Chapter 148: The Cave of Screams (1)
Chapter 148: The Cave of Screams (1)
When I lifted my head, I saw the sun setting in a blaze of twilight colors. I paused for a moment, looking around at the dense thickets and overgrown trees. Perhaps because of the recent rain, tiny, round droplets clung to the leaves of the roadside grass. These dewdrops, catching the twilight, blanketed the entire meadow. It was a truly beautiful sight.
Strictly speaking, the path east of Mule was in a gray area, not quite completely unexplored. To the west lay the Pitch-Black Forest, and to the north, the wastelands. However, the path we were currently walking was somewhere between the road connecting the eastern cities and a region that could be classified as uncharted. It wasn't a route Users frequented, but it was likely that at least a few had explored it before.
“Hyung. Are we there yet?”
Seeing me stand still, Ahn Hyun’s curiosity got the better of him and he spoke up from my side. I shook my head and pointed toward the horizon, which stretched out endlessly.
“No. We just have to cross this meadow. The Blue Mountain Range will appear once we’re past it. Then we’ll be at our destination.”
“The Blue Mountain Range?”
“They say it’s called that because from a distance, it looks like a cluster of blue-tinted mountains. That’s how it’s marked on the map, too. And while it’s not officially set in stone, I heard it serves as the boundary between the unexplored territories of the small city of Mule and the northeastern city of Eden.”
Ahn Hyun nodded once or twice at my explanation and then fell silent. It seemed less that he didn't understand and more that he was just accepting it as fact.
In any case, it looked like we had come the right way. I’d been a little anxious since it had been a very long time since I last explored the Cave of Screams, but from this meadow onward, my memory was clear. I even remembered which entrance to take in the Blue Mountain Range and which fork in the path to follow. It was the first ruin I discovered back in the first run, so the memory was still vivid.
The party members waiting behind me were all silent. After the fierce battle with the fourteen Stone Magoyles just a while ago, everyone was a mess. Though they were clearly exhausted and wanted to rest, I decided to press on. Once we crossed this meadow, the Blue Mountain Range would be right before our eyes. And conquering the Cave of Screams wouldn't take very long. The faster we moved now, the sooner we could return to Mule.
Having made my decision, I spoke quietly without looking back.
“It’s about time to make camp, but we will continue the march. We'll also be marching through the night, so everyone prepare yourselves. We will take a twenty-minute break here. If you have any maintenance to do, finish it within these twenty minutes.”
Unexpectedly, not a single person complained, and everyone followed my order. The other Users were one thing, but even the kids just glanced at each other before plopping down on the damp ground without hesitation.
While the kids may have grown physically, it was hard to say they had grown much mentally. But starting with this expedition—or more accurately, starting with the battle against the Radolofs—they were beginning to change. In the past, I had handled most of the fighting myself, but in recent battles, I had been giving them tasks where they had to pull their own weight, and then some. They seemed awkward at first, but once they confirmed that their current skills were effective against monsters, they must have had a lot to think about. Namely, the fact that they were no longer new Users.
On top of that, a subtle rivalry was forming between them. A faint smile appeared on my face at the thought that if they kept growing like this, they would be far more capable Users by the time I left Mule. I sat down and took out a cigarette from my pocket. Jung Hayeon sometimes pleaded with me to quit, saying it was bad for my health, but that was out of the question.
Flick. Sssss.
“Hooo.”
The news of a night march seemed to have jolted everyone, and the caravan grew busier. Traveling at night is considered insane, but honestly, out here in the open plains, it made little difference. And considering the increasing frequency of monster appearances, it was unlikely we'd be able to greet a peaceful morning tomorrow even if we did camp now.
Just look at yesterday morning. We were sleeping in the mountains when we were ambushed by monsters for the first time. Although the attackers were just mountain goblins and were obliterated by the alarm and trap magic our three mages had painstakingly set up, the important thing was that we were ambushed. (As an aside, Ahn Sol and Vivian, who were supposed to be on watch, were happily sleeping while leaning on each other.)
The meadow was so wide open that the effectiveness of terrain-based warning magic, like we used in the mountains, was greatly reduced. And while goblins might be manageable, a swarm of Magoyles or charging Radolofs would put us in a very tight spot. That’s why I decided on a night march—to arrive faster and to avoid any trouble.
Just as I was finishing my cigarette, I felt someone stealthily approach from behind. Soon, with the rustling sound of grass being pressed down, a small weight pressed against me as someone leaned their back against mine. The User—no, the Resident—who rested the nape of her neck on my shoulder spoke to me in a slightly drowsy voice.
“Kim Soohyun. I have something to ask you.”
“Go ahead.”
“Really? Thanks. Then I’ll ask.”
“There’s nothing to thank me for… Hey. Bite my shoulder and you’re dead.”
Vivian, who had opened her mouth wide to bite me, snapped it shut with a click of her teeth at my warning. I flicked her forehead lightly with my finger, and she twisted her body with a look that seemed to ask for more. I immediately regretted hitting her.
After a bit more squabbling, Vivian finally spoke in a serious tone.
“My bag was too heavy.”
“……”
“So I checked what was inside and found it stuffed with equipment I’d never seen before.”
At her question, I briefly turned my head to look at the kids. Ahn Hyun was busy massaging his own legs, and Yoojung was playing catch with Skurepf. Ahn Sol was next to Ahn Hyun, whimpering as she tended to her feet. After checking on them, I answered in a low voice.
“We had a tail.”
“When? Where? And what did you do?”
“Three days ago. While we were sleeping in the mountains. I killed them all.”
“Hmph. I see. I had no idea. But why did you stuff everything in my bag?”
“Because I didn’t want the kids to know.”
“Heeh. Are you trying to cherish and protect them?”
“No.”
I denied it flatly. My words had a different meaning. Their immature minds were just beginning to change and settle, and I didn't want to introduce any needless variables. It wasn't that they hadn't killed people before, but someone like Ahn Sol, for example, was at risk of being shaken. I flicked the finished cigarette away and continued.
“They’re doing so well right now, there’s no need to create a new variable. They’re at an age where the slightest thing could send them off in the wrong direction. And you might not know this, but it’s only been two months since the kids truly came out into the Hall Plain. I gave them a taste of it before, so for now, monsters are enough. Too much is not good. They’re not capable of digesting it all anyway. And most importantly…”
Vivian tilted her head, unable to fully understand my words. It didn't bother me at all, since I was mostly talking to myself. It seemed like the twenty-minute break was almost over. I pushed Vivian off my back, stood up, and spoke.
“Because… they’ll be doing plenty of killing soon enough. Whether it’s Users or Vagabonds. Very soon.”
*
As if to prove my worries were unfounded, our night march proceeded without any interference. Today was the long-awaited tenth day. Since I had boasted to Ko Yeonju, I maintained a very fast pace. As a result, we successfully crossed the meadow as planned.
When I saw the tall, blue peaks rising in the distance, I let out a sigh of relief. The magnificent mountain range before us seemed to be submerged in the middle of an ocean, emitting a beautiful blue light. Since I’d seen it a few times, I was unfazed, but I could hear the footsteps of the kids, who were seeing it for the first time, scrambling to catch up after being momentarily captivated by its beauty.
By now, the party had fallen completely silent. It seemed everyone was feeling the extreme fatigue. The effects of the forced march were unavoidable. Even Jung Hayeon had a weary look on her face. Entering the Cave of Screams in this state would be suicide, so I decided to set up camp and take a long rest. Of course, we had to reach the vicinity of the mountain range first.
After another forty minutes of tedious travel, we finally reached the area near the mountains. From that point, I slowed our pace, and I finally stopped when the sea of trees seemed close enough to touch.
We had walked through the entire night, and the sun was now peeking out from between the clouds. I glanced up at the sky, nodded a few times, and spoke.
“You’ve all worked hard. The mountains right in front of us are the Blue Mountain Range. I’d like to go in right away, but some of you seem to be extremely low on stamina, so we’ll rest here. You can eat or sleep. And… User Ko Yeonju. User Jung Hayeon.”
The moment I finished speaking, I heard thuds all around as people collapsed. One of the two Users I called approached with a light step, while the other shuffled over wearily. I took out a map and looked at them as I spoke calmly.
“I’m going to scout the area for a bit. I need to find the entrance that matches our planned route. In the meantime, I know it’s a bother, but User Ko Yeonju, please oversee the meal preparations, and User Jung Hayeon, please take charge of setting up camp.”
“I’ll go with you.”
“You’re going alone? Won’t that be dangerous?”
“No. I’ll be fine on my own.”
Their questions were different, but a single answer was enough to dismiss them both.
Leaving the two women—one pouting, the other worried—behind me, I immediately set off. As long as I could find the entrance, finding the Cave of Screams was as good as done. I still remembered the branching paths that followed. I pushed forward, treading on the long grass.
*
I found the entrance quickly. It wasn't exactly the same as when I'd come before, but back then, I clearly remembered that giant trees formed a distorted triangle in front of the entrance, flanked by bushes that spread out in a U-shape. I recalled thinking it was quite unique. The caravan leader at the time had declared it was something that couldn't be ignored and dragged us inside, where we did indeed find the cave. Of course, the guy who was the caravan leader back then ended up getting killed in a single blow by ‘that thing’ inside the cave.
Anyway, by combining my memory of the direction the caravan had come from with the layout of the bushes and trees, finding the entrance wasn't that difficult. I didn't even need to use Third Eye.
After memorizing the path, I returned to find the party members already fast asleep. Commendably, Shin Sangyong was standing watch by himself. It was obvious he had volunteered because no one else wanted to do it. He kept shaking his head, fighting desperately to keep his eyes open.
I walked over to him quickly, placed a hand on his shoulder, and spoke.
“Go on and get some sleep.”
“Ah, Leader. You’re back… Haha. It’s fine. The leader guiding the caravan must be twice as tired as we are. Since I started, I’ll keep watch. Oh, and we were supposed to have two people on watch, but User Ko Yeonju guaranteed the area was safe…”
He really knows how to say the right things. I gently pushed Shin Sangyong’s back and said in a pleasant voice.
“It’s morning now, so one person on watch is fine. We have a clear line of sight. Anyway, let’s switch. I’ll take over now. You worked hard on the night march.”
“B-but.”
Shin Sangyong kept refusing, and it was only when I was about to get annoyed that he finally crawled into his sleeping bag. He bowed his head deeply to me and pointed at the food Ko Yeonju had prepared. I told him I’d eat on my own and slowly looked around.
Now, we were truly at the threshold of the Cave of Screams.