Chaos Core

The following morning, Team B gathered just outside the mouth of the mine, finalizing their equipment checks and confirming their formation. The air was still, the morning chill clinging to the rock around them. .The second expedition prepared to descend.

"Once inside, we'll pick up where Team A left off and push forward from there," Rook instructed, voice firm beneath his helmet.

Their formation remained tight and well-practiced as Miners position themselves in the center, hauling gear packed in reinforced satchels and small carts, flanked front and rear by the armed members of Unit 12. Asrel walked just behind Rook, gaze sharp and senses extended as they entered the winding tunnel network.

The descent through the previously mapped sections went smoothly. Crystalline markers left by Team A glowed faintly at regular intervals, guiding their path. After close to an hour of uneventful travel, they arrived at the end of the previous team's route.

"Alright. New ground from here on out. Eyes open," Rook said, signaling for everyone to take a brief pause.

The terrain subtly shifted as they advanced. The walls grew uneven, the air heavier. The distant sound of dripping water echoed faintly through the stone.

Ahead, the passage widened, the light from their equipment spilling into a massive open space.

"Vast chamber ahead," Rook warned. "Check your footing and move slow."

The team stepped into the cavern, their helmet lights sweeping across high ceilings and curved rock formations. The chamber was immense, easily several stories tall and wide enough to fit a small building. The floor sloped slightly, scattered with fallen rocks and mineral deposits that shimmered faintly in the artificial light.

"Damn… this place is huge," someone muttered, voice crackling over the comms.

They spread out cautiously, inspecting walls and surfaces for signs of previous mining or artificial shaping. Nothing so far. No beams, no tunnels, no drill marks. Just raw stone and untouched formations.

After a careful scan of the chamber, the only path forward was a large tunnel opening in the far corner. It was broad, with worn, symmetrical grooves along the floor.

"There's no indication of any human structure all the way up to this point," one of the veteran miners commented, crouching near the tunnel's entrance. "Even this opening doesn't feel like it was carved by tools. It's clean, but too organic. This is probably a natural formation."

"More reason to move carefully," Rook responded.

With formation reestablished, the group moved forward into the new passage. The air grew colder, the silence more pronounced. Their footsteps echoed subtly as the tunnel stretched deeper.

Asrel narrowed his eyes behind the visor, scanning the walls and ceiling as they walked.

'This passage… it's too even. Not random like most natural caves.'

He kept walking, but thoughts bubbled to the surface, a memory, one that hadn't surfaced in a while.

Years ago, freshly graduated from the Magic Academy, Asrel had been assigned as a junior squad leader in the Mages Corps. Their mission was simple: locate a group of missing miners lost in an unstable dig site. But when they traced the final coordinates, the truth became clear, the mine had broken into a hidden nest of Giant Worms.

It was the first time he truly understood the scale of such creatures. The tunnels were eerily similar to this wide, smooth from centuries of passage, carved by tooth and body. The miners never stood a chance and was swallowed whole.

Asrel and his team had been forced into battle, outnumbered and inexperienced. The Worms were massive, with hardened skin that resisted most elemental attacks. Normal spells only singed their surface.

But Asrel used penetrating spells, sharpened force lances that bypassed surface resistance and struck deep. It was brutal and effective. In the end, they eliminated the creature and sealed the nest.

'I still remember the way they moved. Soundless until they struck.'

Now he looked ahead again, watching the tunnel twist and descend.

'I wonder… are there still Giant Worms alive today? Can they survive in this kind of Miasma laced environment?'

It was an unsettling thought.

He didn't voice it aloud, but instinctively tightened his grip on his rifle as they pressed forward into the deeper dark.

The tunnel continued to spiral forward, the further they moved, the more the air grew heavy.

Light from their flux lanterns danced across the damp stone, revealing subtle streaks of silvery material embedded in the cavern walls.

"Stop here," one of the miners called out, stepping closer to the glinting veins. "Look at that luster."

The group gathered around the section, curiosity piqued. As instructed, the miners began spreading out, drawing sample kits from their packs and carefully chipping away sections of the exposed ore.

"This vein runs deeper than I thought," a miner muttered, pressing his scanner into the rock. "Give me a second."

Minutes passed. The miners reconvened near the center of the chamber with sample cases in hand. One of them, an older technician named Harven, held his analyzer up to his face. The readings flickered across the screen.

His eyes widened.

"This can't be right," he whispered, quickly recalibrating. The numbers didn't change.

"It's mithril," he said, stunned. "Pure-grade."

Gasps rippled through the group. The divers exchanged glances, half in disbelief, half in awe.

Rook stepped closer to Asrel, his voice hushed yet firm. "Mithril veins like this haven't been found in decades. Not in this quantity."

Asrel nodded, examining the walls with renewed respect.

'In the magic era, it was the metal of choice for elite armaments,' Asrel thought. 'Lightweight, conductive and durable.'

The excitement grew tense as the miners moved quickly to set up deeper scans. They deployed several drill-tipped probes and earth-penetrating scanners. The equipment buzzed and hummed as data streamed in. Every pair of eyes watched the screen.

Minutes later, the final report flashed in bold lettering.

Estimated Reserve: 100,000 tons.

"Holy shit..." Kick muttered, breaking the silence. "This isn't a vein, it's a goldmine."

"No, this is a kingdom's worth of mithril," Harven corrected, almost reverently. "This site alone could shift trade dynamics for a generation."

Unit 12 stood in quiet awe. Even the most seasoned members were stunned.

"The system keeps going," one of the scouts pointed to another passageway veering further into the dark. "There's more."

Asrel turned to Rook, weighing the options. "Do we press on or pull out?"

Rook didn't hesitate. "This is more than enough. We already hit the jackpot. Pushing further without backup is reckless."

Everyone nodded. The unspoken tension was real. The deeper they went, the less predictable it would become.

With careful urgency, they retraced their steps, moving faster than before. Their return to the surface was smooth.

As they emerged into daylight, a Warden stationed at the mouth of the mine greeted them.

"You're back early," he said, surprised.

Rook approached. "We need a word with Dietrich. Immediately."

Within minutes, a meeting was called inside the command tent. Dietrich sat at the head of the table, arms folded.

"You found something," he said flatly, reading their faces.

"Something big," Rook replied. "A mithril vein. Unspoiled. At least 100,000 tons."

Gil entered the room as Rook laid out the scans and field data. The air grew thick with shock.

"You're certain?" Dietrich asked, voice low.

"Absolutely."

Gil stared at the display in silence before speaking. "We can't sit on this. We head back at first light. This news needs to reach base command."

"No argument here," Dietrich agreed. "Get the convoy ready. No delays."

Outside, the camp buzzed with activity. Tents were packed, towers disassembled, haulers prepped for departure. Morale soared. The miners grinned like they'd struck gold, and in truth, they had found something far rarer.

They wasted no time preparing for departure. The sun had already dipped below the horizon when the convoy pulled away from the mining site. Lights hummed faintly across the convoy as engines rumbled to life, tires crunching over gravel and worn paths.

"We'll be traveling through the night," Rook informed his team from the rear transport. "No stops. This report has to reach Verge as soon as possible."

The tone in his voice was firm. Every member understood the weight of the discovery. Even the miners, weary from the expedition, sat upright and alert.

Asrel sat quietly in his seat near the rear hatch, eyes closed but mind active. The hum of the Flux engine blended into the stillness of the night.

In the middle of their travel, Asrel sensed something. It wasn't sound or sight, but a ripple in the air, like a current brushing against his nerves.

Suddenly, the Chaos energy inside him stirred like an outright warning.

His eyes snapped open.

"Barrier!" he barked, slamming his palm onto the metal floor.

A wave of black and red energy surged out in all directions, forming a multi-layered dome around the vehicle, tight and shimmering, like a storm held at bay.

Seconds later.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

Shockwaves slammed into the barrier. Metal shrieked, and warning lights flickered throughout the cabin.

"Ambush!" Rook cursed, grabbing his sidearm instinctively.

The vehicle rocked slightly, but the barrier held.

"Stay inside!" Asrel commanded. "There's more than one strike group. The others might've been hit directly."

From the viewport, flashes lit the darkness, plumes of smoke rising where other transports were. Screams were muffled by comms static.

Asrel turned to Rook and the others, already shouldering his rifle.

"Let me clear the immediate threat first. Wait for my signal."

He kicked open the side hatch and leapt out, cloak fluttering from the sudden rush of air. His feet hit the earth with a thud, energy crackling around his form. Chaos pulsed through his limbs like living fire.

He didn't hesitate.

Three concealed targets on the Left ridge.

He extended his hand. Bolts of Chaos, shaped like jagged spears, shot out from his palm with a thunderclap. At the same time, he raised his rifle and fired three precise rounds. Blue streaks cut through the dark, striking targets obscured behind debris.

~BOOM ~ ~another cannon shell detonated to his right, forcing him into a dive. He rolled behind a ridge and returned fire. His Chaos sight allowed him to read heat signatures, enough to locate silhouettes hiding among the rocks.

He moved fast. Darting between cover, laying suppressing fire with his rifle while weaving chaos bolts with his free hand.

Then he spotted them, a cannon crew, three individuals prepping a second barrage.

He surged forward.

Asrel covered the distance in seconds. He summoned a cluster of chaos spears mid-run and launched them ahead.

The spears struck true.

Shrieks pierced the air as the energy not only tore into them, but began devouring their Cores.

Their bodies spasmed violently, suits cracking open as a dark haze formed above them. The spears twisted, collapsed into a single sphere of chaotic energy, and floated briefly before streaking back toward Asrel.

He raised an arm on instinct.

The orb halted, vibrated, then merged with his chest, vanishing into his Core.

His eyes widened.

He felt it.

The Chaos within him had absorbed the energy.