With peace of mind, Ed hurried over to the now-familiar barracks. He crossed the nursing hall and the desolate prison until eventually reaching a metal door. Now that he was more accustomed to the area traversing the complicated complex had become a breeze.
He opened up the door and finally reentered the lab. He found that nothing had changed since his last glance around.
'I guess Sharog and the others didn't need anything from here' Ed thought before glancing towards a certain dingy wooden desk. It was the one he had procured last time to block the hatch.
He quickly moved it out of the way and then opened up the hatch. The pitch-black bottomless hole came into Ed's sight. Luckily, he had lots of experience being in boundless and desolate stretches, Ed directly jumped down just like last time but whilst exercising more caution.
Though still reckless, Ed's thirst for knowledge demanded he didn't waste a single second on his descent.
[You've been dealt damage. -5 hp]
Even while being mindful Ed couldn't get out unscathed from his hasty drop. Nevertheless, Ed could at most feel a slight discomfort at the soles of his feet. One which he quickly overcame thanks to the walking that followed.
'Here we are' Ed said inwardly with a hint of anticipation while glimpsing at the many glittering ice crystals dabbled around the area and the boulders of knowledge that lay dormant in the center of the underground expanse. Not that boulders could come alive... unless…!?!
…
It seemed they couldn't which surprised Ed.
'To think I could get this knowledge so easily' If the dead sacred tribe orcs were to read his thoughts given that many of them were technically inside his mind they would probably die a second time.
Ed's chirpiness was caught short however by the blown bits of what used to be a boulder.
'Even with assimilation and thought manifestation I can't do much about it…' Unless the skill could advance to the blatantly overpowered level of altering reality making him akin to a god.
'That would imply that the system is beyond godly' In a literal sense at least since Ed already believed it to be quite great and omnipotent.
'Sigh… Herewaruk will definitely get what's coming to him' Ed thought as regretfully as he approached the nearest boulder.
[Boulder of Civilization]
A boulder containing the wisdom of progress.
Ed assessed the boulder with not just his eyes, but with his skill as well. It had become something of a custom nowadays.
'This must be one detailing on their architecture and craftsmanship' While the barracks complex and the cathedral could be said to be crude by human standards, they were unbelievably advanced for orcs.
The thick stern walls that seemed to hide deep history on them were enough to make the sacred tribe stand out from among the other orcs on its own. That made Ed start to wonder about what could have been. What could have been of the orc tribes were it not for the dungeon's interference.
With the boulders of knowledge as a foundation, the orcs could have prospered. The dominating dawn tribe would have eventually become a norm as the orc civilization continued to advance.
Of course, due to the orc's natural intelligence deficiency, it was very well possible for their civilization to hit a bottleneck. Hell, it was possible that what Ed was witnessing was their bottleneck.
Regardless, without the famine that came from the dungeon recalling the consciousnesses of many, without the troubles that its desire to farm what essentially constituted itself, there definitely would have been a better future.
When catastrophes strike, be them wars or natural disasters, one would often think about what could have been different, when in reality...
'I should think about what I will do differently instead' He was heading down the same path as the dungeon. He hated to acknowledge it but it was true. He had already justified the use of others' consciousnesses and felt disappointment whenever they died beyond his reach.
One sure way to guarantee that he would always be within reach was to kill them himself, it was the logical next step then no? To set up a civilization, a so-called Sanctuary. Somewhere where they feel safe thanks to Ed, where gratefulness turns to admiration later worship.
Worship to the extent that they would be willing to, and therefore would be, giving their lives to him. Where, for the sake of the advancement of the community, they could offer him a piece of themselves. A piece they could never get back.
Ed shuddered at the thought of such a bleak future becoming a reality.
'I need to plan things out differently' He could advance the orc society and have them die naturally of old age. Hold rituals where the old could die in peace next to himself ultimately providing him their consciousnesses.
'Yes that's the right direction' These dead could then be transferred to golems or even combined to form a more comprehensive task force. Ultimately, he would allow all in his kingdom to live eternally at the exchange of labor.
'In the end, it didn't turn out too differently, did it?' While this second future was much brighter in contrast, that was in contrast. But… Ed would take it.
'I'll set that as the goal for now' Ed still needed to see what the next floors had in store for him. Would he learn something life-changing? Would something occur that would further skew his views? Would he see his lover die in from of his eyes triggering a nationwide massacre?
[Assimilation is off cooldown]
Ed didn't have a way to gauge the future. It was as if he was riding a ship through thick grey fog only able to steer it left and right towards what he hoped was safety. He wouldn't be able to spot the rocks protruding out of the sea until his ship was already struck, or be able to see a cold iceberg approaching slowly with the power to destroy what he assumed was an indestructible ship.
With these flurry of random thoughts and analogies still coursing through his mind, Ed firmly placed his hand on the blueish rock that was carved with the wisdom of civilization. But he didn't take it just yet.
[Boulder of Struggle]
A boulder containing the fruit of much bloodshed.
He first scanned the second intact boulder and read the short description. Although he could use assimilation in 8 or so more hours again, it was better for him to choose wisely between the two boulders to better manage his time.
The boulder of struggle depicted a past of bitter confrontation and sacrifices. Where one learned new spells and techniques through being thrown into the violent fray of battle.
While the boulder of civilization painted a more rosy picture. One where all of the minds of present and past came together for the sake of advancement. Where people worked together hand in hand to build a better future.
Ed found himself at a crossroad, one that could dictate the path he wished to tread down. The two things were not mutually exclusive, Ed was well aware of the fact that both paths likely lead to one equal future. Nevertheless, how one achieved that future still mattered.
Wouldn't it be great to one day see happy orcs going about their daily business in a casual manner and to think back on the choices that lead to that present? What would you think if at that moment the deaths of many were the first thing that came to your mind as opposed to a blacksmith in his forge?
The phrasing of that question alone said a lot about what Ed was thinking.
[Assimilation is on cooldown]
He wasn't opposed to warfare, he certainly wouldn't play peacemaker. It was far too late for a pacifist run1 anyway.
[Craftsmanship 1has leveled up]
There would be bloodshed and slaughter in his wake but it would be in the process of advancement instead of for the sake of it.
[Craftsmanship has leveled up]
Ed's mind was being pounded by a hammer. Each whack delivered a mix of pain and relief as his mind was slowly mended and healed. With each pang that reverberated in his mind came new knowledge.
'Maybe I need to see a psychologist' Ed joked while shaking his head and getting rid of the picture in his mind. The headache and knowledge kept on coming in however even though the picture in his head no longer remained.
The picture wasn't the only thing disappearing though, the boulder of civilization also started to disappear as Ed somehow managed to absorb it in its entirety. This however revealed something alarming.
'A- A formation!?!?' Ed yelled inwardly in alarm. He had always wondered why Sarfu didn't move the boulders of wisdom even after having them stolen. Ed could now form an inkling.
'It's booby-trapped…!' Ed now also knew why Herewaruk didn't blow up all three boulders in time. If it were just blowing them up then the fire crystals he had handy alone would suffice, no?
Yet, Herewaruk took the time to jot down formations and to destroy the boulders one at a time. This time-consuming activity meant that herewaruk was caught by Ed even while having a great headstart.
Ed now also knew why the first orc ancestors only removed one single boulder. To carry away such a hefty thing was a problem on its own but to also create an extensive disarming formation under Sarfu's nose…? One of the orc ancestors surely created that formation but it didn't mean he or she could dismantle it in a second.
It was as if someone built a bomb. Sure they built it but that didn't mean that they could be careless when disarming it.
Runic patterns that had been hidden around the cavern and under the boulder began to shine, even the ice crystals themselves began to glitter with icy splendor causing the atmosphere to grow cold in a matter of seconds.
But that was the least of Ed's worries, the lit runes and glittering crystals only meant one thing! Run!