God I messed up and so impatient trying to set up chapter 6 ugh sorry if anyone saw that :( anyways) Chapter 7
Nike was starting to worry.
Azazel shouldn't be taking this long. Shaping the walls and summoning creatures used mana and willpower—nothing he shouldn't be able to handle. Unless…
Nike's tail flicked with unease. He wouldn't be dumb enough to overdo it, would he?
Without wasting another second, he bolted from the core room, sprinting through the tunnels. "Azazel!" he called out, his voice echoing. "Azazel!"
A weak voice answered.
"I'm here… just napping."
Nike followed the sound, skidding to a stop when he saw Azazel sprawled on the ground, his skin pale—no, almost purple.
His stomach dropped. "Please don't tell me you overused your mana?!"
Azazel smirked weakly, letting out a slow yawn. "Had six left out of a hundred when I finished… Didn't make an entrance yet. Wanted to save that for when we get our classes."
Nike groaned, dropping to his knees before pulling Azazel into his arms. That idiot.
"You're a dumbass, you know that, Azzy."
Azazel blinked at him in confusion. "Azzy?"
"Shut up." Nike huffed. "You need to rest. Can you make it back to the core room, or are you sleeping here?"
Before Azazel could answer, he went limp.
Nike sighed. Of course, he passed out.
Azazel woke up alone.
Nike was gone—but somehow, he knew exactly where he was.
Guess he couldn't wait to explore the rooms I made.
Azazel thought about going after him right away… but thanks to a particularly nice dream, he decided to take some personal time first.
Two hours later, feeling much more relaxed, he finally went to look for Nike.
When he found him, Azazel's heart nearly stopped.
Nike was playing with two massive crystal snakes.
Azazel tensed. Are they dangerous?
Before acting, he quickly checked their templates.
Name: Naga
Type: Crystal Snake
Tier: Copper – Level 3
Title: Diggy Diggy Hole
Earned by devouring underground hornets and burrowing through their tunnels.
Effect: +10% tunneling speed in burrowed or pre-made tunnels.
Name: Hydra
Type: Crystal Snake
Tier: Copper – Level 3
Title: Diggy Diggy Hole (Same as Naga)
Azazel let out a slow breath. They weren't hostile.
Not only had they grown bigger, but they'd gained some intelligence—and had apparently earned a title.
Had Nike influenced their growth? Or had they chosen their own path?
When Azazel looked up from the template, Nike was gently nudging the snakes back toward the tunnel. With one last pat, they slithered away.
Azazel sighed in relief. At least he wasn't in danger.
He stepped forward and pulled Nike into a hug. "Hey… are you okay? You were way too close to those things."
Nike leaned into him, his tail flicking lazily. "I'm fine. Actually… if it weren't for them, I might've been in trouble."
Azazel tensed. "What happened?"
Nike hesitated, then sighed. "I was checking out your mobs while you were resting when I heard this buzzing noise. Before I could figure out where it was coming from, these bugs burst out of the ground and rushed me. Those two—and one more—jumped in and protected me. The next thing I knew, they chased the bugs down their tunnels and disappeared."
Azazel frowned. That wasn't good.
Nike looked uneasy. "I thought we had at least another day before anything from the outside could get in."
Azazel considered that, then asked, "Could they have already been here when I took over the dungeon?"
Nike went quiet, thinking it over. Then he nodded. "That's the only thing that makes sense." He glanced toward the tunnels, his ears twitching. "But if that's the case, we need to get back to the core room. We need to pick our classes now—who knows if there are more of those things?"
Azazel didn't argue.
He simply grabbed Nike's hand and started leading him back.