The Wizard Has A Biochip

Pov Sayk - Level 3 Acolyte of the Subterranean World.

I led the way as I advanced through the broken and winding tunnel, keeping my steps light and controlled.

Every time I approached a new passage, I stopped for a few seconds to carefully examine the surroundings before proceeding.

The tunnel ahead of me remained silent.

Broken rocks and stalagmites were scattered along the sides of the passage.

A faint light, coming from the illuminating fungi hidden in the depths, passed through small openings between the stones, forming luminous spots that looked like sharp fangs smiling in the darkness.

I tilted my head slightly.

I listened.

A muffled rumble came from somewhere beneath my feet.

At the same time, small clouds of mist constantly escaped through the cracks between the rocks.

I knew that world.

I had been born and raised in the Subterranean World.

Even so, that environment remained dangerous.

The explosion caused by the previous battle had destroyed a large portion of the tunnels.

Entire passages had collapsed, others had been blocked by rocks, while new routes had appeared where there had once been nothing but walls.

This was a problem.

We, the inhabitants of the Subterranean World, normally possessed an enormous advantage when fighting in our own territory.

We knew the paths, the caves, the escape routes, and the places where an ambush could be prepared.

But that battle had destroyed much of that knowledge.

The terrain had changed.

And our enemies were intelligent.

That was why I did not leave unnecessary traces.

After advancing a certain distance, I stopped again.

— We need to confirm the location.

I carefully removed the blood-stained communication rune from my equipment and placed it on the ground.

Then I knelt down.

I took a deep breath and began reciting the incantation.

My voice echoed softly through the cave.

The ancient words of the spell came out one after another, accompanied by small waves of mana.

When I finished the chant, the rune glowed.

A presence appeared above it.

My heart tightened.

It was a creature without eyes, with a completely dark-green body. Its form seemed to belong to a deformed tree, but there was something deeply supernatural about its existence.

It was a Verdanu.

I tilted my head.

— O ancient Verdanu, born from the immense eternal forests... show me the location of our enemies.

The creature floated silently.

Then it slowly turned its head.

Even without possessing eyes, it seemed to see through everything.

Its attention finally turned toward a certain direction.

My heart began to race.

I knew where they were.

— Sector eleven...

A voice emerged behind me.

— They are heading to sector eleven!

It was Salin.

My companion, a Pseudo-Mage dressed in black.

His voice was filled with excitement and bloodlust.

I clenched my teeth.

The interruption had been ill-timed.

The summoning ceremony trembled.

The Verdanu slowly turned its head.

This time, it stared at Salin.

Its mouth opened.

Ethereal teeth appeared inside it, accompanied by a bloody aura.

For an instant, I had the impression that it was going to attack my companion.

I did not hesitate.

I bit the tip of my own tongue.

The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.

I immediately spat the hot blood onto the rune.

The Verdanu let out a sharp sound and disappeared.

At the same instant, pain shot through my head.

— Ngh...

The spell’s backlash had also struck me.

Salin, however, showed no regret whatsoever.

He simply adjusted his cloak.

— I’ll go ahead.

The wind began to swirl around his body.

— I’ll hunt these enemies down first. Take your time and catch up with me.

Then he disappeared into the tunnel.

I remained motionless for a few seconds.

My eyes narrowed.

Idiot.

If he were not a Pseudo-Mage, I would have found a way to make him pay for that recklessness.

But I knew reality.

I was only a consolidated Level 3 Acolyte.

I could not afford to provoke someone at that level.

My summoning ability was precisely the reason they had allowed me to accompany that hunt.

Without it, I probably would not even be there.

I looked at the rune again.

Our target was only a Level 2 Acolyte and another Level 3.

It was absurd.

How could someone so weak dare to cross the Subterranean World?

Sometimes I really wondered what the Mages of the surface had in their heads.

Sending people so weak to this place was practically the same as sending them to their deaths.

I quickly picked up the objects I had left on the ground.

Then I pulled my black cloak around my body and began to run.

I needed to catch up with Salin.

If I took too long, he would probably eliminate all the enemies by himself and leave nothing for me.

And I did not want that.

In the city of DarkGem, resources were extremely scarce.

A Level 2 Acolyte from the surface could be worth a small fortune.

With a reward like that, I could live peacefully for almost a year.

I accelerated.

However, the winding passages and obstacles made it difficult for me to run.

Fortunately, there were still traces of the Wind element left behind by Salin.

I could feel them in the air.

They worked like a trail.

I followed that elemental current and saved precious time.

A few minutes later, I was close to the enormous cave of sector eleven.

But I stopped.

My entire body became still.

Something was wrong.

My intuition was screaming.

Danger.

Then...

Rumble!~~

The ground shook violently.

My heart raced.

The source of that vibration was coming directly from beneath my feet.

— What...?

I raised my eyes.

The ceiling began to crack.

CRAAACK!

Rocks came crashing down.

Sand and fragments of rock fell into the tunnel.

I immediately stepped back.

The path ahead collapsed completely.

I was forced to return to the previous cave.

I breathed heavily as I watched the dust spread.

Then I noticed something.

There was someone there.

A human figure remained motionless in the darkness.

My body tensed.

I did not need light to see.

I belonged to that world.

The darkness was my ally.

Even so...

That presence surprised me.

I carefully observed the amount and nature of the mana emanating from that figure.

My heart skipped a beat.

— It’s him...

The Level 2 Acolyte.

The same one we were pursuing.

He was standing in front of me.

Waiting.

There was no doubt.

It was a trap.

But that also meant something else.

He had managed to manipulate the terrain.

The earthquake had occurred at exactly the right moment to separate Salin from me.

A slow smile appeared on my face.

So that was it.

They had chosen the weaker target.

Me.

A Level 3 Acolyte.

What arrogance.

I tilted my head slightly as I analyzed that young man.

— I’m certain you’re not alone.

My voice echoed through the cave.

— I can’t believe it... a Level 2 Acolyte actually possesses enough abilities to move through the Subterranean World with such ease.

I continued observing him.

— It seems that you possess exactly the talents necessary to survive here.

My mind worked rapidly.

They had chosen an intelligent strategy.

But they had also made a mistake.

They had chosen the wrong person.

My smile widened.

— So you decided to ambush me?

I looked at the darkness behind him.

Then at the Acolyte himself.

I knew someone was hiding there.

Perhaps even more than one person.

Then my eyes found the woman in the red dress.

For a brief moment, I felt something close to envy.

Her skin was fair, smooth, and flawless.

Mine had been shaped by the Subterranean World.

Life in that place had never allowed my body to have such an appearance.

My gaze returned to the Acolyte.

A cold smile appeared on my lips.

I flexed my fingers.

My mana began to circulate.

Then I crouched down.

And charged directly at the woman in red.

...

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