The metallic tang of blood hung heavy in the air. Loud heaves and groans escaped from the wounded bandits who were scattered around the clearing.
Kai looked around the aftermath with a grimace. More bandits remained conscious than he had anticipated.
Over a half, by his count, lay groaning or slumped against trees, bound with their weapons abandoned in different places and their eyes widened with a mixture of terror and defeat, nervously looking at Kai, who had their boss under his feet.
The other half had been killed mercilessly, but his guards had gone softer than he had anticipated.
It did make sense since not every one of them had experience dealing with bandits. Most of the Enforcers they had brought were having their first battles either way.
"Help the wounded," Kai rasped. His voice was rough with exertion. He was referring to the very few injured guards.
Two soldiers scurried past him to tend to the guards. The others, less seriously injured, gritted their teeth and pulled themselves upright, muttering curses and heading to grab bandages to stop bleeding.
Killian walked from behind. His armour was dented and scratched from the fight, his brow furrowed as he scanned through the area. "What's the plan for these bandits?" he asked.
Kai met his gaze, a stern glint in his eyes. "Trials, Killian. Justice according to the law. But first…" He straightened, his gaze sweeping over the bandits. Many flinched under his gaze, some muttering amongst themselves.
"We make an example," he declared, his voice cutting through the clearing.
The air turned to a sudden tension as the bandits turned their heads towards him, a collective gasp escaping their lips. This wasn't over. Not by a long shot.
"Especially Grekk over here." Kai kicked the boss of the bandits in his knee, earning a grunt from the man.
He was alive but Kai could see from how he curled into a ball he wished he was better dead.
A group huddled together took Kai's attention soon, shuffling forward hesitantly, led by guards.
Women, their eyes widened, lips quivering, were covering their mouths with shaky hands. Men had unmistakable marks of mine labour— ragged clothes, darkened skin and even noticeable signs of malnutrition alongside beatings.
Slaves. They were villagers stolen from nearby settlements and miners.
"Free them!" Kai's voice came through.
Several soldiers moved forward in a hurry. They dropped their spears and started helping the slaves, looking for injuries and offering them waterskins from their packs.
The slaves shuffled towards the soldiers, some collapsing in tears of gratitude.
"Find a few soldiers who're capable of helping them with their injuries," he added, his voice softening.
He scanned the area once again.
Beyond the circle of wounded and captives, the bandit encampment sprawled beneath a watchful mountain range. The mine itself loomed like a hungry abyss in the mountainside, flanked by a squat warehouse and crumbling watchtowers.
Inhaling deeply, he noticed, the air here, heavy with the scent of iron and damp earth, felt different. A weird but usual sensation crawled up his spine, but there was an irregularity in the mana flow that his body recognized.
He stopped, head tilting back.
The sky was dark and heavy, common in the Frosania period. He inhaled again, feeling something that he wasn't able to pinpoint as he looked at the crags. He narrowed his eyes.
There is something strange in the mountains.
Kai cleared his throat, wanting to say what he felt, but he was disturbed by the hooves that shattered the silence.
His head snapped towards it, eyes narrowing as a lone rider came from the entrance.
Isn't it that the traveller who we met before?
Kai had assumed he was a merchant of sorts, but there was no reason for him to be here. Especially when he already rejected his appeal to follow him.
The traveller grinned as Kai met his eyes.
Kai noticed something. There was something— no someone— two figures trailing behind him. Thick rope dragged them through the crusty ground, the horse carrying all the weight.
He looked at Killian who was gaping at the scene.
They both turned and looked at the traveller.
Who is this man?
Kai let his frown be clear to the traveller. The last time they met, he couldn't even get his name— simply because it didn't matter. But now, Kai was genuinely curious and partially annoyed.
The traveller got off his mount with a grunt, the ropes slackening as the unconscious figures slumped to the ground with a loud thud.
"Found these two skulking around the back of the mountains," the traveller said aloud. "They looked like bandits and after a punch or two, they accepted it, so I got them here. Figured you could use the extra prisoners." He grinned as if he was very proud of his achievement. "Accidentally killed one of their mates there by the way. He was a loudmouth and I didn't like it."
Kai stepped forward, looking at the traveller sceptically. There was just something he didn't understand when he looked at him.
His gaze narrowed as he locked eyes with the traveller. The nonchalant shrug, the casual mention of death, it all sat wrong. "What were you doing there? I thought I told you not to follow."
The traveller met his stare unflinchingly. The grin was glued to his face annoyingly. "I'm sorry I was curious, so I had been watching. I didn't want to get in your way. Good battle you had there, Lord Arzan. Though I confess, I was surprised to see that the rumours of your lordship being a Mage are true."
"What is your name?" Kai asked, ignoring his last words.
"Does it matter? I thought there would be a reward for capturing these." The man asked, ignoring Kai's question.
Kai's hand twitched instinctively towards the spear as a flicker of rage passed through his eyes. The traveller's smile faltered, replaced by a grimace.
With a muttered curse, he bowed low. "My apologies, my lord. I didn't mean to come off too strong. I'm Ansel, and I'm asking for forgiveness."
Kai nodded. This man wasn't something he needed to deal with at the moment. He might be a wandering, curious warrior trailing the lands, not someone to give too much heed to. Though, for his help, he was going to help set him up on lodging and even some food.
Ansel certainly looked like he needed food, going by his skeletal frame.
Therefore, he gave him one last look and turned to Killian, he gestured towards the mine entrance. "We need to check the iron mines."
Killian raised an eyebrow. "The warehouse was clear," he rumbled. "Inventory records all accounted for. Seems no one was eager to buy bandit-mined iron."
"It's not the iron I'm worried about," Kai replied, a hint of urgency creeping into his voice. "There's something else down there. A feeling…" He trailed off, struggling to articulate the prickling sensation in the air.
Killian studied him for a moment but didn't voice out any thoughts.
With a curt nod, he barked out orders. Several guards stiffened. "Four of you," Killian yelled, his voice raspy. "Escort the new prisoners. The rest, with us."
Kai turned towards the mine entrance, his boots crunching on scattered branches and dust.
As he walked, a voice called him from behind.
"Lord Arzan?" The traveller from behind jogged forward. "Will it be alright if I just joined to look at the mines?"
With a sigh, Kai looked at him and didn't see a reason to refuse now that Ansel was already here.
"Fine," he conceded. "You can come. But keep your mouth shut unless spoken to."
Ansel grinned before his expression vanished back to a neutral mask.
Before he could move forward, from behind, a figure shuffled forward. Kai halted in his steps.
He was among the few they had rescued from the bandits. His clothes were patched and worn and his face etched with exhaustion.
"My lord," he said, bowing low. "I… I overheard what you said. I'm Barold, I've been working here for quite some time as a miner. Thank you for saving my life. I had almost given up on it."
Kai nodded, signalling him to get to the point.
"If you're heading into the mines, I can help. I know these tunnels better than anyone."
Kai studied the man for a moment. He needed someone who knew these tunnels, and this miner seemed the logical choice.
"Alright," he finally said. "Lead the way. And tell me about the bandits' operation here."
Barold straightened and started walking. "They captured us when we were returning from a day's duty months back. Killed the guards stationed here and took over it. Forced us to mine for days on end with barely enough food to survive. And… and they kidnapped people from nearby villages, forced them to work alongside us." His voice choked as he talked. "No pay, just threats and beatings. A few even committed suicide due to that."
Kai frowned. Even if he was used to hearing such stuff, a part of him couldn't help but blame Arzan for not being proactive enough.
"Don't worry, we will give you all compensation and help you recover.
Barold's eyes shone. His lips pursed as his hands came together. "Thank y-you."
Kai nodded.
Barold turned and plunged into the darkness of the mine entrance.
Kai and others simply followed; the flickering torchlight painted shadows on the damp walls. The air grew thick and stale with the scent of iron. Kai felt a claustrophobic feeling as he walked.
It reminded him of the days he was trapped in the Sorcerer's Tower library with no way out and mana fiends roaming the upper levels. It had worked out in the end as he had gotten a new chance at life.
Focusing ahead, the mine was dark and the walls were narrow. It was a bit hard with the guards with such little space.
Still, they kept moving forward.
Minutes felt like hours as they went further and further. The scent of stale iron grew stronger, but Kai's senses were focused on what he detected before.
Suddenly, he stopped, a hand raised in the air.
Barold, startled, stumbled to a stop a pace behind him.
"What is it, my lord?" the miner asked, his voice echoing eerily in the confined space.
Kai remained motionless for a moment, brow furrowed in concentration.
His hand twitched, a faint blue glow emanating from his fingertips. He tried to feel the mana in the surroundings.
"Something feels… strange," he murmured, his voice low. "There's a pressure here, a resistance I can't quite explain." He swept his gaze across the rough wall, the torches glinting off a faint seam in the rock.
Barold squinted at the spot Kai was indicating.
"There, my lord? That might be one of the old tunnel entrances. Sealed shut decades ago." He ran a calloused hand along the seam, a flicker of unease crossing his face. "Goes deep, but no one bothers with it. Leads down to the backside of the mountain range. It's been decades since anyone had entered."
There it is, then.
Kai kept staring at the wall, his senses flickering. He knew there was something inside of it and he had to see it for himself.
"Get everyone back," he ordered, his voice leaving no room for argument. "I need to do something."
Barold and the others exchanged nervous glances, but they obeyed without question.
As they retreated, Kai raised his hand, the blue glow intensifying.
He muttered a short incantation. "Exanimo Fervens!"
It was a 2nd circle spell better known as [Shatter Stone] and was simply used to shatter stone walls created by Mages specialising in earth magic most of the time. Here, it would be good enough to break the wall.
Soon, his spell structure came to life and with a deafening boom, a section of the sealed wall exploded outwards, showering the tunnel floor with dust and debris.
Ansel started coughing from behind as the dust hit his nostrils. Kai looked back and saw the miner close his ears and the guards covering their noses and mouths.
Killian gaped at the opening, a deep frown on his face. The rest of the guards had a similar expression etched on their faces.
"My lord," Barold stammered, his voice barely a whisper. "That… that slope goes very deep. We might not have enough rope to—"
Kai cut him off with a shake of his head.
The pull he felt, the strange mana fluctuations he'd sensed earlier, it all converged on this hidden passage.
"There's something down there," he said. "And I intend to find out what it is. We'll be careful," he promised, his voice firm. Turning to Killian, he requested, "Get me a rope! A long one."
Several guards scurried forward, securing a thick coil of hempen rope to an anchor point near the entrance.
After a bit of discussion, it was decided Killian and a few guards would go with them too.
With a nod, Kai tied one end around his waist, the reassurance of a lifeline settling in his stomach. Killian secured the other end around his own, a silent question hanging in his eyes.
After making sure the weight of a sturdy rock on the side was keeping it intact alongside the guards, they decided to head in.
"Don't worry too much," Kai murmured, meeting Killian's gaze. "I can feel something. A pull, a dissonance in the mana flow. There is no time for a full explanation." he started walking in.
The air grew thick and humid as they headed down, the flickering torchlight barely penetrating the oppressive darkness.
The passage sloped downwards at a steep angle, forcing them to walk with careful steps. The drip of water echoed through the tight space.
Suddenly, Killian's voice cut through the heavy silence. "What is this place?" He gestured ahead, his voice tinged with awe.
They had come into a vast cavern. The rough walls were no longer the defining feature for them or what grabbed their attention. Instead, the ceiling and walls were studded with countless shimmering blue stones. They pulsed with a familiar energy— mana, making him feel a tingling sensation in his spine.
They also acted as a source of dim light. Everyone stared at them and were all too stunned to speak.
Finally, Kai broke the silence. "Atheum," he whispered, his voice reverent. "Or more commonly known… mana stones."
A low rumble echoed through the cavern, sending a shiver down Kai's body, but he ignored it.
"Aren't they incredibly rare?" Killian asked. "They are known as the hardest materials to get and Mages and Nobles pay their yearly savings on it easily. I never thought I would see them here."
Kai was about to nod, but a chilling realisation dawned on him suddenly, a thought cold enough to make him look back at the glow of these mana stones.
Fuck…
These weren't just a source of power— they were a beacon.
They were the source of concentrated mana, and as the ancient texts spoke of it, they were quite irresistible to magical creatures— more specifically, monsters. With this cave overflowing with mana stones… It would be a siren song for any monster.
The rumble he heard before intensified. The ground trembled beneath their feet. Kai whipped his head upwards, cursing himself in his head.
High above, he saw something— something clinging to the ceiling similar to a spider, the size of a wild boar— even larger? In the blue light, segmented exoskeleton showed, mandibles the size of logs crawled down slowly, patiently for the right moment.
A monstrous larva.
"A monster," Kai growled, the word heavy with dread. "This place… it's a feeding ground!" he whispered… His gaze swept across the area, a desperate plan forming in his mind. "We need to get out of here. Now!"