Chapter 25: The Fierce Cave Battle Concludes

THWACK, SQUELCH!

The Short Sword plunged straight through the Razor Beast's mangled flesh, burying itself deep until the hilt pressed firmly against its thick mane. Raine could clearly feel the resistance of the blade severing the Demon's muscle and sinew, as well as the grating friction as it scraped against bone.

"ROAR!"

A mournful howl, brimming with rage and agony, tore from the depths of the Demon's throat, making the entire cave vibrate with a humming echo. Its mountain-like body suddenly tensed. The fangs wedged in the rock face twisted frantically, sending large chunks of rubble crashing down. However, as if all Power had been drained from its massive frame, it could not break free in the slightest.

Its futile struggles only widened the wound inflicted by the blade, until a torrent of scalding crimson blood spurted out, drenching Raine from head to toe. The pungent, musky stench of Demon blood instantly filled the space, growing so thick it was almost suffocating.

Finally, the violent gleam in the Razor Beast's crimson eyes began to dim. Its limbs convulsed violently and uncontrollably, its hooves clawing chaotic, deep gouges into the mud before its movements grew increasingly weak. With a frothy GURGLE of blood rolling from its throat, the head it had struggled to hold high suddenly dropped. It smashed heavily into the ground, splashing up a puddle of bloody mud.

The cave instantly fell into a deathly silence. Only the DRIP of blood flowing from the massive wound and Raine's heavy panting remained, silently declaring that this battle had come to a close.

Matthew and David remained frozen in place, the fear and despair not yet having faded from their wide, staring eyes. They wondered if it was really dead. Had the monster that could effortlessly tear down rock walls truly been killed?

Matthew's hands were still trembling uncontrollably. The flickering torchlight illuminated his deathly pale face, his bangs plastered to his forehead by cold sweat. David slid down against the cave wall until he was sitting. He opened his mouth, his Adam's apple bobbing with difficulty, but he couldn't produce a single sound. His mind repeatedly replayed the image of Raine tossing aside the Longbow, lunging at the giant beast, and viciously driving the Short Sword into it. Such decisiveness and ruthlessness exploding in a desperate situation was something he had only ever heard of in the ballads of a Minstrel.

"I really didn't choose the wrong person. This guy is a reliable companion," Kaelin thought as she clutched her chest and slowly stood up, leaning against the wall. She gazed at the dark-haired young man standing beside the giant beast's corpse, a glimmer of light flashing in her eyes. It held the relief of surviving a disaster, but even more so, an acknowledgment of her companion's strength.

Raine was panting heavily, his heart hammering wildly in his chest. This was the first time he had personally finished off such a massive Magical Beast, leaving him momentarily dazed. That was until a block of text surfaced in his mind:

[You have slain the Demon: Razor Beast.]

[The 'Razor Beast' has been recorded.]

[Current number of recorded Demons: 2]

[Next stage reward for the 'Hunting Chapter': Reach 5 recorded Demons.]

He looked down at the lifeless giant beast at his feet, tightened his grip on the hilt, and pulled the Short Sword from the warm corpse of the Demon. The fading adrenaline caused his hands to tremble uncontrollably. As the blade left the flesh, another gush of blood poured out, splattering onto his boots, but he paid it no mind.

He first picked up the Longbow from the ground and breathed a sigh of relief after finding it undamaged. Turning around, Raine's blood-stained face revealed no expression. Only those pitch-black eyes shone exceptionally bright in the torchlight. "It's over."

Hearing these simple words, Matthew and David finally acted as if an Immobilization Technique had been lifted from them. They gasped sharply, their chests heaving violently.

Kaelin, meanwhile, raised a hand to wipe the blood from the corner of her mouth and silently checked her injuries. The previous impact had left her briefly dizzy. Her head was still buzzing, and a dull ache throbbed in her back, but fortunately, no bones were broken. It wasn't a major issue.

"Can you still walk?" Raine asked, walking over quickly. His gaze fell on Kaelin's slightly pale face. He knew very well that if she hadn't used her Combat Techniques to break through the opponent's defenses just now, the outcome of the battle would likely have been entirely different.

"I can. It's nothing serious," Kaelin replied. Taking a deep breath, she forced down her physical discomfort and straightened her back once more. Compared to the perilous situations she had experienced in the past, her current condition was relatively light. She forced a faint smile and nodded at Raine. "Let's keep going."

After a brief rest to regroup, the party began trudging through the bloody mud, continuing their advance deeper into the cave. Before long, an extremely vast cave space came into everyone's view. The moment he stepped inside, the final patch of fog in Raine's mind vanished completely, rendering the entire cave map perfectly clear.

[You have activated the core landmark of the Howling Cave: 'Screaming Main Hall'. Core landmarks activated in this region: (3/3).]

[The 'Howling Cave' has been recorded.]

[Current number of recorded regions: 2]

[Next stage reward for the 'Exploration Chapter': Reach 5 recorded regions.]

"Just as expected, both the Hunting Chapter and the Exploration Chapter have progressed further," Raine thought. He collected his thoughts and looked around.

This was the end of the cave, a relatively spacious main hall. More bones were scattered across the floor, and some dried grass was piled in the corners. A rotting, putrid stench permeated every inch of the space. Right next to a patch of slippery moss, they finally spotted the rescue target of their trip. A small-statured young Half-Elf was lying there motionless. His face was pale, and his body was covered in mud and filth. There were several scrapes and bruises on his arms and thighs, making him look utterly miserable, but his chest was still rising and falling slightly.

"Basement Rat! You're still alive!" Matthew cried out in pleasant surprise, rushing over alongside David.

The two squatted beside the Half-Elf, carefully checking his injuries before hurriedly pulling bandages from their backpacks and meticulously wrapping his wounds.

The Half-Elf Adventurer known as Basement Rat weakly raised his head. His round face was a mess, yet he managed to force an optimistic smile. "Guys, you know that a Half-Elf's luck is always pretty good." He tremblingly raised his hand, pointing at a half-eaten deer carcass not far away, and then at himself. His tone carried the teasing humor of someone who had just survived a disaster. "That big guy hesitated for a full ten minutes between it and me before mealtime. Thank goodness it ultimately decided venison tasted better."

Just as he finished speaking, Basement Rat seemed to remember something. His eyes widened into perfect circles as he spoke in absolute disbelief, "Wait! I think I heard that monster screaming just now! Did you... did you guys actually..."

"Old pal, we don't have that kind of capability," Matthew replied. He raised his torch, illuminating Raine and Kaelin as they walked over, his voice laced with admiration. "It was these two."

Basement Rat's gaze first landed on Kaelin. He had clearly heard of the title "Armless" before and knew how formidable this Female Swordsman was. After a momentary flash of surprise, he quickly felt relieved. It made perfect sense that this ruthless figure, someone who could easily take down Veteran Adventurers, possessed the strength to defeat that monster. However, when he shifted his grateful gaze to Raine beside her, his expression stiffened, and his eyes filled with confusion. He also knew a thing or two about this dark-haired young man.

"Thank you so much! Your Excellency Armless, I owe you my life..." Basement Rat said hastily to Kaelin as he sat up with Matthew's support.

"Don't thank me." Kaelin interrupted him, her mouth twitching slightly. She stepped aside to reveal Raine, her tone flat but leaving no room for doubt. "Thank him. He's the one who killed it."