After taking a bath, Dawn and Niphru both headed back out to the ons area of their new floor, finding that everyone else had already shown up before them. Knowing that Dawn had to have the same question, Niphru asked, “Why is it that the creatures in the sewers were mostly just rger than normal, while in the forests, they often had unusual mutations?”

  “Wele back,” Richard said before answering, “Typically, creatures iy don’t stand much pressure to survive until suddenly it is too much all at once, such as when we purge them. This leads to them mostly growing rger or faster in order to steal food from one another, or eat smaller versions. There is some small variation, such as spio aver creatures preying on them, but it is rare for those to develop. Typically, we purge the sewers often enough that they don’t have time to develop the more iing mutations. Generally, mutations occur based on ressures the creature iion, and in that situation, there is very little threat besides rger creatures, and being rger results in more things ting as food, so there is a strong trend to size.”

  Dawn remarked, “That is a lot of information; I take it you were curious about it as well?”

  “Indeed, I just had to figure it out! Apparently, there are also occasional megabeast attacks, and those tend to be very unique each time. Fortunately, our spires are both a on and defense alongside being where we live and learn. From what I’ve read, each spire is able to project a shield of sorts around its se of the city, and amplify the power of mages. There is also talk of an incredibly powerful on where all the spires link together. Much as I’d like to see that, I’m gd nothing has needed either of those while I’ve been here,” he replied.

  Following this line of thought, Viera spoke up, “From what I’ve read, the final on is a beam of raw mana in such quantity that nothing survive the immense instant overload it causes, but it takes months to charge, if not years.”

  “That is a scary thought… It just makes things go pop?” queried Niphru as he shook his head in disbelief.

  “Indeed. Apparently, it was designed by the first archmage, as an attempt to ensure we always had access to an attack simir to their own, even though we lost most of our knowledge of magibsp; They did their best to record everything, but I’m sure you know how it is: you don’t know how much you know, and assume others know some of it,” Viera expined, shaking her head.

  Following up, Thomas remarked, “It also doesn’t help that a great deal of knowledge was lost during the war betweeies that resulted in two of them being lost. People would borrow books and visit another city, then die, or die before rec their knowledge, and without passing it on to students.”

  This time Dawn asked a question both had been w, “What sort of things were lost, or is that unknown too?”

  Miana smiled before responding, “I am gd to say neancy as a whole was lost. That is far too creepy,” she then frowned before tinuing, “but that wasn’t all we know we lost. I really love the idea of spatial magic, but that was lost as well, aside from small fragments people have figured out. I really wish I could teleport like some of the old stories talk about.”

  “Simirly, gravity magic was lost as well, though explorers have mao find some notes on it in a few of the lost vilges and towns they mao survive,” Richard added.

  Niphru tilted his head to the side and questioned, “What do you mean by explorers and lost vilges and towns?”

  “Ah, right, you are both still new. Occasionally, skilled and powerful individuals will head into the wilds, and if you go far enough in the right dire, you will enter the rown ruins from when there were three cities. Most expeditions are never heard from again, or turn back within a week due to what they enter. A very small number of them have returned after months, often bringing back magical tools and engineering notes, as well as information about magibsp; Much of these are still known, but there is the occasional bit we have lost. We had no idea how to make the messenger golems, for example, as that roduct of another city rather than our own, but there was aire manual for it returned by one expedition,” expined Richard, frowning as he mentiohe lost expeditions.

  Thomas spoke up, anticipating the question, “The reason stres don’t go out is because they are o protect the city. No one knows when a threat will appear, and the more power we use for defehe less likely there will be damage. Apparently, i attack, one of the barriers was broken, causing the opposite spire to have to shift their barrier to cover for the loss.”

  Dawn then responded, “Lisryn had said she wao have her people cooperate with ours. Would that let people explore the wilds?”

  Smirking, Thomas replied, “Their mages are barely as strong as we are, pared to our small group. They have more practice, sure, but all they do is water magic, so they have no variety. Their warriors are strong up close, but what good is that when there are creatures that kill you from a distanbsp; They might be a good buffer when es head out, but not much more than that.”

  Dawn frowned for a moment before she spoke in disagreement, “I think you aren’t giving them enough credit. They worked together very well when my vilge needed help, and Niphru verify that they aren’t all bad. They mao take down the biggest creature nearby, letting us hunt more safely.”

  “Perhaps. I would have to see it to believe it, however,” remarked Thomas.

  “Oh, before I fet, are we allowed to use some of the mana stones we charge for personal purposes?” queried Dawn.

  “Sure, but it is limited; we are expected to charge at least twice what we use for the spire, though they prefer much more than that. It is uood that helping us advance is an iment that returns more than we cost. What were you wanting to use them for?” Richard answered, clearly curious.

  Dawn replied, “I want to make sure I’m strong, which, as I uand, requires more than the ambient mana in the spire. I know that is an unpopur thing, but I don’t want to get hurt as easily, and apparently, that also make you live longer. Naturally, I only mean to do it a little; improving my ability as a mage is more important.”

  As the others expressed their disapproval, Viera asked, “Why does that matter to you? You use magic to defend yourself, and proper usage also extend your life. Many of the es here are over two hundred years old.”

  Dawn smiled before answering, “I want to explore the wilds. Niphru came from the wilderness already intelligent, so what if there are others like him further out? If you handle more mana before mutating the more you’ve ged already, wouldn’t thiually be uo keep overloading themselves and bee intelligent?”

  This set the whole group chattering, clearly having not sidered su idea before.

  Shard