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.'

in such a difficult situation for such a worthless Ore

shot back in the

got lost in these tunnels, there would be no one to come

really a signal as she thought, then it likely meant that there were more Invalids on their way. If she was correct, then her arrows wouldn't mean much if

a corner with confidence, only to come to

But, they all simultaneously rotated their heads in her direction as though they were night time owls. It was the kind of sight that sent shivers down one's

hesitated, her

she go forward? Or run

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

there was no way that Aina would only meet these Invalids on her way back and never even sense them during her first trip

her

this was the best choice she had. If there were Invalids on 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

red hue covering her blade and her

she shot

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

moved less like humanoids and more like some alien species just learning how to walk on

good thing for her.

remaining two, she shot by the

she could, no longer minding the noise she might make. As long as the Invalids she came across continued to be

she had traveled in a straight line before? What possessed her

Many were alone, allowing her to easily bypass them. But, a few came in groups of two and three. Still,

more she ran. How were there so many Invalids here? Why did

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