Chapter 21: Exploring the Cave
"Boss, we barely got out of this hellhole, do we really have to go back in?"
The archer Krul stared at the dark mine entrance in front of him, still somewhat fearful.
Hart, dressed in leather armor, was applying sword oil to his longsword, "The baron has given orders; if we don't dig up some gold, we're all dead."
The barbarian Scar, wrapped in bear fur, said displeased, "That so-called baron is just some brat. What right does he have to send us to our deaths?"
He snorted coldly, "If it weren't for the gold, I'd have quit a long time ago!"
Krul chimed in, "Yeah, if I'd known, I'd have taken the gold and run."
Hart finished oiling his sword, stood up, and said seriously, "He's not just some brat. If you offend the Northern Wind Eagle, who could survive around here? You think you can outrun the Eagle Guards?"
Scar spat angrily, "I don't care if it's an eagle. Even if a dragon shows up, it can't treat us like cannon fodder."
Hart only replied, "Save your energy. We're already in a line of work where we put our heads on the line. We finally got ourselves a legitimate identity, connected to some real power. Don't waste it."
"That accident was just an unfortunate mishap. Even if there really was a monster, it's eaten so much by now that it should be hibernating."
"Besides—" he shifted his tone.
"I also got the baron to give us a good number of serfs, uh, I mean, 'loyal and honest peasants' as the Kingdom officially calls them, to work as miners."
He looked behind him, where over a hundred frail humans carrying baskets were slowly approaching, walking numbly under the whip lashes of the overseers. Their only pay was food—just enough not to starve.
However, what awaited them was not mere survival, but a deep, dark mine and the unknown monsters lurking within.
"Grab a spear for yourself," Hart ordered.
"This is a special gift from the baron for your self-defense."
"If you encounter a monster, retreating is a dead end. Don't be afraid; just throw the spear at it."
"If someone sacrifices themselves, don't worry. The baron will remember their merit, reduce their family's taxes, and provide food as compensation."
"Oh, right, also take a pickaxe."
These serfs were cannon fodder Hart had specifically recruited from the baron. In such a dangerous place, there was no way he'd let his men go first, much less lead the way himself.
From his years of experience in the wild, he knew the best way to deal with large monsters was spear-throwing. With enough people, even a massive mammoth could be killed easily.
And if they failed, the monster would be too full after eating these human shields to chase them further.
"Get in!"
"Move! Hurry up! Don't dawdle!"
The tricked miners picked up their weapons and stumbled into the cave.
Even if someone sensed something was wrong and wanted to flee, the merciless whips of the overseers forced them to obey orders.
But why did dozens of armed men, facing only a few overseers, not resist?
Perhaps it was something deeply ingrained within them…
Facing an unfamiliar and unknown area, the ones forced to lead the way raised their torches with trembling hands, moving forward under the threat of whips and swords.
Watching from behind the line of serfs, Scar clicked his tongue in amazement, "When it comes to slave trading, these noble lords sure know what they're doing."
"They don't even need to sell the goods; they can turn people into slaves without lifting a finger."
"Enough talking, hurry up and get in."
Soon, Hart's team was fully inside the mine, leaving only a few soldiers at the entrance as support.
They failed to realize that something else had quietly followed them into the cave.
Nor did they realize that a spell called Invisibility existed, allowing one to completely conceal their presence from ordinary mortals.
"Boss, something feels off."
Krul's senses were sharp enough to pick up that something wasn't right, but he saw nothing as he looked around.
"Stop being paranoid; we haven't even gone that deep. There's a long way to go," Scar scoffed.
Hart, quietly walking behind, said in a low voice, "Keep your voices down and watch what's up ahead."
Following the crude markers they'd previously set up, the group gradually moved deeper into the mine.
The space within was spacious. This was where the kobolds had once worked diligently; broken pickaxes, mining carts, and fallen ore were scattered on the ground.
A "miner" couldn't resist picking up a gold ore from the ground and secretly tucked it into his rough burlap shirt.
However, Scar's sharp eyes caught the action.
The barbarian walked over, grabbed the frail man by his thin body, shook him, and the glittering gold ore clattered to the ground.
"You're just as filthy as those kobolds."
With one hand, Scar flung him to the ground, stepped forward, and easily stomped down, breaking the man's arm, making him scream in agony.
"Remember, everything here belongs to the baron."
"You're here to mine, not to steal."
"If anyone breaks the rules again…"
"Heh, don't think you'll ever leave this mine."
Scar grinned; he enjoyed this feeling of holding others' lives in his hands—a rare pleasure in his life as a slaver.
At the back of the group, Hart was carefully examining the mine's damages—the smashed wooden doors, the deformed furnace, human limbs, and the fences torn apart by immense force.
Looking at these traces, sweat began to bead on Hart's forehead.
"A terrifying monster."
"Its strength might rival that of a frost giant."
For him, this was high praise, as those giants who came with the northern winds were among the Kingdom's most feared enemies.
Hearing Scar's boisterous boasting beside him, Hart grew increasingly irritated. He rushed forward, lowered his voice, and said to him:
"That monster might still be here."
"If you're looking to die, just say so. Don't drag me down with you."
"But boss, our gold..."
The thoughtless, violence-loving barbarian tried to respond, but strange noises echoed from deeper within the cave.
"Shut up and listen closely," Hart frowned.
"Thud… thud…"
"Thud… thud…"
A heavy, footstep-like sound reverberated through the dark mine, making everyone's hearts pound in sync.
"The sound is coming from the rock wall," Hart thought.
He looked around the walls, but it was still pitch-black.
"It's in front."
"To the left."
"No, it's above," Krul said in a low voice.
The sound seemed to shift around the cave, echoing and moving, making it impossible for the group to pinpoint its origin or direction.
But the sound seemed to be getting closer…
Panic began to spread among the crowd, and soon someone suggested returning to the surface. Even the overseers couldn't help but grow anxious.
"Don't panic! Grab your weapons."
Hart's back was soaked in sweat. He had never encountered the "monster" up close before, and the chaotic situation was far beyond his expectations.
"Don't be afraid. Raise your torches."
"It's over. This isn't some ordinary monster; it's a fearsome hunter, creating chaos to trap us all," Hart thought.