The Cave of Screams (2)
As we descended into the valley, a familiar landscape unfolded before my eyes. In the first round, we hadn’t managed such a graceful descent. Back then, the caravan was being chased by a horde of undead, and while one of our archers was caught, the rest of us had to leap down here. We were scratched, wounded, and battered, but driven by the sheer will to survive, we scrambled to find a place to hide. That’s when the caravan leader discovered the Cave of Screams.
“Wow, this is steeper than it looks. So, Kim Su-hyun, is the Cave of Screams you mentioned somewhere around here?”
With Vivian being the last to descend, our group landed safely. She dusted off her cloak, now smeared with dirt, and asked me.
“Yeah. Keep an eye out for any area where the trees and bushes are denser than usual. That’s likely where the cave entrance is. And Sol, you can return to your original position now. Thanks for your help. Once we finish this expedition, let’s have a chat.”
An Sol looked a bit disappointed but let go of my sleeve, which she had a habit of clutching at every opportunity. Her expression showed curiosity about what I wanted to discuss, but it wasn’t something to talk about in front of everyone. I needed to think it over, but I was leaning towards boosting her luck stat to 101 points.
The valley was filled with a serene silence, broken only by the sound of trickling water. The valley formed a sideways V shape, narrowing as it stretched to the right. Remembering that there was a decent space in front of the Cave of Screams entrance, I decided to head left.
As we marched, there were no signs of the undead. While they were visible above the valley as expected, down here, there was only an eerie atmosphere with no undead in sight. In the first round, I hadn’t noticed this while fleeing, but it seemed we hadn’t encountered many undead then either. Given the presence of that creature, there should have been more below. Was there something I didn’t know?
After about 20 minutes, we reached our target. I stopped without a word, stepping aside, and felt the curious gazes of my companions. Ignoring them, I pushed through the dense trees and bushes, sword in hand. There it was—the entrance to the Cave of Screams, just as I remembered.
To be honest, discovering ruins or dungeons no longer thrilled me. I had been ecstatic about places like Vivian the Ancient Alchemist’s Dungeon or the Ruined Laboratory, but now it felt routine. Perhaps it was because I was familiar with this place.
Still, I couldn’t deny a sense of satisfaction. My companions, who followed me in, gasped at the sight of the cave entrance. This marked our third consecutive successful expedition (though Shin Sang-yong and Jung Ha-yeon had only been on two), and it was not something to take lightly.
“Wow, did we really find it this easily? Isn’t it just a cave?”
“Our Sol must be a lucky charm. It can’t be just any cave.”
“Oh, if only you could keep quiet. Hmph.”
“Is there a problem?”
“Well, of course…”
A chilling sound echoed from within the cave, cutting off Go Yeon-ju, who was about to voice her doubts. It wasn’t just her; the entire group’s excitement was doused as if with cold water. I cleared my throat and spoke in a calming voice.
“The Cave of Screams likely isn’t much different from the undead we encountered in the Blue Mountains. We can’t turn back now, and the valley doesn’t seem too long or wide. If we hurry, we might be out by tomorrow morning.”
The group seemed to regain their composure, straightening their shoulders. I organized them and led the way into the Cave of Screams. Knowing it was our final expedition, I wanted to finish quickly and return.
Even a few steps in, the cave was dark and foreboding. The walls were covered in moss, and a damp, unpleasant smell lingered. I glanced at Jung Ha-yeon, who nodded and quietly chanted a spell.
“Light.”
With her spell, the surroundings brightened slightly. We began our exploration, the glowing orb floating ahead of us.
The Cave of Screams had no distinct levels. Beyond this long passage, we’d encounter numerous branching paths like a maze, requiring careful choices. In truth, our first exploration of the cave hadn’t been a complete success. We lost our archer before entering, which led to us wandering aimlessly and inadvertently clearing out the cave. However, we failed to defeat that creature and had to retreat, so it wasn’t a 100% success. (Later, a team formed from our report managed to defeat it.)
I didn’t want to explore every nook and cranny of the cave. I planned to follow a pre-determined route once we reached the branching paths.
“It’s hard to breathe. Why is it so damp in here?”
“Yeah, it feels like it was better outside.”
Listening to Lee Yoo-jung and Ahn Hyun’s chatter, I kept my senses sharp. Even before reaching the branches, monsters could appear, so we had to be cautious. About 15 minutes in, I sensed something at the edge of my detection, only for it to vanish.
The presence kept flickering in and out, as if taunting me. Annoyed, I calmed myself and halted.
“There’s something strange 80 meters ahead. I don’t know what it is, but we should proceed with caution.”
The group nodded silently in agreement. I slowed our pace and continued. As we neared the spot where I sensed the presence, we saw a corridor shrouded in darkness, occasionally lit by a flickering blue flame.
“I’ll send the light orb further ahead.”
With a wave of Jung Ha-yeon’s hand, the orb floated forward, illuminating the area. As it moved to the center, it revealed rows of statues lined up on either side. My companions gasped, and I frowned.
The statues all had a similar appearance, like human skulls severed at the waist, leaving only the upper half. The form wasn’t the issue. I had no memory of encountering such statues before reaching the branches. What was going on? As I pondered, a spark crackled through the air.
Crack!
“Ah…!”
Jung Ha-yeon’s startled voice reached me, and white light mixed with blue sparks flashed ahead. Sensing something amiss, I instinctively activated my Third Eye and quickly spoke.
“Cancel the Light spell! Quickly!”
“Can…!”
Crack! Crackle! Crackle!
Her response was swift, but not swift enough. I regretted not using the Third Eye sooner. Overconfident, I had been caught off guard. The Light spell burst with a sound like fireworks, and the flickering blue flames flared up. With things as they were, it seemed best to clear my mind and focus on the battle ahead. I raised my right hand and shouted.
“Something’s not right. Prepare for battle!”
Whoosh!
As I finished speaking, the blue flames split into multiple streams, striking each statue. The statues began to stir, cracks forming on their surfaces, emitting a blinding light. The light was so intense that my companions squinted.
When we opened our eyes again, we saw skeletal figures, their upper halves wreathed in blue flames, floating in the air. There were about ten of them. These creatures were Wraiths.
Haaa. Haaaa.
Haaa. Haaaa.
The wraiths flapped their fiery wings, letting out eerie screams that sent chills down our spines. The rest of the team was already gearing up. Had we ever faced spectral monsters like these before? Before the others could panic, I quickly issued orders.
“Ansol! Cast Holy Striking on Ahn Hyun and Lee Yoo-jung. Ahn Hyun and Yoo-jung, channel your magic before Sol’s spell hits. Don’t even think about using regular weapons without magic. Got it?”
“Yes!”
Hearing their spirited responses, I swung my sword with all my might, sending a powerful wave forward. It was a move to buy us some time to prepare. Luckily, a few of them got caught in the fan-shaped wave, shattering into pieces. Just as I thought things might go smoother than expected—
“They’re not dead yet.”
Go Yeon-joo’s quiet voice reached me, and flames rose again from the shattered remains. The fire was drawn to the center, flowing back over the broken bones. As she said, the pieces, even the bone dust, reassembled, and the wraiths rose again with chilling screams. It was a resurrection spell for the undead.
Even those that had been out of range and the newly resurrected ones began closing in on us. It wasn’t that I couldn’t think of a solution. In fact, too many possibilities and answers flooded my mind.
Among spectral monsters, the wraiths were the least affected by magic. Shin Sang-yong tried pushing them back with Gust Of Wind, and I combined my Anti Magic ring with Jung Ha-yeon’s OverLap spell, but they kept resurrecting, taunting us.
Given the situation, the others had no better ideas. No matter how many holy spells we used or how many we took down, they kept rising, wings flapping. This is why undead monsters are notoriously difficult to deal with. To hunt them safely, you need to be prepared for every possible scenario, but that’s practically impossible. It was a frustrating realization, and I couldn’t help but smile bitterly at the thought of using my trump card.
“User Kim Soo-hyun. Wait a moment.”
Just as I was about to unleash my trump card, a hand gripped my shoulder. I was about to turn when a blue wing brushed past my cheek. Annoyed at being interrupted in the chaos, I stepped back to listen to her.
“Listen carefully. I’ve encountered something like this before. To put it simply, you need to take out all the wraiths your team is facing. But you must finish them all before the first one you take down resurrects. Can you do that?”
“I can.”
Go Yeon-joo seemed to have a plan. I had been too focused on the current situation to fully process the information my third eye had picked up, but I decided to trust her. I took a deep breath. Once a wraith is down, it takes about three seconds for the flames to subside and re-enter. The internal process takes four seconds, and it takes another three seconds for them to fully reform. With ten wraiths, that meant I had to take down one per second.
But I didn’t have to kill one every second. I dashed towards the four wraiths Ahn Hyun was facing, moving like the wind.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Hello, this is Ro Yu-jin.
Did everyone enjoy the surprise marathon event on Wednesday, March 27th? :D Now that the sweet Wednesday is over, it’s back to the grind tomorrow. But with Thursday and Friday ahead, the weekend is just around the corner, so let’s hang in there. Oh, but I have a pop quiz tomorrow. What should I do? ;ㅇ;?
PS. I received some feedback today. If my tsundere nature has upset any readers, I sincerely apologize. Hehe.
『 Reader Comments (Episode 149) 』
MTBear: Congratulations on being first. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you, MTBear. Haha. :)
SquirrelDeer: A harem, huh. To be honest, I’m still figuring out the balance between pure love and harem. But I want to avoid indiscriminately involving too many female characters.
BrokenFan: Yes, given the situation, it was the best choice at the time. You could say they’re good at looking out for themselves, or you could say they’re a bit cold-hearted. Haha.
Refill: I hope Han So-young gains popularity later. But voting on that would be too far in the future, so I’ll introduce Han Byul first and then hold a vote. Ah, I can’t wait for the voting. Haha.
aJoon: Yes~! I’ll make sure to remind the kids! :)
『 Reader Comments (Episode 150) 』
PillPusher: I recently dreamed about re-enlisting in the army, and the word “shoveling” made me flinch. Haha. Congratulations on being first. :D
HyunOh: Long live Ero Yu-jin! Ero ero! I’m not impotent! Ahahahahaha!
Mojito: LOL. Sometimes when I read comments and chuckle, my parents ask, “Is it that funny?” Yes, it is. LOL.
GenesisWar: Why! I do marathon updates sometimes! Why start with suspicion! LOL.
SianI: Yes. Everyone seems to have forgotten, but Ansol is an adult. She’s a 20-year-old woman this year. Yes. (Runs away. But it’s true.)
Your recommendations and comments are the driving force behind marathon updates. (This is the truth.)
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That’s all for today.
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