He stepped off the airboat onto the soggy bank, Jason and Clive following after. They followed the tracking orb onto higher, drier ground, Jason hacking their way through tight scrub with a machete. The blade was enchanted for the task, a common tool that every adventurer learned to take into the delta. They progressed until Humphrey called them to a stop.

“Oh,” he said.

All three looked at the orb in Humphrey’s hand. The indicator light was pointing straight down into the wet, heavy earth.

85. Because I’m an Adventurer

85

Because I’m an Adventurer

“I couldn’t find anything even resembling an entrance,” Jason said as the trio regrouped. The others shook their heads, having fared no better.

“Probably some kind of extended lair,” Clive said. “A lot of creatures in this environment, monster and animal both, are just as happy in the water as out. Some like to dig burrows and stash prey for later consumption. The entrance could be in any direction and is probably underwater.”

“Any suggestions?” Humphrey asked.

“We could try a simple ritual used for digging wells,” Clive said. “I’m sure I have one in a book somewhere in my storage space.”

“I don’t know that ritual,” Jason said. “Wasn’t in my ritual magic skill book.”

“People make skill books with knowledge practical for adventurers,” Clive said, “not for farmers. It’s one of many reasons that skill books aren’t proper magic instruction. They only give the flimsiest theoretical grounding.”

Jason groaned. “You sound like Farrah.”

“Really?” Clive asked, his head perking up. “Did she say something about me?”

Jason wearily shook his head.

“Why didn’t you suggest a magic tunnel in the first place?” he asked.

“My concern would be collapsing whatever underground space we break into,” Clive said. “This ground is incredibly wet. Whatever lair or burrow is down there may be full of water already, or our tunnel could collapse the whole thing.”

“I don’t see a better option,” Humphrey said.

“Time to pull out the old bag of salt, then,” Jason said. “You know, I’m still on the bag I took from these cannibals I killed. I should practise rituals more.”

“Don’t bother with the salt. I’ll sort it out.” Clive closed his eyes and took a slow, deep breath. Nothing in the surroundings changed, but both Jason and Humphrey felt a stillness come over them.

[Human] has used [Mana Equilibrium].

Ambient magic has entered a harmonious state.

The next spell cast in this area will cost reduced mana, and the harmonious state will be disrupted.

“That’s interesting,” Humphrey said, looking around. Jason knew that Humphrey’s perception power, dragon sight, allowed him to see magic.

“You’re smoothing-out the ambient magic to make rituals easier,” Humphrey said. “You seem very spell-oriented for a human.”