(Book 1 Complete!) Side Quest [Isekai / LitRPG]

You have killed a level 3 dreadmaw beetle! Slight experience gained!

Logan wondered only a moment over that. It must be because the beetle was lower level than him. The learning moment ended when Senna lobbed her grenade into the thicket further out.

The explosion illuminated the cavern in a brilliant flash. Shards of cracked shell and burning ichor flew in every direction, and Logan ducked as a molten piece of beetle carapace whizzed past his head.

"Guess it wasn't a total waste after all!"

The firelight shimmered off blue crystal formations embedded in the walls, and for a split second, the cavern would have looked beautiful if not for the swarming, chittering menace that began to retreat down the sloped tunnel, now illuminated by Cassandra's light.

Bromlin roared and charged ahead. "Not so fast, you vile swarm!" The dwarf swung his axe in a brutal arc, shearing off a low-flying beetle's wing. It crumpled to the ground.

This is madness, Logan thought, but he joined the others as they trotted down the decline.

The small tunnel spit them out into a cavern so huge, everybody stopped in their tracks.

Large mineral-filled boulders surrounded them, Cassandra's pale white light making flecks of micah look like stars embedded in stone. Beetles swarmed closer to an edge that dropped off into a deep chasm. Beyond that and far to the left, a broad gray pillar rose from the impenetrable depths and connected at the cavernous ceiling.

As Logan looked closer, the edges fuzzed. It wasn't a pillar of stone, but of muted light.

"What is that doing out there?"

It had been Senna's voice, but it might as well have been Logan's, who was thinking the same thing.

"I'm not sure," said Cassandra. A splinter of light separated from her glowing orb and shot toward the pillar. It flew over the open pit then came to a sudden jittering stop and fizzled out. "But it's beyond the Boundary." She repeated the same motion on the pit further to the right, away from the gray pillar, and her light fizzled out, but this time only because of how far it extended beyond her reach. "We should let the guild know so they can chart it."

They all nodded, including Logan, even though he didn't know what this Boundary was.

"Hyargh!" A massive dreadmaw beetle swept Bromlin to the side, but he just laughed and bashed the butt of his axe on its forehead and triggered a snap. It was level 8 and no match for him.

Cassandra sighed. "But let us finish what we started, yes?" She stepped forward and lifted her hand. From the ground rose brilliant rods of pure light. Between the bright posts, a thin veneer of translucent energy hummed. It reminded Logan of a chain link fence, just without the chain links and with a silken tapestry of translucent magic. Each step she took tightened the fenced area. Beetles huddled away from it, closing into a tight knot.

"Alden?"

Alden raised his chin and wove his hands. Brown swirls danced up from the ground inside the magic fence. A moment later, a jagged spike of stone shot up and impaled a beetle. He raised his hand with dramatic flair, like a symphony director and another stone spear rose. After three consecutive strikes, he let out a slow breath, his energy clearly drained.

Bromlin's battlecries became rhythmic, and Logan clenched his fists.

Maybe I can make it to level 7. He had 8 free stat points, and after the chaos inside the cellar and taking hits, he could use more Agility. Cassandra had raised his defenses, but that wouldn't always be the case, and his Agility lagged his other stats. It didn't benefit from any of his level-up bonuses, either. He dumped them all into Agility, then checked his screen:

Health: 144/160
Stamina: 151/248
Mana: 320/320

Stats:
STR: 32
END: 23
DEX: 46
AGL: 30
INT: 33
PER: 40
WIL: 48
CHA: 6

Free Points: 0

Works for me. He lunged for the nearest beetle and took it down with ease, again receiving only "slight experience." But that small bug wasn't his target. He jumped it like a hurdle, sprinted a short distance, then slid beneath a larger insect's ridged underbelly, raking his claws up as he skid.

Thick, sticky gore splattered across his face, and he let out a strangled noise of disgust.

"That is revolting," he thought, spitting out the foul taste. Worse, the goop got in his eye. He tried to wipe it away with his hand, but it was like rubbing oil. Through blurred vision, he finished the beetle off, this time gaining normal experience. It had been level 9.

My poor shirt, he thought as he used the sleeve to finally clear his sight.

He peeked at the others to discover Senna wielded a saber crafted from a beetle's prong, using its natural curve to lock blades with another beetle's horn.

She whistled sharply, and Bromlin answered by charging in, burying his axe deep into the beetle's back.

Alden and Cassandra eliminated the last few beetles near the magical ward, but Alden was panting now, his magic taking a toll.

Logan had to hand it to them. They all worked well together. It made him feel like he was missing out. He didn't have any formal training and had been getting by on his own this whole time. Maybe the Adventurers' Guild might fix that.

He ended his idle musing when a sense of apprehension prickled his skin, like having a bee buzz by his ear.

Only instead of a bee, it was a level 26 dreadmaw.

He reacted just in time to sidestep and avoid getting gored by the sword-like horn. The flat of its prong still struck, though, and knocked the wind out of him. The impact lifted Logan and sent him sprawling against a boulder. His vision swam and his lungs refused to take in air. If not for the added Agility, he might have been a dead man.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

There was still time for that, though, when the beetle rushed him again. The wide open space was its natural terrain, unlike the narrow confines of the cellar, and it picked up speed.

He tried to call for aid, but his still breathless voice didn't work.

The others were busy, engaged in their own fights. They wouldn't notice him over here, behind the enormous hunk of stone.

Logan forced himself to roll on his side, ignoring the pain. The beetle hit the stone he had laid against and the ground shook at the impact.

The only nearby object was a loose rock, which Logan hurled at the beetle's head. It barely flinched.

Even if he wasn't disadvantaged, he couldn't outpower it. He had to level the playing field.

As the beetle backed up and turned, Logan rolled once more. It might have power behind its charge, but it took time to build that up, and Logan didn't give it.

He grabbed his pea shooter.

His breath still was too weak to waste pelting it with a thorn, nor did he have time to fumble for any ammo hidden among the luminthistle heads. Instead, he jabbed the end of the hollowed branch into the beetle's compound eyes.

Its mandibles clacked and scraped Logan's arm, but he twisted it and pulled back before it could deal more damage. The thing had already broken his ribs, he was sure. He didn't need it crushing his arm to a pulp too.

Blinded in one eye, the beetle flailed its head.

While it did, Logan entered a sprinter's crouch, but with one arm forward, his claws acting like a horn of his own. He pressed his back heel against a standing hunk of stone.

Null Pulse!

The ever-pouncing presence of mana inside him hummed like an engine. Too strong, and Logan might splatter himself against the stone. Not strong enough, and his gauntlet would never pierce the beetle's exoskeleton. And Logan didn't know what that threshold was.

With a primal scream, he released the mana gathering at his feet when his total pool was half spent, and he slammed into the armored foe with a loud crunch. Something warm and beating spasmed against his forearm, then slowed.

Null Pulse is level 8!
Null Pulse is level 9!

You have killed a level 26 dreadmaw beetle! Experience gained!

You are now level 8!
+2 END, +4 DEX, +6 INT, +8 PER, +4 WIL
You have 8 free stat points.

Wheezing, Logan tugged himself free from the beetle's abdomen and grimaced at the goop dripping off him. Then the shock wore off, and he gasped in pain.

He collapsed against the dead insect's shell.

His health had dropped to 20%, but he wasn't sure how much of that had been from the beetle or his own recklessness. He crawled forward to scan for any other dreadmaws beyond the boulder, but he was alone. Relieved, he meditated to recover some of his health. Just to 50% to take the edge off, then he would regroup with the others.

Meditate is level 18!

Each breath was agonizing, though, and if meditation didn't mend dislocated shoulders, he doubted it worked on broken bones, of which his status listed as 2 broken ribs and 3 metacarpal fractures.

At least the jagged gashes he had sustained while yanking his hand from the beetle shell restitched themselves. It still hurt, though, and he wasn't sure if the System was mocking him as his Pain Resistance rocketed three levels to 18.

That was when he noticed the gray pillar of light. Only, it was no longer gray.

It shimmered with shifting blues, reds, greens, golds. It was that same wispy vapor he had seen while Alden was casting his spells in the cellar, but on an infinitely larger scale. As he peered, the colors grew more vibrant.

Congratulations! You have learned a new skill!
Manasense (Rare), level 1
+3 INT, +5 PER
Not everybody can see the unseen! You can now identify mana as it is used. Enjoy the hallucinations!

Dumbfounded, Logan watched the immense sprawl. Bands of color coalesced and merged into the central white beam, and diffused outward. He had once taken a ferry tour of Niagara Falls, and he imagined the mist would look somewhat like that if he could get close. Not that he particularly wanted to.

Manasense is level 2!
…
Manasense is level 9!

The fascinating lightshow drew him in, and the skill did not stop rising. With each increase in level, his ability to home in on the individual colors became easier, and he began to see wisps around him, gently drifting like strands of cotton candy spinning toward a spindle.

As one gaseous patch puffed away near the top, he glimpsed a hole in the cavern ceiling. It looked like it led to an overhead room, and for a second, he thought he saw silhouettes marching in a line. Before he could make sense of it, the vapors concealed it again.

His notifications tore his focus from whatever it was.

Manasense is level 10!

Synergy detected: Exalted Kin.
Skill upgrade in progress…

Congratulations! Manasense is now Aetherlens (legendary), level 1!
+6 INT, +9 PER
Your perception of mana has transcended mere glimpses, and now ambient mana will reveal itself to you on command. Maintain your focus longer as Skill level increases. Irregularities become clearer proportionate to Perception.

The intensity of it all made the world explode before Logan's eyes. It was as if someone had overlaid the aurora borealis on the ground, the boulders, and the air itself. It was too much for his mind to process and he flinched back, slamming his eyes shut as he cut his new Aetherlens skill off.

Half-dazed, he shook himself and staggered to his feet. Gripping his side with his good hand, he limped back to the boulder and rounded it.

"There you are," said Alden, sounding inconvenienced. "We've been calling your name."

Confused, Logan scrunched his brow, then grimaced and doubled over.

"Are you all right?" Cassandra sped over and gently helped him to the ground. "Lay back."

He shivered at the stabbing pain in his gut, but did as she said. Her hands glowed with a golden nimbus as her palms hovered inches above his torso. Gentle warmth permeated his bones and his 60% health rose to full in far less time than even his improved Meditate could account for.

It still hurt to breathe, though. She noticed his wince and let out an understanding sigh. "You have broken bones, don't you? To reset them, we'd have to break them again so they heal properly. Normally, I could fix it, but your natural regeneration already did too much." Her last sentence sounded like a scolding. Her expression tightened, but quickly faded into a sympathetic smile. "I doubt you want Bromlin using his axe to help us get to them. Not with all that beetle juice dripping from it."

"Mm, beetle juice," said Senna jokingly.

"Don't say it a third time," said Logan, more to himself.

"What?" asked Bromlin. "Beetle ju—?"

Logan raised his hand with a frightful look, and Bromlin stopped, scratching his head. Logan immediately chuckled. It was worth the laugh, even with the broken ribs. That Tim Burton cult classic had always been a favorite of his. He could just imagine a giant snaketail curling around them and dropping them all into the chasm, which actually might not be so unrealistic in this world.

Cassandra helped him to his feet, and he looked back at the pillar of light. It was a muted gray again.

"You mentioned a boundary?" he asked.

Even Bromlin shot him a strange look. "A boundary? You mean the Boundary? The Boundary that separates the Ruined Wilds from us?"

Senna shook her head. "I'm telling you, it's like he's never stepped out of his own shadow."

Alden eyed Logan as if he were dumber than a dreadmaw, and Logan decided not to press the topic of his hometown with them. "Sorry, I think the hit I took scrambled my thoughts. I thought you meant a territorial beetle boundary."

"Ah," said Cassandra. "No, I meant the Great Boundary. But that's a good point. We didn't see any dreadmaw mounds in the immediate vicinity while we were looking for you, so I don't think we have to worry about a recurring infestation. I'm sure Captain Krett can manage it from here."

The team congregated toward the exit.

"Too many low-leveled bugs," Bromlin griped. "I'll outlevel you someday, though, Alden." The dwarf delivered his challenge with a smile.

As they ascended the slope to the gore-splattered cellar, Logan glanced once more at the pale pillar of muted mana. The haze blurred everything near the ceiling.

He might have imagined the open chamber above it, but he had plenty of other questions about this Great Boundary and the Ruined Wilds. And a certain gnome-and-dragon duo might have answers.