Reincarnated as a Duck: A beast progression litrpg isekai
Chapter 272 263: Depth of mines, reasons, and portals
Grasping the Destiny Dice, Razmund ignored his dirty look and wished to destroy it. It was impossible, and everyone knew it, yet its mistake was his mistrust.
Lint reached Razmund's front, glancing at the cave that once held Murai's scent and Fate. This time, he didn't dare to joke around.
"This is going to get ugly. You damned dirty Blessed, you better keep that Dice calm! Whether you want it or not, be busy in a clever way. Follow the path behind us and don't you dare to think of wasting more time."
"Who are you to speak for me? Why are you even speaking?" Razmund turned his face to him, looking crazier than ever before with his bloodshot eyes and itching mouth and brows. He pointed his claymore at him, almost chopping this Guide in half.
It wasn't just about his dirty look. His eyes had a distinct gaze and intensity, filling him with unreasonable madness that wasn't driving Lint's words, calmness, or worry.
They showed some quality and vision, which then followed something expected. It was the understanding that nothing would happen if he didn't do it himself. With his own arms, Razmund believed that all Fate should be in one's hands.
Lint backed away, not wanting to get into a physical argument with this madman. He pointed behind and got a gist of this cave. "Just hurry. That is all."
"I don't need you. It's what I would do anyway," Razmund sneered and loosened his palm. The Dice was free, so it bounced away and started flying and dancing around the ground and walls.
It became mad once again, laughing, screaming, and leaving pink mist behind. It was a weird dance that touched the betweens of Fate, and going crazy as it always wanted was a splendor of its wielder.
He shall be rewarded for this assignment.
Razmund watched it with focused eyes until it stopped at the end of the shaft, exactly where Lint pointed to. Hovering there, it watched or sensed something intense.
[Origin!] It screeched just as Razmund walked away from the cave. [Scent of the Origin! The Fate is moving, giving, and dredging the smells of home, of death and life. It's coming. The fateful encounter that the skies are burning for.]
"Is that right?" Razmund said coldly. "Just show me the way. I don't need your words. This is my path, so don't joke with it."
Dice turned immediately, pointing at Razmund with its hole and churning pink mist.
"Is this a joke?"
Dice screamed and trembled.
[I smell it! The course of everything. Hurry. The smelly Origin isn't untidy. It is breaking and broke and nasty.] It indicated he should remain on this path, which meant no more digging and no more stupidity. Such an approach would be better than wreaking havoc in an already unstable space.
It seemed it was no longer possible to ignore, as a path into a mining shaft that Murai took not that long ago was before him.
"You..." Razmund finally reconciled with his digging, and even Lint changed his mind about something.
"It lied to you, you crazy bastard," Lint said. "But no! Guides are stupid. Guides can't be right. They can't show you the way forward, eh? That's what you get for trusting that Dice!"
Hearing his mockery, Razmund jumped and clutched the Dice before tossing it further. It bounced before pointing to a different path. "It doesn't matter to me if you are hungry or not. You will show the way."
[What a prick...] The Dice scowled but went along with this Fate.
Lint grunted. "So much for your stupid digging... What a mistake to tag along or fly out of my nest."
Destiny Dice decided on multiple new directions. It was so much easier when Fate was blooming, unclogged by the Resonance. Its path should be similar to the Gate of Suffering, where it followed the maze's pathway. Here, the mines were simple, no longer playing with its presence or those nasty dwellings.
Now, it followed the scent of proper walks.
Onward, washed and like ghosts, the Dice saw a silhouette of a large Grifhart, followed by two weird clouds on its back. Those were weird figures, not meant to be together, and certainly not playful against Fate.
One was black like the curse, and the Dice screamed and felt the scenery breaking after the other twisted in its vision. It didn't change, though the Dice swore it did.
Murai and his group left a long time ago, so the Dice hurried, screeching and flying onwards, leaving Razmund in the dust.
Grunting, he used a couple of Flying Steps and clutched it back into a fist, squashing the voice and its sudden outburst.
[AH! No! Noooo... Fix it... FIX IT! THIS IS WRONG. IMMORAL! Breaking...]
"What a crazy bastard," Razmund said. "Can't you follow the path properly?"
[It was here!] The Dice's changed its mind and softened its voice to irritated whispers. [I will lead you... if you listen. Everything is changing, regardless of death and a New Beginning.]
Razmund's eyes gleamed with new light. It had never remarked such a tone before, and he wasn't sure about every one of its words. At this point, he couldn't care about it because of everything going on in reality.
"Good. I will be over and done with this soon enough," he mumbled, glancing at the quivering Dice on top of his palm before it disappeared into the mines once again, bouncing in a wild run.
Lint was left behind, scowling and cursing this damned madman and everything that had happened. He wished for Mindarch's help, or the words of his Lady, but it was futile and illogical.
His task was relatively simple, and its point was approaching. It shouldn't be a calm finale, so whatever happened, nothing was his problem anymore.
***
Far away, Murai's group was quite deep underground. Although the paths and mines always looked the same, the actual surroundings, dangers, and feelings altered.
Some parts of the mines were extremely hot and dry, feeling no different from the Scorching Light, if not worse. Rarely, paths felt brighter than the sun, making it a tough time for miners.
But they weren't minding; Lisa ensured that their time was finer than that. Regardless of nasty places, protection and power were needed for walking around unscathed and fine.
Hence, plenty of specific mines had locking mechanisms made of magic or physical gates. All of which were within their expectations, thanks to ample preparations and plenty of room for discovery. Although the underground went for dozens of kilometers, a hundred meters was enough to cope with this size.
Ultra Materium was the main reason for everything. Even among their variety and sizes, many veins held distinct textures and qualities, causing many mysteries and mines to be off the charts. Not the maps, however.
The problem was the effects of the Materium. Caves were no different from mining shafts because of them.
Throughout this mess, Murai didn't know where he should look. Frankly, that damned portal became a mild interest after that Resonance, so he spent the last couple of hours going over his Cores and mana.
It was gradually changing and calming down, giving his body and mind a big shake-up. Part of it was spiritual, coming from within him, his change, mindset, and remembrance. The other was worse, describing his body and Bloodline, rather than the spirituality that he mastered.
Lisa was enduring this time in a similar vein, albeit she felt tricked and more wrong about this journey because of him. It calmed over time as she thought and focused on the mines and maps.
Restricted areas were among their top priorities, and since there were many of them, it would take time to visit them all.
Because of that, the group decided to test stuff out and figure out the subsequent steps. Getting to the bottom of the mining maps provided by Foolisch and Lookish was the end and the start.
Only Murai would notice his portal within a hundred-meter range, which was the sole solution to this job, but the actual reality wasn't that simple or good.
Surrounding the map, Itrosh was helpless, while Bagus wasn't good at these kinds of things. He was a big fella with a simple brawling mind.
Lisa and Murai had a deep discussion about the potential routes, even though Murai hadn't taken a significant part in this process before.
The journey and what they had done over the past few days weren't what he expected. He affirmed his matters, and she accepted his propositions, as it was better than being silent.
"There are still many routes left. Regard the age or purpose of portals. Chaos Space is tricky. Materium and these shafts are another thing. What was here before? Caves. Purpose. Ground." Murai spoke to her mind, giving her his firm belief, which made her respect him a bit better.
"Caves? That is unbelievable for portals! Materium's structure makes them incompetent. To begin with, how and where have we looked? Do you think I haven't thought about hundreds of such areas?" Lisa glanced at him, almost withering in frustration.
"Where? I swear this portal stinks of some secrets that Levandis has. Going deeper is the answer. So yes; as deep as it is possible. I say we start with the bottom routes next, even if they are so-called danger zones, privy to nobodies. Are we that? No. Nothing stopped us. Not Hunters, or rules and companies."
"That doesn't mean anything. I am sure it is intentional, or... not a point." Lisa argued and wondered if the cause was that Mother, or Mindarch, or if Levandis had done something behind the scenes.
Frankly speaking, all of these ideas broke the moment she considered the implausible portal in this land.
"This whole underground zone is lawless, Lisa, so let me ask you why, even if I don't know this place well. It's because Mindarch and Levandis allowed this from the start, and we can go anywhere, so what is the most scornful place? I am sure that portal is somewhere important." Murai argued and slapped the map with his feet, looking at them stretched on the ground.
"I get what you mean, but that is false. Someone would have long found the damned portal and made comments about it. Do you seriously think Levandis would manage to keep it private? Out of all the things, the portal is..." Lisa paused, calculating new possibilities, and realized he had expressed multiple new ideas.
"Unlikely?" Murai guessed. "Or part of the worth that is easily protected because if she can't do that, everything would break apart? Where is that? Where are we? In a dungeon set in a bygone era. She created this inside the earth, seized by a Sun God."
"Right. It isn't a half-destroyed, unstable, or dug-out mess. Not. No way it is at the bottom. It makes no sense!" Lisa argued out loud, making Bagus and Itrosh shake their heads.
Murai had no issue with dangers or arguments, as he made his point, and something came to Lisa's mind. He could tell it, while she wasn't as secretive anymore.
But too bad; he already started to understand her and played it well. It wasn't shameful because it was equal. Lisa stirred the truth and seized a couple of papers.
In the mining planning business, research possibilities arose from Helltrim City, where David discovered the areas around this seemingly ridiculous mission. It was his shame that he thought it was part of Levandis's Will, for it was wrong, and he adapted around the wrong idea.
He found numerous wondrous points that Lisa soon interpreted in her habits. What came from her wasn't about David anymore.
He had his own path and worries, and a massive part of it was no longer about him, but about Ultium and the godly desires that possessed his belongings.
It led to Foolisch and Lookish, whose hundreds of years of research added a surprising charm to a place that was numerous times older.
The topic of a portal was never discussed at any point in these areas for a reason, and that point troubled this party as far as their concerns touched this Gate.
Mining was intense and splendid, hiding many structures and works, as that was the essence of mining. From the bottomless pit of Materium, the art of creation mixed and objectified everything real.
So yes, the Materium was priceless, even if it was the sole wealth of this kind beneath this Gate. What followed this idea was a massive prospect of advanced technologies and generations, keeping things going rather than in vain and running out.
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Murai thought about them from his perspective and began considering all the small details surrounding his case. The maps that Lisa laid on the ground helped.
He had done this a little before—this watching and guessing—but never with this much clarity and willful assumptions. He had changed, and whether it was for better or not wasn't his question. It was for others because he was one and many, and this life was neither. It was a new belief, even though he was still mad and kind of shaken by that Resonance. He wouldn't assume it, however.
There were many actual places and long-forgotten mines left to rot. Some were unstable in structure, devoid of proper stability. While considering reasons for portals, Murai came to a couple of key matters.
This place was very old, but not every place was like that. Many areas were less than a millennium old, while mining methods had many structures. From crafty one-line teleports to companies and Ultra Materium, it was a wonder where to look, step, and dig.
So, how about looking where it was obvious? To the city above, for example, or to the mountain above that was weirdly created at the bottom of a huge hole? Was it even a mountain?
Bringing these points out was Lisa's main ponder.
"Murai, and you two as well," she glanced at everyone. "Portal areas known to the public are one thing. Then, a couple of them are not made public, but that isn't my point. It is about Challengers and what Levandis created by these runs, alright? We have our mark. Besides that, hiding them means one thing: secrets and the workload of assets. I cannot conceive that she can hide this. But she did."
"So where is it?" Itrosh told.
"Historically, the arts of Chaos Space are like bashing against a wall with no end in sight. Hiding lines have never been very clever. It isn't a private space that is nice and ready to be used, so for this to be like this, perhaps we are looking at it from the wrong perspective. It could be even older. Where would it be if it were me who made this charade of portals? Maybe it isn't even a portal..."
"Hey, you are arguing that Lady Levandis jokes with us?" Itrosh said, frowning and holding back more words. "It is she who created this space and rules at the starting sequences of this historical Gate. Why? Materium is worth more than some Essences if one meets the right buyer. The actual way to process this is then much simpler because we are part of Somalis Hell and an outcome of this whole Gate."
"That is an easy assumption," Lisa said. "And also a very complex idea because creation is not a fine idea. It has many holes if actions aren't proper, and it is costly in terms of time and money. Sponsors or having an idea to do this can quickly ascend or drop into the abyss. So yes. There can be wrongs ahead or slips to fall from."
"Well, at least I have wings to rely on. And hey, almost all of us do. Too bad for someone." Bagus laughed, poking Itrosh with his wings. She rolled her eyes at his attempt to make her feel better.
"Wings won't be any portal, Bagus. Also, it is correct that the portal assembly is most stable when it is set without other sequences; however, some rules can be overturned if something unexpected happens or work exceeds the intended purpose of those portals. Destruction and creation are that, while their keys are significant."
"I knew it. We should have discussed this with Chaos Mages." Itrosh argued and frowned as she imagined the key to the answer to everything.
"Like hell they would help," Lisa said. "Mindarch is also able to work with them, even if Chaos Space is not helpful. It can hide things while Reality is essential. How about runic constructions requiring constant care? Why is this place without it, yet with it? Is it a self-sufficient portal, or is it so hidden that no one noticed it before? Is it older than this present web?"
"Interesting questions." Murai regarded.
"Listen, we are here for you two, and we will go all the way to the bottom if that's what we have to do, but don't question a God," Bagus said as if he were the clever one. "It is her secret and gift, or a big challenge that should have rules, because she sent you here for something. What else? The Encounter doesn't touch this concept. It is fraudulent, it came, yet Hellscape Run is bigger."
"Yes. Is it because of mining, or did she want to help you get by? Wait, that's not it. It isn't helpful. This place is hideous." Itrosh said with doubt. "I mean, there are surely reasons why there is a portal besides any of those reasons, right? Is it useful? No. What else could it be? We shouldn't guess the minds of the Gods. None should."
Lisa rolled her eyes. "There are known portals that got destroyed through use and external and internal problems. Repairs and creation are different things. This place has no records, but something is hiding and coming from many directions, just beyond our grasp. My grasp, mind you. I will see through it!"
Bagus did not stop. "It isn't as if portals are outlandish. They are holes, and every hole has one end and a start. That key Murai has is merely part of the procession, and it exists, so that's a thing. It is also authentic and we can all verify it, correct?"
"I suppose we can agree with that," Lisa agreed and wondered what else he would say.
"Where could this one lead to, eh? To the Paradise? Sure, but I doubt it is that simple, so it must point to her stashes or places hiding under this earth. Rumors aren't there, so maybe it is hiding in history? Paradise used to be the Sun God's garden and has one sole portal that works from most primary portals because Levandis established that process."
"Levandis huh... Why does it all lead to that Goddess?" Murai whimpered, complained, and stomped the maps. "She is annoying me. Why did she make this so complicated?! I hate this Gate. It's no fun..."
Lisa looked at him and condemned his complaint. "Fun? You think this is supposed to be fun?"
"For some? Sure."
Bagus and Itrosh were somewhat shocked that Lisa had openly stated something about fun. Then it hit them; the duck below them considered it that way, huh?
"Typical Blessed..." Itrosh whispered, and Bagus agreed with a shocked head.
Murai rather pointed to the maps again. "It is not public. Access isn't easy to get, while Challengers are another matter. Their keys are an outside factor, and there are also multiple teleportation arrays and physical means. They serve their purpose. Like anything, me, you, or Itrosh. Or these mining shafts. Also, the challenger routes are another point. They could differ."
"You say some interesting things," Lisa smiled. "Which leaves us where?" Then she slapped the pages in her tensed arm. "Still in the middle of fucking nowhere, so let me brief us."
"The portals in most Gates follow precise orders, but this Gate is different. Many similar places to this Ip'ur Mountain have them on the surface for better use. The underground is worse because of the instability of this location. Why? Finding reasons is futile because of our circumstances and Materium. Murai has his key. It is old and crafted for one thing, so where are we going?"
"This place has a purpose," Bagus said begrudgingly, repeating what he believed.
"Exactly," Lisa slapped the rest of the maps and pointed to many sectors before gazing at the shafts and big elevators. "This is one of the biggest mining sources of Ultra Gems. It is in a good middle portion of this whole Scorching Light, let alone the Gate as a whole."
"Oh, now that you mention it, why?" Murai asked.
Lisa turned, looking at him as if he were an idiot.
"The artificial sun above isn't a joke. It is there for a purpose, like many things around the Gates. This one is no exception, or do you think the connection to the Islands of Greatness is not right? If it weren't for all that water, this place would be inhabitable."
"That... sounds plausible." Murai nodded and omitted the fact that they were still a long distance under the surface. Shouldn't it be pretty hot all the time? This wasn't a dimension outside of natural habitats. "It is some sort of construct, eh? How about that Last Island thing? With that big hole, weird pond, and hut..."
"Don't ask me." Lisa shrugged and stopped his quacks. "I don't see into Levandis. For now, we need to look somewhere else and do it precisely."
Pointing to the bottom of the routes, there was no sole beginning or end around them, similar to the shafts at the start of Ip'ur City.
"As you can see, there are holes made for elevators and mining structures, making many points around that big hole above us. There are approximately a dozen elevators, and they serve a direct purpose. It makes business easier. In short, they create a purpose and history."
"Are you saying Lady Levandis made them to hide something? Are we opening secret boxes and need to find a keyhole first? Sounds awful. Portals shouldn't be about that in the slightest." Bagus said, unsure if he was speaking about the right thing.
Most mines were constructed throughout the ages and across many generations, despite some being as old as this Gate or older.
"Oh! These might hold roads to the portal since they are the oldest?!" Bagus shouted as if he recognized what Lisa was pointing out. After all, those old machines and vertical drops were old enough to make most Gods debatable.
"Or so she said, but is it right? You don't look confident, for a ghost." Itrosh whimpered at Lisa in defeat. "By the way, it doesn't look right. A portal in these depths suggests risks. Can't you remember the words described in those books borrowed from Foolisch? The depths are dangerous and unstable, or are you thinking of something else?"
"Yes," Lisa nodded. "Is it that dangerous if we are here, allowed, but forced to get here whilst being weak? Mind you, we have both of you as guards..."
"Hell yeah! But we weren't forced just because of that." Bagus shouted. "I was here many times, so I get what it is. Itrosh was not, and let me tell you something; there is always a hell above the others and around them."
Lisa accepted his words and remained calm. "Right. That needs no objection, dear Grifhart, who thinks he is a big, vicious wolf."
"Wolf?!" Bagus tensed his feathers and puffed his chest. "Insulting! My race is quite proud."
"Dogs even more," Itrosh suggested and slapped his neck and scratched his chin. He quite liked it and calmed down.
"The uniqueness of this mining creates doubts and places because Materium has patterns. Almost like this Gate or... Gates? I suppose I am spouting nonsense, but I think I see lines converge into one hideous possibility."
"What possibility?" Bagus said, frowning in interest as if he couldn't wait for a definitive answer. Murai was almost the same, though he kept his cool, unlike Bagus, who wasn't good at hiding his emotions.
Frankly, Murai already pointed to some interesting factors as well. Lisa already linked multiple ideas together and had a hunch about how stupid and bizarre all of this was.
"The weight, mining, and Ultra Materium is your answer?" Itrosh asked.
"The possibility, yes. Many places around the mines are destroyed because of mining and the veins. They are either done for or left alone. How and why, few could get it, but magic and work can scatter that to mist, so why keep them out? There are many places for a reason, so what gives the rules their power? Why aren't Extremes allowed inside?"
"Simple. A God rules. Could there even be a place for a portal, but the superiors called it destroyed or something like that? No. It is too important." Itrosh guessed right. "It is stupid. Public or not, if it was constructed here from the start, it should be in a safe place. Destruction because of the mining shouldn't happen! From excessive force or elements, it has to be imperative."
"Exactly." Lisa was glad to see her reach one clever point and focused on the original points of these mines.
She pointed to many lines on the maps.
"Elevators act as stability pillars. From the bottom up, there are places where one can get the work done more quickly. On the surface, many simpler entrances are finer as well, simply because of the convenience that miners assembled. These holes are for companies and great miners dictated by values and rules. At least now, of course."
"Simply put, it is for the worthy who aren't here. For centuries, how many miners and workers proceeded from here? Materium is all over the place, and dangers can be everywhere, yet it doesn't strike me as drastic. It is clearly a farce. A setup that I haven't heard in my past life. There is a key to our success."
"Then why haven't we gotten very close to any elevator?" Murai had a good question, which Lisa took on with an awkward smiling shrug.
"They are old, strictly scoured out, and very well researched. Hunters are also why I haven't considered them, nor have I seen their possible answers. If there is something right, portals aren't there."
"Wait, what do you mean?" Itrosh said. "You contradict yourself far too much and speak even worse."
Murai sighed. Welcome to my world, he thought.
Lisa glanced at the maps and omitted Itrosh's comment. "That is why it is weird. We can have our guesses, but the reality is very different. Primarily, I relied on our Token, which could be another scam and a means to answer at the same time. It answered something else besides being a Token, yet what does it answer or touch besides that? Bagus called it out. Why are we looking and walking like morons? We've already gone through the most questionable location, and this hundred-meter range is tough to deal with."
"But we haven't been to every place," Murai disputed.
"True. The absolute bottom displays intricate pathways that were forgotten, or destroyed by mining, and their alleged dangers and work are extreme. It is something Foolisch specified in his research because his master focused on the bottom and lower portions of those mines. How or why, I wonder."
"Or when?" Murai asked a serious question and won a suspicious glance from Lisa, who contemplated that idea for a split second.
"I trust that Lookish was a generational explorer, and Foolisch is the same. This isn't a game to pass the time. Their work is their dedication."
"Alright. Then where?"
"Well, there are many special veins in these old directions, looking big like mountains cut in thorns of caves and crevices. It is said that there are many caves and ponds, as well as some hidden areas, such as minor dungeons. That sort of stuff doesn't appeal to me as a goal."
"Minor dungeons?" Murai asked. "Sounds fun despite the depth of this world."
"Don't get the wrong idea. We are merely in Gate 3, and these lands are huge." Lisa said firmly, giving him a meaningful look to get his attention. It sometimes worked, and this time, he obliged without any trouble.
"I called out Dungeons a long time ago, and this shit isn't about them. Minor ones are more like rough archaeological sites from ancient times, either filled with holes and notable Laws or effects of Ultra Materium in the area. Outside of here, they are considerably dangerous and sometimes well past the hands of Gods or Battlewill."
"They are fun activities," Bagus said, nodding in self-appreciation as someone who had tried a few of them before.
"Right. I assume Levandis has power over them, or they are free Dungeons set with nothing like the main ones. They are quite obscure, so the rules of this world are applied to them differently depending on the current era or needs. Levandis can do that, as it is a work of the Gods and the Will of the Battleworld. Some aren't as public as you think. They depict history long forgotten."
"Or so these papers say. Is that right?" Bagus asked and won a helpless nod from Lisa.
Unfortunately, she wasn't as privy to these Dungeon matters because they weren't straightforward. But she heard of them and knew they weren't about portals.
They were physical marks of this world, if they dared to survive the passage of tough times like the Shattering or Ascendancy, which some races still fear to this day.
Usually, the arts of Chaos Space did not touch minor Dungeons, though it was up for debate as there were countless variants of them around Battleworld. They can be very mysterious, hidden, or rich in meaningful history.
Murai accepted her words and wondered what sort of meaning they held in the present era. Could it be about the Epochs? Just how old was this world? So deep in the ground, these areas didn't possess the mere historical quality of the Old World.
It piqued his interest, similar to archeology or themes and ideas of lost eras, but it wasn't enough to make him passionate. Lisa didn't consider their importance, so he calmed his mind.
She changed the topic back to normal and arranged a couple of maps on the ground. "Some pathways are old and here. My last lines of ideas come from these directions, but I suppose it isn't my work anymore."
"Not yours? Of course not." Bagus called her bullshit out. "David and these books do it all. You just read stuff."
"And ignore a very bad dog who should keep quiet."
Bagus snorted and remained quiet afterward.
Murai glanced at her finger, guiding his gaze over the bottom of those mines. There was an end to them. "Why not consider the possibility that something goes deeper than these maps?"
"That is impossible," Lisa said. "History is why, and mines have limitations, or they would crumble and mess with everything. That is the point and the end of these elevators. Ultra Materium is the same. There is a neat balance to everything."
"So why is there such a clear bottom and end to these mines? Looks like a wall to me. You suggested that the bottom was a main area of influence for multiple researchers, such as Lookish and other explorers. Why?"
"No reason. That's the place where Levandis felt was enough, even if it is a dozen kilometers deep, so don't question it too much. Earth could be the reason as well, but I don't know the rest. So much could be mined with conventional methods."
"So, is it a possibility if it is unconventional?" Murai still said.
"Could be." Lisa gave up and understood that the mine's rules could change. The portal was never part of it, so perhaps she was overthinking it, or... not at all? Perhaps she was wrong about everything, or at least part of her assumptions.
"Forget it," Lisa slapped the map and pointed at Murai. "Your Token can answer all of it, or... our sight can? How? The bottom has strict and prohibited areas. We were close enough to many of them to work stuff out, and let me tell you: they didn't work out. Mining is a foolish thing to consider because we aren't here to mine. So we don't have to think about mines, alright? We have to think about portals."
Bagus and Itrosh nodded, genuinely wanting to explore the depths of this place. It sounded fun because they had never visited the true bottom. It was a nice, adventurous idea to see what it was hiding and why, because Lisa kept whining about nonsensical causes. Think about the mines? Think about the portals? Not think about this, or that?! It was all connected, or just a door to something cooler.