Dimensional Descent

Aina pulled her sword out quickly.

She didn't quite understand what was happening. Shouldn't Invalids be creatures of instinct? They shouldn't have any intelligence or sense of comradery. Something like signaling one's allies was a distinctly human trait. Sometimes beasts of higher intelligence would engage in such matters as well. But, Invalids? That should never happen.

'It didn't become energy?'

Aina was shocked once again. The Invalid before her collapsed, but it didn't disappear into energy she could absorb. Just what was happening?

Aina's heart seized. Did she make a mistake? Was it not an Invalid at all?

No, that was impossible. Its eyes, its aura, its demeanor, it all screamed Invalid. So, what was happening exactly?

Aina didn't believe that she would make such a rookie mistake. Plus, what existence other than an Invalid could shriek like that even after having its head pierced through?

Aina was certain, it hadn't been a shriek of pain or unwillingness. It had no emotion behind it all, it was completely hollow and without conscience.

'I need to move.'

Aina thrust these thoughts to the back of her mind, taking a glance at the wall the 'Invalid' had been scratching at.

If Leonel had been there, he would immediately recognize the Tier 5 Black Ore embedded into the wall. It wasn't very valuable, but it wasn't worthless either. At the very least, it could sell for a couple kilograms of Black Urbe Ore.

'I don't have time to dig it out and it doesn't seem like a very high level ore either.' Aina nodded to herself. 'Run.'

and ran. She felt it was unfortunate that she had placed herself in such a difficult situation for such a worthless Ore she couldn't even mine, but there was no time to cry over spilt

back in

And, if she got lost in these tunnels, there would be no one to come out and save her. Therefore, her best

more Invalids on their way. If she was correct, then her arrows wouldn't mean much if anything to them. With their low

corner with confidence, only to come to

simultaneously rotated their heads in her direction as though they were night time

hesitated, her

forward? Or run

former was the only way for her to continue following her arrows. But, the latter would force her to forget her initial plans entirely. There was no way she would be able to

too many diverging paths. If it wasn't for this, there was no way that Aina would only meet these Invalids on her way back and never even sense them during

grit her

way here. If that was the case, there

began to boil, a faint red hue covering her

shot forward, brandishing

seemed disjointed. Though they were as fast as Fourth Dimensional humans, their joints

alien species just learning how to walk on their own two

a cold shiver down Aina's back, but this was a good thing for her. The less coordinated they were, the greater chance she had

remaining two, she shot by the gap she created after the Invalid toppled over, nearly hitting

As long as the Invalids she came across continued to be so

lamenting her previous actions. Why couldn't she had traveled in a straight

easily bypass them. But, a few came in groups of two and three. Still,

How were there so many Invalids here? Why did none of

so many here. The more she ran into, the more she began to question how she had traveled so