Chapter 22: Mysterious Cave

The three survivors endured the pain and quickly bandaged each other. They grimaced, sweating profusely. Though they looked completely disheveled, their movements in cleaning wounds, applying ointment, and wrapping bandages were quite practiced. Numerous struggles on the outskirts of the forest had taught them the most basic survival skills.

On the other side, Raine and Kaelin moved even more efficiently. The two of them quickly cleared out the nearby Calming Bellflowers, adding fifteen new stalks to their harvest, before they began to sweep the battlefield. Ultimately, their loot included eight Goblin ears, three rusted daggers, one crude Short Bow, and that club studded with rusty nails. Even the most battered iron tools could be exchanged for a few Copper Deer at the Blacksmith's Shop, so they naturally wouldn't let them go to waste.

Raine also took the opportunity to carefully inspect the Goblin corpses. He discovered that these were the most common breed, which he had hunted before, so the [Hunting Chapter] did not react.

"This is yours." He picked up the last Goblin ear and handed it to Blind Shot.

"No, we can't take it!" Blind Shot waved his hands repeatedly, flattered yet deeply flustered. "If the two of you hadn't intervened in time, we would have died here long ago!"

"Take it." Raine shoved the ear into his hand without leaving room for argument. His tone was calm but brokered no refusal. "It's the Adventurer's rule. This is your loot."

Blind Shot grasped the still-warm ear, so moved that his fingers trembled slightly. If he had been in Raine's position, he probably would have scolded the three of them; giving them any loot would have been out of the question.

Kaelin walked over as well. She was just about to ask about the cave, but to her surprise, Blind Shot beat her to it, pleading eagerly.

"Benefactors! We still have a companion trapped in the cave ahead! Please save him!" His eyes were filled with hope, yet tinged with the anxious fear of being rejected. They had just been saved themselves, and now they were making demands to rescue a companion. It was clearly a bit presumptuous.

"As long as you can rescue Basement Rat, whatever you find in the cave is all yours!" The big guy immediately chimed in, gritting his teeth as he promised, "We don't want anything. We just want Basement Rat!"

"That's right! Even if he really met with an accident, we have to bring him home!" The skinny youth's voice was choked with emotion. "He saved our lives. We can't just leave him behind!"

Raine and Kaelin exchanged a glance, both seeing the same decision reflected in each other's eyes. They were already highly interested in that cave to begin with, and with the others pleading, there was naturally no reason to refuse.

"Lead the way." Raine gave a slight nod, while Kaelin stepped to his side in tacit agreement, making her stance clear through her actions.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" The three were overjoyed and hastily struggled to their feet. The big guy took the initiative to support his limping companion, while Blind Shot eagerly walked to the front to identify the direction.

On the way, the three gave brief self-introductions. Blind Shot was named Matthew. The big guy was Rotten Wood David, and the scrawny youth was Flea Gavin—though with his ankle currently swollen so high, he clearly couldn't jump around anymore.

Following Matthew's guidance, the group pushed through the dense shrubs and soon arrived in front of an inconspicuous dirt mound. Not far away, a deep, dark cave entrance suddenly came into view.

The entrance was located at the base of the mound, about two meters high. The interior was pitch-black, appearing mysterious and profound. A pungent stench mixing the smell of muddy earth and rotting matter drifted faintly from within, causing them to unconsciously hold their breath.

"This is it." Matthew's face was filled with dread as he stopped seven or eight meters from the entrance. He lowered his voice. "This is where Basement Rat was dragged away by some behemoth."

"What's the layout inside like? And what did that behemoth look like?" Raine's expression was cautious, and his tone left no room for complacency.

"You walk in for a few minutes, and there's a slightly wider area, sort of like an antechamber." Matthew tried his best to recall the recent scene, gesturing back and forth with his hands. "But the ground is covered in muck, and it's extremely damp inside."

"Yeah, once you pass there, the path starts sloping downwards." Gavin's voice carried lingering fear as he absentmindedly touched his swollen ankle. "Further in, the tunnel widens a bit more, and there are a lot of bones scattered on the ground."

"Then that giant shadow darted out! It charged right through! Basement Rat was right at the corner of that tunnel and got dragged straight into the darkness!" David's face was equally terrified, his tone slightly uncertain. "There was also something reflecting light at the time, like some kind of treasure! Or maybe it was part of that giant shadow!"

"A part of the shadow was reflecting light? Could it be teeth?" Raine crouched down, listening intently while simultaneously searching the surroundings for any clues about the shadow.

The footprints on the ground were chaotic and overlapping, almost entirely boot prints. It was obvious that Matthew and the others had trampled them when they went in and out, completely destroying any original tracks. On the dirt walls of the entrance, there were obvious signs of repeated scraping. This was absolutely not something a short Demon like a Goblin or Kobold could cause; it had to be some sort of robust behemoth. He picked out a few coarse, dark hairs mixed in the dirt. Bringing them close to his nose to sniff, a beastly stench even more rancid than a Warg Mount shot straight from his nasal cavity to his brain.

A bear? A lion? Or something else entirely? Raine couldn't be sure for the moment. However, the giant shadow, the reckless charging, and the suspected reflective teeth all indicated that a behemoth did indeed lurk within.

Kaelin also crouched down, her fingertips brushing over the chaotic footprints on the ground, equally clueless. She stood up and looked at Raine without hesitation, seeking his thoughts. "Whatever is inside definitely won't be easy to deal with. What should we do next?"

At her words, Matthew and his two companions also hurriedly looked over. The methods the black-haired young man before them had just displayed had long since won their complete submission.

"The target has a massive build and formidable Power, but the complex terrain inside the cave will severely restrict its movements. This is our advantage, but it's also our disadvantage, because it will compress our room to dodge as well." Raine focused his mind and offered his analysis. "Therefore, the ideal combat zone would be best situated at a corner in the cave, like the spot David just mentioned. Once the opponent charges at us, it will inevitably have to slow down because of the terrain."

"Understood. I'll take the vanguard, and you handle support and command." Kaelin volunteered. She had enough confidence in her Swordsmanship and speed to react the moment they encountered it.

"I-I'll lead the way!" Matthew took several deep breaths in a row before finally mustering the courage to step forward.

Raine nodded slightly. He assigned David to bring up the rear, while Gavin, hampered by his foot injury, was left at the entrance to keep watch. The trio quickly lit the torches they carried with them. The dancing firelight dispelled the darkness at the entrance, yet paradoxically made the pitch-black depths of the cave seem even more unfathomable.

"Let's move out." Raine's voice was brief and forceful, and the team sprang into action.

The exact moment he stepped into the shadows of the cave, the [Exploration Chapter] in his mind suddenly and silently opened on its own.