The Temple Knight slid down the steep slope behind the boulder.
Maxi vaguely watched his agile descent before climbing behind him on his hands and knees.
After what seemed like an eternity, he finally reached the bottom.
A sigh of relief escaped her as she looked around the ravine.
Huge walls of gray rock rose on either side.
Further ahead, smooth stones were piled up like a makeshift staircase that descended further.
Even at first glance, it was clear that the steps were not the work of nature.
Always vigilant, Elliot cautiously examined his surroundings.
“Is this where you felt the dissonance, my lady?”
Placing his hands on one of the rock faces, Maxi released his mana into it.
She nodded.
"Y-Yes.
I'm feeling the same feeling again."
Ruth was doubled over, trying to catch her breath.
He touched the wall when he saw Maxi, followed by a subtle arch of his eyebrow.
"It appears that the magical negation surrounding this area is interfering with our magic.
That's why my tracking spell couldn't detect anything.
Of course, an earth spirit would be more sensitive to this kind of disruption in mana flow."
Maxi's face darkened.
Why had dark magicians established such a place?
The location could well be a testing ground for dangerous spells“or a hiding place for something.
While pondering, Kuahel carefully observed the steps.
“I don’t feel any other presence,” he said.
“Let’s go down and check.”
He walked down the stone steps, and the others followed him one by one.
Maxi made every effort to tread lightly, careful not to make any noise.
Despite Kuahel's assurance, she couldn't shake the fear that something might be lurking.
She held her breath as her restless eyes searched the large rocks and shadowy corners.
It was then that Kuahel turned and gestured with his hand for them to stay close to the walls.
Maxi readily complied as Kuahel descended the winding ravine first.
After checking that the way was clear, he signaled them to join him.
Maxi took a deep breath and followed the winding path.
The cramped passage, which barely had room for one person, suddenly opened up into a spacious area covered in round pebbles.
She looked around the mysterious space with a mixture of caution and curiosity.
A murky mist swirled over the ground, and the air was thick with humidity.
A faint smell of sulfur was coming from somewhere.
Kuahel marched through the fog without fear.
Pausing to point to the high rock face, he said, “There’s an opening here.”
Ruth went to him first and peered into the dark cave.
“D-Do you see anything?” asked Maxi.
Ruth shook her head.
"It looks pretty deep.
Maybe you could use your tracking spell?"
Maxi walked through the pebble field and stopped in front of the cave.
When he placed his hand on one of the walls and started the spell, he couldn't feel anything.
It was as if a black curtain obscured his vision.
"I can't.
My magic isn't working."
“That means we’ll have to explore inside,” Kuahel said.
He sighed before entering the cave.
Maxi looked at him, surprised.
How could he enter without having the slightest idea of what could be lurking inside?
She grabbed her cloak out of instinct.
“C-It could be dangerous!”
Kuahel frowned.
“That’s why we need to check,” he said, tilting his head in bewilderment.
“To prepare for future battles, we need to find out what’s inside this cave.”
"But we only have five people.
We might find ourselves at a disadvantage," Elliot said.
Kuahel's cold gaze fell on him.
"Did you not prepare for this possibility before we began this investigation?
We are not here for a pleasant ride, and there will always be risks."
The Temple Knight seemed to have no fear of the consequences of something going wrong.
While Maxi was shocked by his indifference, Ruth surprisingly agreed with him.
“Sir Kuahel is right.”
Maxi looked at the wizard, shocked.
Ruth carefully examined the interior of the cave and added, "I'm sure you all remember the Battle of Castle Eth Lene.
If we are to avoid a similar catastrophe, we need to find out where this path leads.
An ambush by monsters through a secret passage while we are laying siege would spell great trouble for our forces."Maxi's face turned pale with fear, and a cold sweat ran down his back as he remembered the horrors of that day.
It was a reminder of the importance of this entire endeavor.
The information they gathered could determine the outcome of the war.
She nodded, determined.
"Very well.
Let's go in."
Elliot's lips moved as if he was about to dissuade her, but soon he agreed with a resigned nod.
The group passed through the narrow, dark corridor in single file.
The blue flames summoned by the Temple Knights illuminated the cave walls with a dim light, casting long shadows across the floor.
The ominous atmosphere made Maxi shrug his shoulders.
The smell of sulfur grew stronger and stronger, making the cave even more suffocating.
“The walls are hot,” Ruth suddenly murmured.
Maxi turned to look at him intrigued.
“I-Could it be magic?”
“No, I don’t think so,” he replied, frowning.
“It appears to be geothermal…”
Something clicked beneath Maxi's feet, and she jumped back.
Ruth abruptly stopped talking.
When Kuahel raised his flame to illuminate the ground, she stepped back behind him and looked at the spot where she had stepped.
On the floor of the cave, there were pieces of broken black glass.
“What the hell…?”
As she looked down, perplexed, Kuahel leaned over and picked up a dark shard.
Maxi saw his face harden a little.
“It’s an eggshell.”
Not understanding his words right away, Maxi blinked unsteadily.
Throwing the shard to the ground, Kuahel straightened and raised the flame.
The light illuminated piles of what looked like broken bowls in the corner of the hallway.
A chill ran down Maxi's spine.
They were eggs“or rather, eggshells from some unknown creature.
His instincts told him that he needed to leave that place immediately, but the Temple Knight did exactly the opposite and continued marching down the corridor.
Frozen with fear, Maxi had to gather all her courage to follow him.
A spacious hall appeared at the end of the long path.
The horrible sight left Maxi speechless.
The high walls of the cave looked like the honeycombs of a beehive, each dotted with hexagonal alcoves.
Crouched within each alcove were large birds nearly five kevettes in size.
No, they weren't birds.
They were monsters with the wings of a bird, but the body of a reptile.
Its scales glowed red even in the blue light of the flame.
“Basilisks,” Elliot muttered darkly.
“This must be where they raise them.”
“How interesting,” commented Kuahel with anger and contempt.
Maxi searched the cave in horror.
At least thirty basilisks were sleeping inside their niches.
Did this mean that dark mages had tamed even high-grade monsters like the basilisk?
From what she knew, it took forty or more experienced knights to hunt an adult basilisk.
She could not imagine the horror of what these dangerous monsters could unleash if used in battle.
Ruth stopped after running her fingers over the iron bars that confined the monsters to their enclosures.
"They were forcibly put to sleep.
I think the magic-suppressing runes were intended to prevent them from growing beyond a certain size."
“Does that mean… that the monster army doesn’t have control over these creatures either?” Elliot asked.
Ruth shrugged lightly.
"They wouldn't have created such complicated cages if they had.
More likely, they are creating the creatures for their magic stones."
Maxi's shoulders slumped with relief.
“S-So… that means we don’t have to worry about basilisks being used in battle.”
"Are you absolutely sure?
Because I've already seen a lizardman riding a drake," said Kuahel icily, as he peered into an enclosure.
Ruth made a dismissive sound.
"Only a few drakes were taken into battle.
If the enemy could bend the dragon subspecies to their will, nothing would have stopped them from sending a worm, a basilisk, or any other high-grade species.
The fact that they didn't means that there are limitations to the types of monsters they can control."
Kuahel examined Ruth's face before turning his gaze to the sleeping basilisks.
His eyes glowed in the darkness, scanning every inch of the cave.
A chilling feeling overcame Maxi.
It looked like he was looking for something."I suggest we leave here first.
This place might be run by a monster.
Stay long enough, and we might..."
Elliot's anxious warning was interrupted, and the Temple Knights drew their swords almost at once.
Maxi held back a scream.
A shadowy figure advanced towards them.
The gleam of steel glittered in the dark, and a blade radiated blue as it cut the monster in half.
Before anyone could identify the attacker, Kuahel's voice echoed through the cave.
"There's one more!
Don't let him escape!"
Another figure ran towards the hallway they had come from.
Out of pure instinct, Maxi grabbed the monster as it tried to get past her.
She felt the fur rough and brittle.
Despite her repulsion, she clung to the creature.
This demon would alert the army of monsters if it escaped, which would begin a hunt for the intruders.
This would put Riftan in danger.
These were the thoughts running through her mind as she squeezed the monster.
“My lady!”
The monster proved to be strong and agile.
He dragged her into the hallway, where he finally managed to throw her aside.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye.
Just a few steps behind them, Elliot plunged his sword into the monster.
Unfortunately, it wasn't a fatal blow, perhaps because of his concern for her.
A blood-curdling scream filled the cave, followed by a loud bang.
Maxi looked over his shoulder in terror.
Behind her was a new opening in the wall, and standing in it were two goblins carrying torches.
When she saw them pull the snake head sculpture onto the wall, she instinctively threw herself at the entrance and managed to land on the other side before it slid closed.
She threw a shield to block the goblins' attacks and pulled out the snake's head.
The trigger refused to budge.
Her face paled with disappointment as she looked back.
A cold voice resounded with a hint of disbelief.
“I can’t decide if you’re fearful or brave.”
Maxi's eyes widened.
She wasn't the only person who had jumped into the secret passage.
To his surprise, the two goblins were in a red puddle.
Kuahel Leon dominated them, wiping the blood from his sword.