[CH200+ Continued] Dungeon Diver: Stealing A Monster's Power

Chapter 299

Up in the observatory, I sense the mana readings of two humans.

Although I'm a great distance away, I still instinctually hide with stealth and drop down closer to the desert floor for cover after the events that unfolded just over an hour ago in the Abyss.

To my surprise, the two readings are both between levels 300 and 330.

My gaze tightens, and I start to drift closer again. One has a swordsmanship skill, and the other has an extreme speed buff skill of 35%. These are fairly common combat skills... but considering their levels, these two are far from amateurs.

They could be grunts for the Inner Circle, but they don't wear those fancy pins. So, possibly they're Solaran guards tasked with searching the abandoned observatory to collect equipment they missed during the evacuation. My guess is the former. Either way, this is very suspicious and worth my while to check out.

My only task for the last few days has been to keep an eye on the town and observatory; I should take it seriously now that there's actually something going on.

Lower levels below 400, like these, can't perceive me while I'm in stealth mode, no matter what; it'd just look and feel like a breeze is passing through when I approach. Especially those with zero perception skills or any signs of mana control.

I continue to drift closer, making my way past the abandoned town and higher into the sky, just to be extra cautious not to turn up any loose sand with my wind-summoning ability.

As I do, a grey pulse of energy flies out from the top of the white dome. It vibrates as it disappears into the Abyss. My eyes track it all the way into the darkness.

I've seen the white dome expel this energy a few dozen times now, but it still makes no sense to me. If I get the chance, I'll have to figure out what that beam really does too. It's not at the top of my priority list but does stick out in the back of my mind.

As I get closer to the white dome up on the hill, the size of the structure starts to become clearer. The observatory is much larger than I initially thought.

At closer inspection, it's a lot more detailed too.

Now that I'm floating up above it, I can see the back that faces the Abyss in full view. Instead of just flat white walls that curve up into a dome on all sides as it appears from the village area, there's a 7-meter wide rectangular opening in the roof.

It starts at the point where the dome begins to curve and stops close right at the top of the structure.

This makes sense. It's where all of the star-gazing gear and technology would point up to the desert sky, facing away from the town.

However, from here it seems the old telescopes and astronomy tech have been stripped out, and new silver magical poles and wires create this oddly shaped sonar device. All of the miscellaneous gear and materials dully glow and pulse with the same grey energy I witnessed earlier. The scattered wires and magical items are charging up a thick metal rod that leads to a clear orb at its top, peeking out from the opening in the roof.

The longer I watch and stare, the more the orb fills with the grey glowing energy. It gets brighter and brighter, almost turning white.

Seconds pass, and it fills to the brim before releasing another crescent of the energy substance out into the darkness. It vanishes again once entering.

I attempt to use my Appraisal skill along with my All-Seeing Eye to understand what this structure is doing, but the readings I get back only confuse me further.

Half of the text boxes show up as blank or question marks, while the other half just show dozens of mana crystals that power up the makeshift device. While attempting to decipher what all the text says, another charged-up pulse flies into the darkness like clockwork.