Travelling deeper into the mines. I can smell something...
"Sh."
I put out my hand to stop my group from proceeding.
"Stay here for a while, leave this mine immediately when I don't come back in 5 minutes," I say.
Rex looks like he wants to say something but Jane stopped him.
After a while, the group nodded and I advanced. In front of us are a huge hole and the only path forward.
Darkness is usually the biggest fear and weakness of humans in a cave full of monsters.
The monsters not only rely on their sight but also other senses. Humans tend to focus only on hearing and sight.
But... If one can focus on all senses to the extent of even feeling the vibrations in the ground... That's when darkness becomes truly a playground.
Several monsters attacked me in the dark from all directions.
With one thrust, I created a shockwave that broke through the monsters attacking me from the front before swirling my body and slashing in a crescent shape behind me.
!!!!
"KUAGHHH!!!"
The monster screams in pain and retreats.
You are not getting away! Dashing forward, with one swift slice, I killed all the monsters in half with a clean cut.
...
I climb back out. "It's clear," I say.
The others follow me and jump into the hole. Lifting the torches, it illuminated the atmosphere. It is bloody around here.
"You... Did all this? In the dark?" Asks Rex.
I did not answer him. He scratches his head but did not pursue an answer any further.
...
*tut* *tut* *tut*
...
It's quiet. Weird. All I can hear is the echo of our footsteps.
Suddenly, a violent "earthquake" occurred throughout the cave.
!!!
"Watch out!" Shouts Jane towards Rex. He jumps back to avoid a falling fragment of rocks.
"Everyone stick to the wall! Poppy, erect a shield!" Rex commanded.
I did as instructed and poppy cast a yellowish bright force field that acts as a shield. The fragments of rocks bash against the shield and soon the earthquake stops.
"W-What was that..." Mumbles Kio.
...
"I don't think we should continue any further-" says Poppy.
All of us simply stood there and stare.
Rex clenches his fist. "... Let's go deeper; carefully, we have been paid after all so we will record whatever we can find and report back."
The others throw a glance at me. I nod, agreeing with Rex.
As we venture forward, I realise that Rex, despite his naivete, makes rather logical and good decisions that take into account everyone in his party. He may become someone big in the future.
The cave is becoming less spacious. Are we reaching the end?
...
I close my eyes...
...
...
There are no monsters or people around us. I can't detect any sniffing, breathing, shuffling. anything.
So that means... The source of disturbance is near, for monsters to evacuate and avoid this place...
"Light! I can see some light!" Exclaims Jane.
?!
That shouldn't...be possible? We are in the middle of a mountain mine.
Jane quickly charges forward towards the light. "Wait!" Rex shouts out to Jane. It's no use.
Once Jane steps into the light, a blackish shadow immediately wraps around her and she explodes into a messy gore.
!!!!!!!!!
Poppy immediately gags and vomits on the floor.
Kio drops onto the ground, her knees have given out.
Rex did nothing but stare.
...
What was that?
In front of us is a regular cavern entrance to another section of the mine but... It's very brightly lit up.
Regardless it's not caused by sunlight, the light source must be from a monster.
...
I take another look at the party...
I walk to Rex and shake his body a little.
It's no use, no matter what I say or do, they just stand there in shock.
...
I peek around a corner but allow no light to touch me.
!!!!!!!!!!!
It's a bloody mess. Countless piles of mushy corpses everywhere. The first group was completely wiped out.
...
What kind of entity is this? Shit, I need more information.
Suddenly at that exact moment, a jolt of pain pierced my head.
!!! Arghh!!!
Somewhere in my mind, an image of Keldon reading a book shows up. A burst of information came into my mind.
"Hah...hah..."
I catch my breath, leaning against the rocky surface.
This light... it's a trap, an illusion. My mind becomes aware of the illusion and I snap out of it.
Blinking my eyes several times, the light disappears. Jane is unconscious, lying on the ground but she is alive. I step over her and take a look at the pile of sleeping bodies. Similarly, they are all asleep.
*tut* *tut*
!!
Someone's here!
I quickly duck behind a big rock.
...
The footsteps stop and I can hear mumbling.
Looking at the ceiling of the huge cave, I can see a circular device, that looks like a coin, attached. That must be the illusion device.
"Hahahahaha!!! These idiots!" Says a familiar voice.
The voice echoed throughout the cave several times.
That's... Lorraine?
...
I'm not surprised...
"Is everyone here?" Asks Lorraine.
One of her underlings, a female elf looking like a young human girl of about 10 to 11, goes ahead to check.
"Aura..." She softly chants.
A drastic aura fills the atmosphere suddenly.
I quickly conceal the mana in my body, held my breath, and did not move a single muscle.
...
...
...
The aura subsides and disappears. The small elf shakes her head at Lorraine.
Lorraine smiles and looks around. "Hah...Hah... All this fodder... They look so delicious, all these young, energetic energies." Says Lorraine.
Lorraine casts a spell. Red bright lights emit from her World Staff and consume the room.
"ARGHHHH!!!!!!!!!"
The unconscious bodies inside the cave start to scream in pain; start to scratch them furiously. Some of them held their neck tightly, some start to grasp their chest in pain.
A moment of torturous screams echoed throughout before it comes to a stop. Lorraine takes a deep breath and laughs.
"This power!! It's surging inside me!! Finally!!! I've consumed enough souls to be able to breakthrough!! Hahaha!!!" Lorraine shouts in pleasure.
The bodies of adventurers become soulless, dried up corpses.
I peek a glance through the edge of the rock, Jane and the others in my party are still fine since they are close to the entrance and not in the room.
"With this, I can finally KILL Lily!! The bitch who seduced Carlo! He will finally be mine!!!" Says Lorraine.
"Ah, Carlo...Carlo..." Lorraine starts to breathe heavily.
...
Suddenly, Lorraine notices Jane and the stunned party.
"Oh? It looks like I missed a few..."
She walks towards Jane... And becomes pissed. Picking Jane up, Lorraine immediately plunges her hand into Jane and spilt her in half. "This Bitch Dare HAVE CURLY AND SMOOTH HAIR!!" Shouts Lorraine.
...
...
I smirk. She is crazy as I expect.
She walks towards Rex, still standing with a stunned expression.
"Ah...look at this guy, his expression is amazing!! Haha! He looks just like Hans when we feed him to a Cerberus to tame it."
Hans?! That guy...
Hans was a friend of mine who admired Carlo but has no intention to be like him. After all, he was satisfied just helping Carlo...those bastards...
I put on my mask and finally decide to reveal myself.
!!!
Lorraine turns around suddenly.
"Who's there!"
...
"You... Didn't you say that there is nobody around?! You useless shit!!" Lorraine grabs the young elf and punches her in the stomach.
"Ugh!!" She groans in pain before vomiting.
"Shit..."
Lorraine immediately seals the area off to prevent my escape.
"Show yourself! I will not let you leave and destroy the 'good reputation I built over so many years." Says Lorraine.
For 2 hours, Lorraine just stood there and wait.
"Hmm..." She starts to doubt her hearing and let her guard down. "Did that person leave already?... Fuck... I need to hurry up and-"
!!!!!
A corpse was sent flying at Lorraine.
*BOOOM!!!!!*
Lorraine immediately casts a fireball which obliterates the pile. The result is an explosion and an atmosphere of smoke.
Suddenly, a dark figure appears out of the smoke.
!!!
Lorraine points her Staff at me but I grab the Staff and pry it out of her hand.
"W-Who are-"
I immediately follow up with a knee to her face and she flies back, crashing into the cavern walls.
"Argh!! Uhk..."
!!!!
She ducks when I throw a dagger at her head but I expected that and her lowered face was met with my knee again.
"Ughk!!!...fuck..."
Lorraine falls onto the floor, spitting blood out.
"How ironic." I say "the "legendary" archer, Lorraine, using magic..."
Lorraine bites her lips and immediately materializes a bow and a couple of arrows out of pure mana.
!!!
She instantly shoots 3 barrages of triple, blue, arrows at me.
I step back and attempt to deflect one of the arrows which exploded in front of me.
"HAHAHA!! NOW WE ARE TALKING!" I shout, jumping out of the smoke left by the explosion.
!!!
Lorraine widens her eyes in shock as she shoots barrages after barrages of arrows. Explosion after explosion but that does not stop me; it didn't even scratch me.
"W-What?!"
Soon the gap between Lorraine and I closed and I grab Lorraine by her collar and send my knee to her stomach.
"ASRGUGH!!!!"
Lorraine falls onto the floor as I slowly stroll towards her.
!!!
"W-Wait! I'm sorry!" Lorraine starts to say as she crawls away from me.
I smirk when she says that and Lorraine's eye widens again. Lorraine tries to fight back but realise her mana flow has been sealed by my latest attack.
She then throws her glance at the young elf.
"Y-You!! Help me!! Help-" Lorraine cried.
The elf looks at Lorraine and did nothing but stare at her.
Lorraine's despair deepens as I grab her hair and slam her face into the muddy ground.
"Lorraine... Lorraine... How have you fallen? Since when did you become this weak? What happened to your tier 7 archer skill, Apocalypse Dawn? Is it because you use too much Mana on that absorption magic? Or...?" I say.
"H-How did you even know I have that tier 7 skill!! I only used it in front of my party members..."
I smirk.
"Exactly," I say as I take off my mask.
!!!!!!!
"I-Impossible... HOW ARE YOU STILL ALIVE?!!!?" Exclaims Lorraine.
"Does that matter?" I say.
!!...
"K-Ken! I'm sorry for what I did in the past! But do you remember? The time when you were cursed by a monster and I found the cure for you. If not for me, you would have died!" Says Lorraine quickly.
I frown.
"Bullshit, it was Hans who found it but you snatched the bottle away from him and took the credit yourself."
Lorraine stares at me in fear, she constantly tries to come up with an excuse but...
"How about this. I will let you live if you tell me where Carlo is. Probably also where Lily is." I say.
!!!!
"W-What? I-I don't know-"
I step on her head, plunging it deeper into the mud. "Mmf!! Mmmph!!!"
"Don't worry Lorraine, we have all the time in the world..." I say, taking out a torturing set from my inventory.
!!!!!!!!
Lorraine's eyes widen in despair. She constantly tries to break free but I held her down with magic.
"Now..."
I start to hum a lullaby... The lullaby my mother used to hum every day when I was a kid.
I take the scissors and place the cold blades next to Lorraine's right ear.
!!!!!!
"MPPPH!!! MHSLSOPPJJ!!!"
Lorraine's face, still plunged into the mud, starts to panic. She is constantly swallowing mud as she tries to say something to me.
This...FEELS AMAZING!!
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