The Empty Grave and the Flesh Flower Trap
"Can we see the buried worm, by any chance?"
"The worm?"
"Yes. We spotted traces today—there might be more around."
"The burial site's near the village. We chopped it into tiny pieces and buried it that day."
Jade nodded. "You did well. Those kinds of monsters can spew toxic gas if cremated."
Frindel had no personal experience dealing with such monsters either, but he'd heard the same warning from the guild.
Tia and Beth decided to rest in the room Praga had used that day, while Jade headed off with Frindel to find the burial site.
"Is this it? Where you killed and buried the worm?"
"Yes."
The surrounding vegetation lay withered, and blatant traces of the slaughter scarred the ground. Adventurers didn't pulverize monsters with excessive strikes—not unless personal grudges got involved. The site left even Jade, a third-year adventurer, uneasy.
'The villagers must've been terrified.'
If a bear-sized worm popped up right in front of their village, anyone would panic. They'd probably swarmed it, stabbing wildly. Was the worm's corpse under this dirt...?
"Mind if I take a quick peek?"
"We diced it up so bad, it's unrecognizable..."
Digging it up again would be a nightmare. The stench alone...
As they hemmed and hawed, Frindel spotted something.
'...A hair accessory?'
It was the one that had tied Praga's long brown hair, half-buried in the soil.
"Praga!"
Jade startled and grabbed Frindel's arm. "Praga! Where are you? Answer if you can hear me!"
"It's night. Shout too loud, and monsters come running."
"Your daughter's stuff is here!"
"Guess we'll have to check it out. Lend a hand."
Frindel didn't argue anymore. The two grabbed the nearby shovel and started digging up the freshly turned earth. Once. Twice. But no matter how deep they went, nothing remotely like a worm corpse surfaced.
"This is definitely where you buried it, right?"
"Positive."
"......"
The night forest felt ominously heavy. Not just because the worm's body—clearly buried here—was gone.
"We'll head out at dawn tomorrow."
"What if you go with the vigilantes?"
"No. You've got lives and livelihoods here—plunging deep into the woods is our job."
"If you find my daughter..."
Jade nodded. "If things get dicey and we need backup, we'll call on you."
The next day, Jade's party straightened their gear and began the search.
"Find anything?"
Beth asked.
"That worm Frindel claimed he killed? Tried hunting for it last night—couldn't find a trace."
"What're you saying?"
Tia sounded worried at the mention of the worm.
"...Nothing certain. I didn't see him bury it myself."
"So, long story short... could be some unreported variant we tangled with?"
Jade nodded.
Adventurers heard all kinds of tales. Even if they sounded like fairy tales, some rang true. Immortal worms that wouldn't stay dead? You'd hear that one inside a week on the job. True or not, the protocol for peers in a pinch like this was ironclad: halt the mission, report to the guild, await orders. Plenty had died ignoring it.
"......"
"......"
The three fell silent in unison.
"Head... back?"
Tia ventured first. But Beth balked. Trek all this way and bail empty-handed? Four days rotting in flea-bitten inns.
"Let's scout a bit more, Jade. We cut and run now, how crushed will that Aness girl be?"
"True..."
"Gotta have something to report for hitting the guild to mean squat."
Tia giggled softly. "Beth, you're sharp when it counts."
"Huh? I'm sharp always. Adventuring's a death sentence without your wits."
"...Tracks again."
All three spotted the second set instantly. Slippery liquid still oozed in sticky trails.
"Worm's alive."
They found drag marks too—deep gouges, heavy body.
"This big?"
"......Follow the trail."
A beast this size couldn't scrub its forest path clean. Vigilantes might miss it, but tracking was adventurer party bread-and-butter.
Yet farther on, the traces snapped off cold.
'What the...?'
This unnatural vibe?
"What's up, Jade?"
"Gone. Cut off."
As if deliberately hidden. The words stuck in his throat.
A worm smart enough to erase its own tracks? No whispers of that, even in rumors.
"Stay sharp."
Something lurked ahead.
The party tensed, battle-ready—right as it showed itself.
"Orcs?"
Sneering orcs and goblins closed in after spotting Jade's crew.
"Battle stations!"
"I'll mulch ya!"
Beth charged boldly, flanking Jade to shield Tia.
"Under Seongyul, shield us with sacred light!"
Tia unleashed a basic holy spell on the spot, bathing Jade and Beth in radiant glow.
"Orcs are all bulk, no speed."
"Beth! Don't drop your guard—something's off."
"Off? Yeah, orcs and goblins teaming up."
The orc and goblin stood shoulder-to-shoulder, slowly narrowing the gap while facing down the party.
'This ain't right...'
Orcs and goblins—kin-like pests, tricky with tools, but dumb as rocks. Higher breeds like Orc Warriors or Goblin Champions got brains, sure. But these? Eerily poised.
'Still, our party's got this.'
Jade had culled hordes of orcs. Survived encircled by worse numbers, thanks to Tia. Holy-wielding priests were rare gems even among peers. He'd always figured Tia'd hit silver rank quick, even if he and Beth stagnated at bronze.
Guardian power brimmed, cloaking their bodies in light.
"Strike first, done!"
Beth lunged sleek and fierce.
The orc hunched axe-low, lumbering forward.
"Calm orc's still an orc!"
Beth whipped her long leg out, slamming the orc's jaw. Blinding speed, impossible to track—yet freakishly, the orc snagged her leg.
'It reacted!?' Before full lockdown, Beth wrenched her ankle free, dodged the axe, eyed her shot, then hammered a fist home. Probing feint into a vitals kick!
The orc tanked it with sheer mass, countering with brutal heft.
'Nothing like the orcs we've dropped.'
"Beth, watch it!"
Tia yelled.
Too late—goblin scuttled low, dagger stabbing her thigh. Holy shield blunted the blade, but it was razor-close.
"These punks play combo?"
"Variants too?"
Stalemate hung. Escape still viable, leaving Jade stalled. Leader meant owning their lives.
"Tia!"
Forest glint—Jade yanked Tia behind him.
"Kyaa!"
Arrow. Jade blocked with his concealed wooden shield.
"Extra goblin."
Goblin archer. While orc and goblin pinned Beth, this one sniped from prime perch.
'Impossible...'
Mindless mobs pulling tactics?
'How?'
They'd braced for worm ambush maybe, but this? Weirder. Trained-seeming goblin duo and orc. More piled on... trouble!
"Fire Bolt!"
Jade blasted the archer, no hesitation.
"This side's mine!"
"Got it. Drop one fast, holler!"
They trusted backs, shifted. Tia poured into holy upkeep; Beth, light-wreathed and surging, hammered orc and goblin.
"Haat! Ha!"
Legs lashed like whips. Punches packing impossible wallop from slim arms. Goblin crumpled fast; orc tree-backed, axe desperate, taking punishment.
"Didn't grind power for trash like you!"
"Churuk."
"Kiii..."
'Freaky shits!'
Unlike usual, they just stalled, buying time. Betting on a turnaround? Dream on!
Beth planted hard, drove fist gut-deep, punching holes.
"Kuruk!"
"Stings, huh?"
Goblin-orc counters bounced off sacred light harmlessly.
Meanwhile, Tia-sniper goblin ate Jade's heat.
'Gotcha.'
"Fire Bolt!"
Second nailed the arm.
"Keeak!"
'Fry nice and hot.'
Enough juice to ash a plank.
Jade grinned. "Your side clear, Beth?"
"Bitch can't stand? Heh."
"Wrap it. Nice work, Tia."
"......Huu."
Tia mopped holy-cast sweat.
Jade drew sword for mercy kills on the downed—just as the kneeling orc lunged at Beth.
"Watch out!"
"Last gasp!"
Beth sidestepped, booted the bulk. It tumbled absurdly.
"Ha. Quite the hassle... you... uh..."
"Beth?"
"Ugh... ah..."
"Beth—your foot!"
Landmine vibes. Beth'd stomped a lurking meat flower.
Shit. All eyes snapped there—tentacles erupted, coiling her leg tight.
"Shake it loose—now!"
"Ugh... uu..."
"Beth!"
She flailed speechless.
'Venom?'
Up close: needle-thin barbs tipped the tendrils—four, five skewered into thigh and calf.
Beth locked rigid, paralyzed, toppling sideways.
"Kekeke!"
Goblin pounced, stomped her exposed gut.
"Ughuk!"
"Beth!!"
Jade surged—orc jammed the lane.
"J-Jade... what now."
"Don't budge reckless. More traps nearby maybe!"
Beth's state: wrecked. Speechless, eyes bugged, quaking. Flower step = game over.
Orc and goblin leered hungrily at Jade and Tia.