Although Arya called it an "exploration," in reality she had simply dug her way inside and started excavating. Fortunately, she had a hoe in her hand—only a small gardening hoe, but still far better than scraping at the ground with her bare fingers. When used together with her Gathering Art, it was practically perfect.
The Gathering Art was truly a remarkable skill. Most of the collapsed area was wrapped tightly in vines. Clearing away fallen debris was one thing, but the vines were the worst part. Yet whenever she activated the Gathering Art, a clear opening would appear, and even the thickest roots couldn't hinder Arya's digging.
Her speed, however, remained slow. She could only use three charges of the technique per hour, and after exhausting them, she would have to stop and rest until her Magic Power recovered.
Of course, she never wasted her breaks. She would take out the notebook and read. It was only a palm-sized memo book, so reading through it didn't take long, but reviewing it repeatedly always brought new insights. A true Alchemy master's notes were impossible to fully absorb in a single sitting. And since Arya wished to try her hand at alchemy, she was determined to give it her all—after all, she was still young, and this was the time to learn.
Rumble!
After who knew how long, a wooden plank suddenly gave way. Arya finally uncovered a set of stairs leading downward beneath the collapsed floor. Unable to contain her excitement, she immediately floated down. A heavy, musty smell hit her the moment she entered.
It made sense—this underground space hadn't seen daylight in years. The mildew smell was inevitable.
Focused entirely on scavenging, Arya ignored the scent and scanned the basement with bright, eager eyes. The space was roughly two hundred square meters, crisscrossed by massive tree roots that had pierced straight through the structure. Because of those roots, the basement had become almost completely ruined, with most of its equipment destroyed.
Vines, moss, strange wildflowers, weeds, and clusters of glowing mushrooms covered the floor, walls, and even the ceiling. In fact, if not for the soft blue glow from those mushrooms, Arya would not have been able to see anything at all.
"There has to be something here," she told herself confidently—and began her search.
Despite the extensive damage, it didn't slow her down much. With the mushrooms' faint light guiding her, she soon spotted a small pouch hanging from a tree root. It was half the size of her palm and looked like it was made of some linen-like material. Arya floated over, took it down, and examined it closely. It didn't seem special, but anything that managed to stay intact in this environment had to be valuable. So she put it away.
Next, she discovered a round-bellied crucible—about thirty centimeters tall and thirty centimeters wide—along with a mortar and pestle lying nearby. They were covered in rust, but the crucible's top and bottom had clearly different coloration, almost like a distinct dividing line. Rusty or not, they were incredible finds in her current situation. At the very least, once cleaned, they would make excellent instant-noodle cookware.
After that, Arya uncovered a dagger hidden among a pile of decayed wooden planks that had once been a bookshelf. Its blade was translucent, seemingly carved from some kind of crystal. Its uneven surface made it look chipped rather than polished. Arya had once watched videos about crafting obsidian daggers; this seemed similar.
She gave it a few light swings. Surprisingly, it wasn't heavy at all and felt quite comfortable. Curious, she used the dagger to poke around in the rotting wood—and with a slight push, she accidentally sent a whole plank flying across the basement, slamming against the wall.
Arya froze.
She knew her own strength. There was no way she should have been able to do that.
Did the dagger amplify physical power?
Was it some legendary blade with +999 Strength?
In any case, it was too beautiful—and too useful—to leave behind.
She breathed on the dagger's surface and carefully wiped away bits of wood with her sleeve. Then, satisfied, she tucked it into the elastic waistband of her pants.
Hoe in hand again, she prepared to dig deeper into the rotten bookshelf remains. But when she looked down, she noticed a book lying where the plank had flown moments before.
Arya hurried over and picked it up.
It was Basic Herbalism.
She was thrilled—yet baffled. Everything else around it had decayed into unrecognizable mush, but this book looked untouched, as if newly printed. She could even smell the ink. The strangeness only made her more pleased. She had nothing else to do anyway, and an extra book—especially one she wanted—could only help.
Humming happily, she continued searching. But after checking the area twice, sifting through three piles of rotten wood and four small mounds of dirt, she gave up.
Her haul was already beyond anything she had hoped for. Why ask for more? Arya didn't like to think of herself as greedy, and today's rewards were more than enough.
She placed the linen pouch, the book, the dagger, and the mortar into the treasure chest, then set the chest inside the crucible. She plucked a few glowing mushrooms from the wall, tossed them into the crucible for light, tore down some vines, and tied the whole setup to her back.
She planned to appraise everything using the small screen once she returned. Who knew what might be useful?
But the moment Arya tried to float upward, she realized the crucible was incredibly heavy. Taking off with it strapped to her back was almost impossible for her small body.
With no other choice, she instead picked it up by hand. It made squeezing through the narrow entrance difficult. She had dug her way in earlier, leaving only a cramped hole, and dragging the crucible through it took considerable effort. But eventually, after much tugging, pushing, and maneuvering, she got it out.
"It's dark already," she muttered.
Standing in the intact part of the room, Arya peered out and saw the night sky. She had left in the afternoon, then spent hours collecting herbs and digging through the ruins. It would have been strange not to find darkness waiting.
"It's fine. I can fly," she whispered as if cheering herself on.
She cautiously poked her head outside and scanned the surroundings. No wolves, no strange beasts—good. She climbed carefully through the vines and pulled the crucible out after her. With a push of her hand, she lifted herself into the air and headed toward the treetops.
The sky was her true domain.
And indeed, traveling above the ground made everything easier. Carrying the crucible, Arya moved smoothly between the trees without encountering anything dangerous. She returned home quickly and safely.
What she didn't know was that someone had witnessed her drifting through the night sky, reported it on the regional channel, and caused an enormous stir across the area.