WorldCrafter - Building My Underground Kingdom-Chapter 123: The Fourth Epoch

"It's the Lotus Slime," the guardian replied calmly, reshaping the floating goblet of water in her hand.

The water shifted, swirling as it turned into aa semi-transparent, bulbous sac filled with glowing liquid.

Ben's eyes narrowed. "I know that one… the weird slime plant that attacked all at once when I got too close."

The Lady of the Lake nodded. "Then I don't need to explain how aggressive they can be—or how tricky they are to breed and harvest."

"But why is it called a lotus?" Ben asked, eyeing the apperance in the water.

"You'll understand when you see it," she replied. "The bloom cycle should be close."

Ben rubbed his chin. "Alright. So, how do I harvest them?"

"It's simple. The Lotus Slimes are hypersensitive to mana. If you approach them while radiating any, they'll see you as prey. But if you suppress your mana completely, they won't react."

'Sensitive to mana, huh…' Ben filed that away. With what he knew, and some experimentation, he was confident he could creating a harvesting mechanism that worked from a distance—maybe even an automated one. But he needed to understand exactly how and where the lotus would bloom, and what kind of mana it would yield.

He kept asking for more details. Growth cycles, mana output, habitat preferences. The guardian answered patiently, offering bits of insight about how the slimes drew mana from their surroundings and how their "blooms" concentrated it.

Once satisfied, Ben finally got to the real question. "So, now can we talk about travelers?"

The guardian's expression darkened slightly. "If you're still being summoned… that means they haven't given up."

Her tone sent a chill down Ben's spine.

"They?" he asked. "Who's they?"

The Lady of the Lake tilted her head, studying him. "How much do you know about humans in this world?"

Ben paused, thinking. "From what I've known, humans went extinct. Their creation than evolved, surviving underground."

The Guardian chuckled softly. "That's partly true—but you speak of the second epoch. We're currently in the fourth epoch. You humans are remarkably resilient, no matter the world. Just like cockroaches, a handful always survive, adapt, and multiply. By the third epoch, humanity had already rebuilt itself."

The Guardian paused, her gaze distant. "Their numbers grew quickly. Soon enough, they began expanding again, rediscovering knowledge and tools left behind by their ancestors. But the place wasn't empty. Many species had thrived and evolved since humanity's disappearance. And when humans inevitably encroached upon their territories, conflict became unavoidable."

Her tone changed, filled with bitterness. "What followed was centuries of war—humanity against the other species. Both sides fought viciously, struggling for dominance. Countless civilizations rose and fell, wiped out in a cycle of destruction and rebirth. But humans, cunning as always, learned from each loss, adapted, and kept pushing forward."

The Guardian's eyes narrowed sharply. "But this time, the other races adapted too. They formed alliances, combining their strengths to stand against humanity's relentless expansion. All banded together, united by their fear of human dominance."

"Then came the war known as the Judgment War. Magic tore the sky apart. Entire regions were scorched or buried. Cities vanished. Armies erased in seconds. Whole races pushed to the brink of extinction. Both sides fought until there was almost nothing left."

She paused, her voice quieter now, more distant. "As the struggle to survive grew worse, magic research accelerated beyond control. Morality was discarded. Every method, no matter how cruel or dangerous, became acceptable—so long as it promised results."

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Her expression darkened. "That's when they appeared. A group formed across species, bound not by race or kingdom… but by one goal. They were done with war. They didn't care how it ended—just that it ended."

She glanced at Ben, eyes sharp. "If it were you… what would you have done?"

Ben blinked. The question caught him off guard. A war like that, where every race had centuries of blood behind it?

Generations born into hatred? He exhaled slowly.

"If no one side could win... and no one would stop fighting… honestly? The only way to end it would be genocide. Wipe one side out completely."

She shook her head. "That wasn't an option. This group was made of many species. No one would accept the death of their own. They weren't united by victory—they were united by desperation."

"So what did they do?" Ben asked, brow furrowing.

"They decided to create a common enemy," she said simply. "A threat big enough… terrifying enough… that every race would be forced to stand together. They'd seen it happen before—old enemies setting aside their hatred to survive something worse. So they thought, 'What if we made that? What if we gave the world a monster to fear more than each other?'"

Ben's jaw tensed. "So… we Travelers—were we summoned to become that enemy?"

She shook her head. "No. You were never the goal. Travelers were a byproduct—accidents born from their experiments as they chased something greater. What they truly created… was far worse."

Her eyes darkened. "A being that defied understanding. A creature so powerful it became the end of the Third Epoch—and the reason you Travelers started appearing in the Fourth."

Ben frowned. "What was it?"

"We call them Daemons," she said, her voice almost a whisper. "I don't know the full truth. No one does. But I know the aftermath. Cities turned to ash. Continents fractured. Hundred of species wiped out."

She looked away, her expression grim. "Eventually, even the ones who created the Daemon turned on each other. One side tried to undo the damage—to destroy the thing they'd unleashed and bury the nightmare for good. The other side refused. They believed the cost was justified. That the plan still had value."

Ben shook his head slowly. "That's insane… but from what you're saying, the ones who wanted to destroy it must've won in the end."

"They did," she said quietly. "But not without paying a terrible price. Almost the entire surface was devastated. Only a handful survived. The rest of the world's species fled underground, and rebuilt what little they could."

She turned her gaze back to him, eyes sharp. "And now, seeing you here… it means one of two things. Either the Daemons weren't truly destroyed—or the ones who created them are still alive. Still trying to bring them back."

Her tone turned cold. "Either way… it means we're in trouble."