The Cave of Screams (1)

“Brother, wake up. Brother! Hehe.”

I jolted awake, feeling someone groping my chest. As I looked up, I saw Ansol with a flushed face, shaking my chest back and forth. The moment our eyes met, she jumped back, quickly hiding her hands behind her back.

”…”

Right. There’s no way Ansol would do something like that. I chalked it up to my imagination and sat up. Looking around, I realized everyone else was already awake and busy packing up the campsite. Feeling a bit bewildered, I asked Ansol in a dry voice.

“Ansol, was I the last one to wake up?”

“Well…”

“I told her to let you sleep.”

Just as Ansol was about to speak, a clear voice chimed in from behind. Turning around, I saw Jeong Ha-yeon smiling gently at me.

“Please don’t be upset. I thought it would be good for you to get as much rest as possible.”

“Well, I’m not upset or anything.”

I shrugged and got out of my sleeping bag. It wasn’t like I had a problem with sleeping, but I should have woken up earlier out of habit. And with all the noise from packing up camp, there’s no way I wouldn’t have noticed.

Have I become so complacent in this peace that my senses have dulled? As I pondered this, Jeong Ha-yeon sighed and spoke up.

“I asked User Go Yeon-ju and Vivian to cast a Silence spell around us. That’s probably why you didn’t notice. The spell was cast very discreetly.”

I looked at Jeong Ha-yeon, speechless. She turned her gaze away with a slightly embarrassed smile. As we stood there, a soft voice whispered in my ear.

“You’re such a difficult man to handle, aren’t you?”

After this expedition, I might need to study the inner radar women seem to have. Their words stung a bit, but I decided it was best to play dumb. Otherwise, I might end up getting an earful.

“I didn’t say anything… Mmph.”

Before I could finish, a soft hand covered my mouth. As I chewed on the stems that were pushed into my mouth, a refreshing juice filled my mouth. Swallowing it, I felt a surge of energy coursing through my body.

“Chew it thoroughly and savor every drop. It’s quite precious.”

“Chew, chew. For something so precious, you’re being quite generous.”

“I just feel sorry for the others. We went through so much just to let you sleep a bit longer. At this rate, if I ever want a kiss, I’ll have to calculate the angle of your head turn.”

I almost spat out the stems at Go Yeon-ju’s words but managed to hold back.

In the Hall Plain, sleep holds significant importance. No matter how much our physical abilities have improved compared to when we were in the modern world, the human body still has its limits. Depending on a user’s abilities, the threshold may vary, but I wasn’t exempt from this rule.

There are times when sheer willpower can keep you going. I could use myself as the best example. But when fatigue builds up, the body starts to feel the strain. If you can’t perform at your best when it matters due to exhaustion, then having high abilities is pointless.

I had considered taking all the night watches myself, but since I decided not to treat myself as a new user anymore, I stuck to the schedule. Besides, I needed to manage my stamina too. For now, I was content with the increased sleep time.

Since it seemed like everyone was looking out for me, I decided not to say anything more.

“Oppa, I’ll pack your sleeping bag. You just sit and rest.”

“Alright, thank you.”

Yujeong approached me and tapped my shoulder. As I nodded, she moved to pack up, but then stopped in her tracks. The sleeping bag I had been lying in had disappeared. Both Yujeong and I turned our heads to see a female priest clutching the sleeping bag tightly in front of her backpack. Watching Yujeong dash over, I instinctively turned my head away. I had a feeling that getting involved would only complicate things.

And in the direction I turned, I saw Ahn Hyun pestering Go Yeon-ju.

“User Go Yeon-ju, could you spare some of what you gave my brother for me?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Isn’t it obvious? It’s too precious.”

“So it’s not too precious for my brother, but it is for me?”

“Exactly. It’s too precious to give to a rookie user like you.”

Watching Go Yeon-ju respond with a lazy smile and Ahn Hyun silently despair, I pulled out a cigarette.

Looking up at the sky, I saw the sun still hanging precariously.

The Blue Mountain Range looks stunning from afar and at first glance. Of course, no sensible user would venture in just for the scenery, but it’s hard not to let your guard down a little. The entrance to the range is almost devoid of monsters, which only adds to the false sense of security.

However, the deeper you go, the more the situation changes. The monsters in the range are a mismatch for the serene blue hues, consisting of all sorts of undead creatures. Initially, I didn’t understand why, but after exploring the Cave of Screams, I finally realized. It was because of that thing inside the cave. The powerful aura it emitted attracted monsters to roam around the cave.

I led the group to the entrance I had scouted earlier and we entered the mountain range. From here, we couldn’t rely on a map. So, I began to retrace my steps from memory. The landscape wasn’t exactly the same as before, but it was recognizable enough. And if I got confused, I had my trump card, the Third Eye.

“You seem to know exactly where the cave is.”

Startled by the sudden voice, I turned to see Go Yeon-ju looking at me skeptically. She seemed uneasy about how confidently I was leading the way. After all, even with five years of experience, discovering ruins or dungeons like this was almost unheard of.

Even with thorough research, finding something so quickly would be hard to believe, even for me. I shrugged and glanced at Ansol. She tilted her head, her eyes wide with curiosity. Soon, everyone’s gaze followed mine to Ansol, and it didn’t take long for a sense of anticipation to fill the air.

Having been through this a few times, Ansol didn’t tear up but instead puffed out her cheeks and squinted her eyes. Oh, Ansol can make that face too.

“They say I’m a lucky charm. But what’s a lucky charm?”

“Hehe, of course, our Ansol is a lucky charm. Isn’t that right, Ansol?”

Vivian teased Ansol without knowing the meaning, and Ahn Hyun nodded with pride. Ansol pouted at their words and raised her voice defiantly.

“No! I’m not a lucky charm! Don’t call me that!”

“Come here, our lucky charm.”

“Okay~!”

Ansol, who had been fuming, immediately brightened up and ran over when I beckoned her. Watching her trot over, I saw Ahn Hyun’s second moment of despair.

But I was serious in my own way. When we found the Ruined Laboratory, Ansol’s help was invaluable. Without her, we wouldn’t have found it so easily. So, I planned to test something this time. Since I knew the way to the Cave of Screams, if Ansol pointed us in the right direction again, I would allocate one of the four stat points (a reward from completing the User Academy) to luck. Luck was the least understood stat, but the difference between 100 and 101 points was significant.

Normally, I would be reluctant to spend even one stat point, but since I had acquired a ring that boosted my magic, I felt it was worth a try.

Ansol initially seemed unsure, but after I explained that we were just testing her sense of direction, she closed her eyes with a tense expression. (Go Yeon-ju sighed, seemingly resigned to our antics.)

“Don’t be nervous. Just point in the direction you feel is right.”

“Umm…”

After a moment of concentration, Ansol cautiously raised her hand and pointed in a direction. Seeing her finger, I couldn’t help but smile inwardly. The direction she pointed was almost exactly where I intended to go.

We set off on our journey, choosing the left path at the fork in the road. Ansol looked tense the entire time, but seemed to relax a bit whenever I nodded at each decision point.

However, the “Cave of Screams” was not as easily found as the “Ruins of the Lab.” Even I could tell we had a long way to go, and as we ventured deeper, the initial excitement began to fade.

After about an hour of trudging through the mountains, the group’s mood grew heavy. The further we went, the more the fresh atmosphere of the beginning turned ominous. A sinister, unsettling energy seemed to creep over us, making Ansol, who was sensitive to such things, glance around fearfully and clutch my sleeve tightly.

Our silent march came to a halt when Ansol let out a silent scream. Her eyes widened in shock at the sight of a monster’s mangled corpse. It was so brutally torn apart that it was unrecognizable, and just as I was about to take a closer look—

“Heeeeeee.”

The sound, carried by the wind, was unmistakable. It sent shivers down our spines, and everyone froze, their faces turning pale. Even Go Yeonju, who usually wore a languid expression, sharpened her gaze for the first time.

“It’s a Banshee’s wail. We must not follow it. If we do, at least one of us will die. No, someone will definitely die.”

This warning came from none other than Go Yeonju, a user who had reached the 10th level. I nodded in agreement. While I was confident we could handle a Banshee, defeating it wasn’t the real challenge. If even one of us fell under its curse, it would be a major problem, especially for those with low luck stats, who were almost guaranteed to be affected.

“I’ve only heard about it. Is it the Banshee’s curse you’re talking about?”

“When a Banshee dies, it lets out a mournful wail. Anyone who hears it is likely to be cursed unless they have exceptionally high luck points.”

“Does that mean…?”

“Yes, without a high-level holy spell or special intervention, you’ll die within a month. Whether it’s from illness, an accident, or ending up like that monster, death is certain. They’re not hard to fight, but it’s best to avoid them. There’s a famous story about a renowned user from the Western Continent who boasted about defeating one, only to die with his head smashed in less than a week later.”

Jung Hayeon swallowed hard at Go Yeonju’s detailed explanation and fell silent. Undead creatures were generally ones users preferred to avoid. This was one reason I brought Go Yeonju along—not just for our safety, but to protect the others as well.

If we encountered a Banshee, we’d have to eliminate it swiftly, but there was no need to seek it out. After examining the corpse briefly, I concluded there was nothing more to gain.

We were nearing the end of the initial path. We needed to cross the first mountain and head to the “Cave of Screams” nestled between the second and third mountains. I glanced at Ansol, who was biting her lip and holding onto my sleeve tightly. At least she didn’t seem inclined to turn back, which was a relief.

Ansol pointed in one direction, and after confirming the path, I nodded and resumed our march.

---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=

Hello, this is Royujin.

I was reading through the comments today and found some interesting ones. Yes, the great divide of the eunuchs. Someone compared the protagonists of Min Youngmo’s work, Taeyang and Suhyeon. But! I have declared myself free from such labels! Haha, I read the novel with a sense of pride.

And… it was fun. Truly a real game fantasy. I had seen it before, but I found myself engrossed from the first episode again. It reminded me of the joy I felt when I was deeply into game fantasies in the past. Ah, it’s such a famous work, I’m sure you all know it, right? If you haven’t read it yet, I highly recommend it~! :)

PS. I have a question for you all. Among the female characters introduced so far, which one do you like the most? I’m curious about your preferences! Of course, this might influence future developments. Just wanted to know. Oh, please exclude Go Yeonju. Her popularity is so high that it might overshadow the others. Haha.

『 Reader Comments 』

破天魔痕: Congratulations on being first. Yes, I’ll continue to write diligently. I hope you enjoy this episode, 破天魔痕. :)
쿠로시온: Oh, alcohol. I’m craving a cold beer today too. I’m so happy that Korea won the soccer match. :D
zjekfksqlc: Uh, were you hoping for Sol to get caught by vagrants? I’m not a fan of NTR. ㅜ.ㅠ
GradeRown: Hahaha. Really, what are they supposed to do if both fall asleep? Oh, they’ve killed before. In the Forest of Darkness. Not people, but vagrants, to be precise. :)
ruinmaster: Hehe. Please worry more. I like being worried about. More worry, please! (Thud thud!)
보라우: Yes, their combination was truly a mistake. Hahahahaha.
오피투럽19: No, I’m not gay. I’m not gay. Please, stop. If you keep this up, I’ll include a scene with Suhyeon and Ahn Hyun! Oh, never mind. I was just rambling.
gkgngh: To all my readers, I’m always grateful and love you all. (Huh?!) As a writer, knowing there are readers waiting for my work is a great joy. :)
애독자C: No, that’s not true. It can’t be. NO!
뉴질대디: Thank you for the coupon. (__) I can’t wait to enter the “Cave of Screams” myself. It’s Wednesday, should I do a continuous update?! If the pace is slow, I should at least do that! What a bad author I am! (Self-deprecation.)

Your recommendations and comments are the driving force behind continuous updates. (This is the truth.)