A myriad of Stonemen were present in the center of the tunnels.
They were not just rock and stone either as pristine gems were present in one and shining metal in another.
There were even molten Stonemen that dripped hot magma.
'They casually have some of the strongest Stonemen I've ever seen!'
"Are these the elite of our society? How are there so many?!"
The bumpkin, Oregon, mistakenly thought of the marvelous Stonemen he had seen as the strongest of the kind.
"What are you talking about? These are all newcomers like yourself," Oreo, the leading Stoneman, said nonchalantly.
"Newcomers?!"
Oregon did a double take when he heard that and was shocked when it seemed his words were true.
Ignoring his surprise, Oreo began explaining, "The Great Mother blesses us with basic knowledge of her lands, but we're still left to fend for ourselves. We have carved out various living quarters, training and dueling quarters, lounging quarters and the like for everyday fulfilment."
Oregon could not suppress his growing surprise as he learned more about the Stoneman society.
"If you think this is something, just wait until you see the others!"
Oregon was not willing to wait any longer.
The stronger the main force of the Stonemen was, the stronger he believed he could eventually become.
They followed the other Stonemen to the entrance of an even larger area and took in the real splendor that was this unique race's living space.
"Welcome to Stonehaven!"
Now was the time to be surprised as the ceiling reached up high and was decorated with enormous amounts of the glowing rock that was used in place of torches.
Hundreds of Stonemen of all kinds moved around and interacted while some had things to offer.
There were large Stonemen and small Stonemen and there was even a Stonemen who was composed of sugar granules.
Stonemen were not capable of taste, but they could still digest minerals and such if they wanted to feel sensations similar to their own version of eating.
Setting that aside, the number of normal Stonemen where the overwhelming majority at around a ten-to-one ratio of them to any special Stonemen.
"We value strength above all else. The stronger you are, the more you will have of the Great Mother's available resources."
Stonemen did not typically require sleep, but because these Stonemen had a Stonehead, they needed brief terms of dormancy to recharge.
Because of this, the race spent most of their time reinforcing their bodies and trying to manifest a special mineral to add to their composition.
Anstonio spoke after, "That does not mean intellect does not play a role in one's strength. Only by knowing yourself and your enemy can you grow enough to contend with them."
Oregon noted that, but he focused on something else that entered his mind.
Information on the specific kinds of minerals spanning from native elements to sulphides and oxides flooded his mind from the spirit of the Great Mother.
'Does everyone receive this treatment?'
All of a sudden, he received an answer to his question, 'No, my child, they do not.'
The mysterious voice could have come from only one source.
'G-great Mother?'
There was a pause before another message came through, 'That is as the common children address me. You can call me Terresa.'
'It just gets more and more convoluted,' Oregon scratched his head while thinking, 'What exactly am I made of? And why can the planet's spirit speak?'
As if sensing his thoughts, Terresa sent another message, 'Don't stress your tiny little Stonehead over it. Instead prove to me your worthy of that stone inside of you.'
Listening to her advice, Oregon asked, 'What do you mean?'
'That stone is something that took my entire lifetime to produce. It contains the purity of my spirit and the power of it as well. There probably won't be another for a long time as my spirit recovers.'
He allowed her to continue, 'I have some power over the whereabouts of a soul's destination on my planet, so I waited patiently for a soul to possess bountiful strength worthy of the special stone. Yours came to me unlike the others as there was something different about it, so I decided to settle on you.'
Oregon was confused, 'What did that boy do that made my soul different from others? It seems there's more to what happened to him than a simple homicidal spree.'
He gave up on trying to feel for Null as his death made him reluctant to forgive.
'You say that this stone is special, but I don't seem to notice anything aside from being sturdier than normal rock. What uses does it have besides that?'
This time it took some time for him to receive a response.
"What's up with you, Oregon?"
The question forced Oregon to focus on the outside world as Oreo was looking at him with a face full of confusion.
"Oh. Sorry, I was just psyched to see the rest of Stonehaven that I lost focus for a second."
"If you're so excited, then follow me to the most exhilarating place!"
And so, he did to an even larger space that featured circles of Stonemen and a huge arena in the center.
The Stonemen outside the stadium were made up of a majority of normal stone and minerals.
"Here is the Combat Arena where we fight each other to prove who is the sturdiest and most powerful. Normally the less exciting battles are held outside of the arena, but the real stuff's inside."
Oregon could hear cheers inside and grew curious as to the nature of Stonemen battles.
They were tough in nature, so it would take a hell of a beating to win a fight.
He entered with the others, excited to see the composition of the strongest Stonemen that Terresa had birthed.
What he saw made him understand just how powerful her spirit was.
Since the arena was large enough, it could support multiple battles and seat more than enough viewers.
In one corner, he saw a magma Stoneman fighting a dazzling topaz Stoneman.
The magma Stoneman hurled waves of magma at the topaz Stoneman to which the latter raised his hands and conjured a barrier to block each!
There were other remarkable battles occurring, but Oregon took the time to listen to the messages Terresa left.
'While I did produce the stone, it's uses are up to the one who wields it, so you will have to figure out the ins and outs of it by yourself. I'm interested to see what feats you accomplish, little one.'
With little else than a wish of good luck, Oregon looked back on the ongoing battles.
'With the backing of Terresa, I'll become stronger than all of them. Firstly, I have to understand the properties of the special stone.'
The only other places that Oreo and the others took him were the sleeping quarters and the training rooms.
After saying their goodbyes, Oregon was left alone in one of the training rooms.
There, he willed a response from the special stone that occupied his lower abdomen.
At first, there was nothing, but then, the stone glowed and boundless power filled the entirety of his being— his soul included.
"Oh yeah! That's what the hell I'm talking about!'