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.'

Aina turned tail 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

in

run and create new markings on the wall. And, if she got lost in these tunnels, there would be no one to come out and save her. Therefore, her best chance was to follow

If she was correct, then her arrows wouldn't mean much if

a corner with confidence, only

of them with their backs facing her. But, they all simultaneously rotated their heads in her direction as though they were night time owls. It

hesitated, her

forward? Or

latter would force her to forget her initial plans entirely. There was

wasn't for this, there was no way that Aina would

grit her teeth.

her way back, that only meant that she had been very lucky not to run into them on the way here. If that was the case, there might very well be even more if she headed in deeper rather than trying to exit.

boil, a faint red hue covering her blade

a thought, she shot forward, brandishing her

fast as Fourth Dimensional humans, their joints would often bend at odd angles as though they were double jointed in all

less like humanoids and more like some alien species just learning how

but this was a good thing for her.

she shot by the gap she created after the Invalid toppled over, nearly hitting her head on the

she could, no longer minding the noise she might make. As long as the Invalids she came across continued to be so uncoordinated and slow, she just had to continue running with

her previous actions. Why couldn't she had traveled in a straight line before? What possessed her to take so many

into several more Invalids. Many were alone, allowing her to easily bypass them. But, a few came in groups

many Invalids here? Why did none of them become motes

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