Just Extra

The underground river kept flowing beside them as Naviga and Minerva walked in thoughtful silence. The discovery of Aldric Venn's journal had put a shadow over their mood. What had started as an adventure had turned into something far more serious. The knowledge they now carried felt heavy, like carrying rocks in their pockets that grew heavier with each step.

Hours passed in this way. Naviga kept careful track of time using the mental discipline she had learned during her previous life. Four hours became five, then six. Her legs hurt from the constant walking. She could see similar tiredness in the way Lady Minerva's steps had lost some of their earlier energy. They had been moving almost without stopping since entering the ice mountains. They had only taken short breaks for meditation or meals. Even magi at their level of cultivation had limits to how long they could keep going.

The nature of the river began to change. The underground channel that had held its flow started to widen. The ceiling grew higher overhead. Natural light began to filter in from somewhere ahead. It replaced the dim glow they had been making with their own universal essence. The temperature changed too, growing a little warmer as they moved away from the deepest parts of the ice mountain's inside.

"Miss, I think we are coming to an exit," Naviga said, pointing ahead to where the light grew stronger.

Minerva nodded. Relief was clear in her expression. "Good. I will be happy to see open sky again, even if it is still within this strange dungeon."

They quickened their pace. They were drawn toward the promise of open space after so many hours in tight passages. The river led them through a final winding section before opening dramatically into daylight. They came out onto a ledge carved into the mountainside. The river spilled over the edge in a waterfall that dropped away into mist below.

But what caught their attention was not the waterfall or the dizzying height. It was the view. Behind them, the ice mountains rose in impossible greatness. Their peaks disappeared into clouds so high that the tops could not be seen. The sheer size was overwhelming. They had spent hours walking through just the base of these mountains. Yet from this viewpoint, they could see that their exploration had barely touched the surface. The mountain range stretched in both directions far beyond what the eye could follow. It was a wall of ice and stone that seemed to divide the world.

"How can mountains this big exist inside a dungeon?" Minerva asked. Her voice was filled with awe. "The amount of space needed, the universal essence required to keep such a structure. It goes against everything I thought I knew about spatial dungeons."

Naviga studied the view with similar amazement. Her knowledge from the novel she had read in her previous life had never mentioned a dungeon of this size. Spatial dungeons were supposed to be pocket dimensions, limited in size and scope. This place felt like a whole world unto itself. It was vast and complex in ways that suggested purpose and planning far beyond simple monster homes.

The problem of how to go on became clear right away. The river continued its journey by falling over the cliff edge. But there was no path for them to follow. The mountainside dropped away sharply. It offered no handholds or ledges that would allow for climbing. They could see where the river landed far below. It continued its course across what looked like more frozen plains. But the distance was too great to jump even with their cultivation.

"We will need to use flying talismans again," Minerva said. She reached into her storage ring. "I had hoped to save them, but there is no other choice."

They each activated a talisman. They felt the familiar sensation of lightness as the magic took effect. Carefully, they stepped off the ledge and let the talismans carry them down in a controlled drop. The waterfall roared beside them. Its spray created small rainbows in the afternoon light. The view during the descent was breathtaking. But Naviga kept most of her attention focused on keeping control of her flight rather than sightseeing.

They landed on solid ground near where the river reformed after its dramatic fall. The land here was similar to what they had found on their approach to the mountains. It was frozen ground with occasional patches of tough plants. The air was cold but not as bitterly freezing as it had been at higher places.

"We should rest here," Naviga suggested. She noticed the weariness in Lady Minerva's posture. "We have been moving for many hours. Our bodies and cores need time to recover."

Minerva looked like she wanted to argue. She wanted to push forward despite exhaustion. But wisdom won out over pride. She nodded agreement. "You are right. We will achieve nothing if we push ourselves to collapse."

They found a good campsite a short distance from the river. It was an area where the ground was relatively flat and clear of ice. Naviga immediately started making preparations for a meal. They had been eating preserved rations for most of their time in the dungeon. But she still had large portions of the Blazelor stored in her ring. The massive bird-beast's meat had proven both tasty and good for their cultivation during their previous meal.

She took out a large section of the Blazelor's breast meat. The flesh was still perfectly preserved thanks to the storage ring's magic. Using Black Death, she cut the meat into manageable pieces. Then she gathered what dry wood she could find from the thin plants nearby. Getting a fire started proved hard in the cold and wind. But Minerva helped by using her fire element to light the kindling.

Soon they had a respectable fire burning. Naviga started cooking the meat. She had learned basic cooking skills during her years in the Akerman household. This knowledge proved very useful during field operations. The Blazelor meat sizzled as it cooked. It released savory smells that made both their stomachs growl in expectation.

While the food cooked, they sat in comfortable silence. Each was lost in her own thoughts. But eventually, the weight of what they had discovered in the hidden laboratory demanded discussion.

"This spatial dungeon is truly strange," Minerva said, breaking the quiet. "I have read about dungeons in the family library. I have studied accounts of explorations and monster habitats. None of them were anything like this place."

"The experiments done here make it even more suspicious, Miss," Naviga replied. She turned the meat to make sure it cooked evenly. "Why would anyone choose a dungeon as the location for research into void beast materials? Such work could have been done in any number of secure facilities. Places far easier to reach and control."

Minerva nodded slowly, following that logic. "Unless the dungeon itself was made specifically for those experiments. A spatial dungeon of this size would require huge power and skill to create. But it would also provide perfect isolation. No one could stumble upon the research by accident. Anyone who did manage to enter would face all the dangers we have met. The beasts, the environmental hazards, the magical traps."

"Whoever wrote that journal entry, Aldric Venn, mentioned working for a powerful benefactor," Naviga continued. "Someone able to get void beast skin and hire a fourth essence core magus to do research. That suggests resources and influence far beyond what any normal organization should have."

They both fell silent, thinking about the meanings. The Blazelor meat finished cooking. Naviga served portions to both of them. They ate slowly, enjoying the food while their minds worked through the puzzle they had uncovered.

Naviga's thoughts turned to what she knew about void beasts. This knowledge came from both her previous life's reading and the education she had received in this world. The knowledge came from multiple places. Pieces of the novel she had read as Joseph. Information from the Akerman family library. Lessons from Sister Minasa during their training sessions. Even Lady Minerva had learned about void beasts through her own studies and from her mother's teachings.

The void beasts had almost destroyed the Seven Sky Universe long ago. It was an event so terrible that it was remembered across all seven galaxies. They were creatures from absolute nothingness. Beings that existed in the emptiness beyond reality itself. When they had broken into the universe, they had brought destruction on a scale hard to understand. Entire galaxies had been threatened. Countless magi had died fighting them.

The void beasts had been stopped, in the end, through tremendous sacrifice and the combined efforts of the most powerful magi from across all seven galaxies. But the cost had been staggering. The battle had basically changed the structure of the universe.

"Someone wants to recreate that power," Minerva said quietly. She said what they were both thinking. "The void-attuned proxy core that Aldric mentioned. It would allow a magus to use void-elements abilities without using universal essence. The uses would be..."

"Terrifying," Naviga finished. "A magus with void beast power could possibly threaten entire galaxies. They could break through dimensional barriers. They could eat other forms of universal essence. Perhaps even survive in the absolute emptiness beyond our universe."

"Control of such power would mean control over the universe itself," Minerva added. "Anyone having multiple magi with void-attuned cores could force their will on others through pure force. They could explore beyond the boundaries of our reality. They could seek resources or knowledge from whatever lies in the outer void."

It painted a picture of ambition on a scale almost beyond understanding. Only someone—or some group—at the highest levels of power would even think about such a goal. The resources required, the knowledge needed, the willingness to risk terrible failure. It all pointed to seventh galaxy involvement. To powers operating on a level that Naviga and Minerva could barely imagine from their current position in the first galaxy.

"But there are doubts I have," Naviga said. She set down her now-empty bowl. "The journal mentioned they only had void beast skin for the experiments. A small sample, relatively speaking. Yet they left this whole facility after just one terrible failure."

"You think they had more materials?" Minerva asked.

"Consider the logic, Miss. If you had only a tiny piece of something impossibly valuable and rare, would you leave it after a single failed experiment? Or would you try again, improve your methods, learn from your mistakes?" Naviga paused, organizing her thoughts. "The fact that they simply sealed this place and left suggests the skin sample was not particularly precious to them. Which means..."

"They had other samples," Minerva concluded. Her expression grew troubled. "Larger ones, more important ones. Perhaps they have the horn of this monster. Or void beast blood, which would be even more powerful. They might even have entire body parts or, terrifying as it sounds, a complete void beast body."

The meanings settled over them like a cold weight. If the Phantom Cult—for they were increasingly certain that organization was behind this or may be Phantom Cult has helpers from above —had substantial void beast materials, then the experiments here were just the start. This hidden laboratory was a single test site among possibly many. A place where they could do dangerous early research without risking more valuable resources.

"We must tell Aunt Minasa about this," Minerva decided firmly. "She can pass the information to my mother and the other seventh galaxy powers. This is beyond our ability to handle."

Naviga agreed completely. They were in over their heads. They were tangled in plots that involved forces far beyond their current cultivation level. The responsible action was to pass this information up to those with the power and authority to address it properly.

She was about to say her agreement when a sound cut through the air. Distant but clear—the clash of weapons, the roar of techniques being used, shouts of combat. A fight was happening somewhere nearby. Close enough for them to hear but far enough that they could not yet see the people involved.

Both Naviga and Minerva shot to their feet instantly. Their hands moved to their storage rings to call their weapons. Their earlier tiredness forgotten, they focused all their attention in the direction the sounds were coming from. The combat seemed to be happening somewhere beyond a rise in the land, perhaps a few hundred meters away.

"Should we check, Miss?" Naviga asked quietly, though she was already preparing herself mentally for battle.

Minerva's eyes narrowed as she listened to the sounds of fighting. Judging by the variety of techniques being used. The battle sounded intense. There were periodic flashes of light visible even from this distance as powerful attacks were unleashed.

"We need to be careful," Minerva said. "But yes, we should check. Whoever is fighting might be other magi exploring this dungeon. They could be in trouble, or they might have information about this spatial cave that would be valuable."

They moved quickly but cautiously toward the sounds of battle. They left their campsite behind. Black Death appeared in Naviga's hand. The familiar weight of the sword was a comfort. Beside her, Minerva held Scorching Tyrant ready. Small flames already danced along the blade's edge.

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