles.

Not only does it store this energy, but it also retains its properties after death, constantly absorbing and replenishing mana. These attributes make cores ideal for use in enchanting and creating powerful weapons and artefacts. As such, cores are a highly sought-after commodity amongst mages around the world.

Excerpt from 'Hidden Treasures of the Lands Below'. Chapter 6. By the Kinloralian Merchant Zinx.

***

After approximately 2 hours, Ethoss had finally finished his underground home. He scanned around in awe at his handiwork, then let out a boiling-hot breath of satisfaction. Contrast to his previous digging accuracy before, now he could place dirt and rock much more neatly and tidily.

Soil no longer trickled from the ceiling onto his face and snout when he walked, it was solidly compacted and formed together. The dirt that he stepped on also felt more comfy than before, though he wasn't too sure if this was true or his brain playing tricks on him.

Ethoss had even attempted to recreate the bed of leaves and grass just like the goblins due to how he grew to love sleeping on it.

It was a pleasant surprise when he properly viewed his work. Ethoss had constantly walked in and out of his home, to pick up handfuls of leaves and grass which he carried back into the underground home; he placed them on top of a rectangular-square bed of dirt that was almost identical to the goblins creation.

His excavation was a success. Now he had a proper home for himself, or more specifically a nest. However, he still had to lay down his markings for his new territory, without it, monsters would enter as they please - invading his space and privacy.

Ethoss flicked his tongue, tasting the air. He moved out of his nest and onto the surface. His nest was located in a corner of the red-leafy biome in a small clearing in the woods where the trees were sparse. Ethoss looked around, taking in all the details of the area. The ground was covered in soft grass that he could comfortably walk on.

The air smelled fresh with hints of decaying carrion and other monster scents, the breeze flowing through the trees made the air feel cool and refreshing on his thick scales; the mana light from the ceiling of the entire forest also made the bluish crystals on his body sparkle beautifully.

Almost instantly, after taking in the environment, the reptile moved promptly. Ethoss needed to mark his territory, he needed to make sure that there would be no other monsters coming near his nest in the future.

He payed very close attention to the new map that was ingrained in his mind from his tunnel sense skill. As he moved, the map continuously revealed more and more of the red leafy biome; the fog that once hid apart of the map instantly dispersed once he visited that part.

'Why is the map still working? I'm on the surface; this means the tunnel sense skill shouldn't be active at the moment. Unless…'

This was a huge shocker to Ethoss. Tunnel sense was a skill that was stated to only be passively active underground, yet, it was working just as it would if he was in his nest. This could only mean one thing: someway, somehow, Ethoss was actually still underground. Even though he was walking on the surface at this very moment, he was underneath an actual surface.

Thinking this, Ethoss subconsciously glanced up at the ceiling; a ambient light beamed down onto the colorful forest. Any other normal monster would see nothing wrong with this - the light would be totally normal in their eyes, however, Ethoss was different. His nightly blue hued eyes carefully stared into the light; the light was mana light, or more accurately, mana rays of light.

This was the light that was emitted from mana crystals that formed in walls or other locations where mana was concentrated.

'So the "Surface" that the voice mentioned when I read the Human's profile was literally the real surface? I see, interesting…' Ethoss thought.

Snapping out of thought, he looked back to his current and most important sub-goal at the moment.

Rather than having many individual leaves like the trees from the forest expanse, the trees here had long ones that hung down - a lot of them almost touched the ground. Most of the leaves were a deep fleshy crimson red color but others a lighter shade of red—almost pink. This created a remarkable display of coloring everywhere he look.

It didn't take long for him to reach an adequate distance from his nest, and he immediately began laying down his markings. Just like he planned, the goal was to start off small, with a tiny section of territory that he had explored, then as he hunted for more prey, he would move to expand this territory over time.

This would allow for him to get a feel for his surroundings and have expansions progressively and simultaneously. He wanted to play the safe route since he was in unfamiliar lands to himself.

Fortunately, everything had been going nicely - no monsters had disrupted his procedure at all, this allowed Ethoss to complete his markings quickly. Things were going perfect, almost too perfect…

"CRAHHHHH!"

As if to disagree with everything he had just thought, a piercing cry blasted out and echoed off of the walls, and coming from behind him to the right. Ethoss reflexively swung his rear end to counter whatever was attempting to attack him but he had forgotten something…

He doesn't have a tail at the moment!