This improvement was due both to the extremely high mana concentration here and Hulim’s further physical recovery.

“Ignition.”

Hulim tried again.

Whoosh~!

A small flame appeared at her fingertip once more.

Previously, she could only cast it once. Now, after just one soak in the Mana Pool, she could cast it a second time!

“Ignition!””Ignition!””Ig—— uh!”

She attempted three more times. On the third try, the familiar throbbing headache returned.

She quickly stopped.

“Four times total? That means…… half an hour here is three times more effective than a month of recovery before!”

The Mana Pool’s effect left Hulim astonished.

Naturally, she made a decision.

“I’ve made up my mind—I’ll use this place as my base.”

She’d come to Myrnabyss to recover, after all. Now that she’d found such an effective healing spot, she wasn’t about to give it up.

“But……”

Hulim touched her stomach.

“……I need to find food first.”

She’d left almost all her luggage on the surface—she had no dry rations with her. Near the Mana Pool, there were no animals, only inedible cave bioluminescent plants.

She had no idea how long she’d been trapped underground. Staying here any longer would mean starving.

“The pool I fell into earlier had no fish, as far as I could tell. Even if it did, I have nothing to start a fire with……”

Hulim glanced at the opposite side of the Mana Pool.

There was another passageway there, leading to the unknown.

“……I have no choice but to try my luck ahead.”

……

Inside the underground cave passage.

Hulim gripped the Demon Sword Helkem tightly and moved forward cautiously.

She’d been walking for a long time, but the passage still hadn’t ended.

However, there was good news in the cave’s changes.

The number and types of plants were increasing—she’d even spotted some small animals.

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This meant food was likely ahead……

After some more time, Hulim finally reached what seemed to be the end of the passage.

It was a narrow crack, probably formed by a natural disaster like an earthquake. Light emanated from the other side.

“Strange? How could there be such a light source deep underground?”

Confusion arose in Hulim’s mind.

She didn’t think there could be a second Mana Pool so close, and the light’s color was different. The Mana Pool’s glow was soft, pale blue-white, but this light resembled natural sunlight from the surface.

After observing for a while and seeing no signs of danger on the other side, Hulim decided to take the risk.

The crack wasn’t too wide, but her small frame could just squeeze through……

She crossed the ten-meter gap quickly.

Hulim emerged at the end of the crack, stepping into the source of the light.

When she saw the scene before her, she froze in shock.

Spreading out before her was an incredibly magnificent underground metropolis……

Hundred-meter-tall buildings forged from gray rock stretched to the horizon, endless. Gray, winding streets crisscrossed the ground, between buildings, and even over rooftops—as if the space itself was disoriented.

A slow-flowing river poured in from the unknown at the lowest level of the city, then flowed away to another mystery.

“Whoa, whoa!”

White flocks of birds drifted lazily over the buildings. Fish leaped out of the river’s surface from time to time, and the faint calls of animals echoed in the distance.

Above, a rocky dome arched overhead. Beneath it, a swirling, massive river of light glowed with a dusk-like radiance, illuminating every corner of the city below……

The fantastical city shattered Hulim’s perceptions.

“Where…… exactly is this place?”

……

Clack, clack……

A Golem trudged slowly down the street.

Behind it, Hulim peeked out from around a corner, observing the Golem cautiously.

“……It’s not a combat type, and it doesn’t seem to be in alert mode?”

After thinking for a moment, Hulim decided to test it.

She picked up a small stone from the ground and threw it at the Golem.

Clang!

The stone hit the Golem’s head, and it immediately stopped moving.

Hulim quickly hid, watching from the shadows.

However, the Golem’s next action surprised her.

Instead of entering alert mode to search for an enemy, it locked onto the stone on the ground.

It picked up the stone, opened a storage compartment in its abdomen, and placed the stone inside—along with many other debris like leaves and pebbles.

After clearing the stone, the Golem closed the compartment and continued down the road.

“……”

“So it’s a Maintenance Golem. No wonder the city still looks so tidy……”

Confirming the Golem was harmless, Hulim stepped out confidently.

She even walked directly in front of the Golem. As expected, it showed no hostility and actively moved aside to let her pass.

Hulim didn’t interfere further—she let it go on its way.

“Since it’s not dangerous, I’ll explore this place.”

Hulim began wandering slowly through the underground ruined metropolis.

Here, she saw many exotic creatures. Having lived in the safe underground for years, most lacked aggression—some were even easy to catch, as their reaction to danger was slow.

In addition, she encountered many more Maintenance Golems like the first one. They patrolled the city’s streets tirelessly, cleaning up debris.

It was likely their existence that had kept the underground metropolis intact after countless years.

“This building is…… a church?”

Hulim stopped in front of a structure that resembled a church.

None of the buildings here had doors or windows. Probably, unlike the weather-resistant walls and streets, the materials used for doors and windows had rotted away over time.

Hulim stepped inside.

The interior of the church-like building was as gray as the exterior.

There were traces of something that had once adorned the ceiling and walls.

Hulim guessed they were ancient frescoes, but they had completely faded away.

Continuing deeper into the church, she soon reached what seemed to be a prayer hall. It was empty, except for a single white statue standing in the center.

“The statue of Mother Earth Goddess Terra…… This really was a church in the past.”

The familiar figure of the statue let Hulim immediately identify it.

No matter how the surface world changed, through countless eras, the gods remained unchanged……

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