Chapter 503: Age of Exploration (4)

Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 503: Age of Exploration (4)

A familiar crystal cave covered with bright lights greeted me the moment I stepped through the portal and opened my eyes. I subconsciously felt myself hesitate. Perhaps it was because the last time we were here, we had fought for our lives against Dreadfear.

"I... just have to stab one person...?"

"You will... become... a great... warrior..."

God damn it.

No matter how hard I tried, I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to forget that day. I never wanted to go through anything like it again. Yet, as long as I continued to explore the labyrinth, I'd almost certainly run into a similar situation again someday.

"Mister... what's the matter?'

"...It's nothing."

I quickly pulled myself together after noticing the concerned look Erwen was shooting me and went to check on my other clan members, though only Erwen and Missha were nearby.

Missha, she's been quiet for a while now. Does she still not feel comfortable around us?

"Missha."

"...Oh, yes?"

"We should get going. Are you all right?"

"Yeah..."

For some reason, Missha only ever responded to me in a strangely awkward, quiet tone these days. But I shook off the thought and got moving. Our first destination was going to be the monument located in the center of the Crystal Cave. There, we would meet up with the rest of the clan. We'd had to split into two teams this time around.

...I need to increase our number of clan members as soon as possible.

The reason why we were forced to divvy up this month was because of our numbers. Our clan had a total of seven members now, so we had to split up into one group of three and another of four. Still, if we excluded Auyen, we could have had an even six.

...We might need a navigator, though.

After much discussion, we decided to include Auyen this time. We deemed it necessary to prepare for any eventuality, given that we didn't know what to expect from this new map. Some environments needed a ship and navigator to traverse, like the sixth floor.

...And if we can't find the hidden area this time around, we'll have to head to a higher floor anyway.

Back in the city, I'd read through any book related to hidden areas I could get my hands on and learned that they all had one thing in common: the hidden area would always appear on the same floor where the achievement was unlocked. A good example was the achievement of the King of the Elves.

The Elf Archer, Armella Powell Merhenia, and her colleagues defeated the Coordinator, Gregory, and opened a hidden area of the labyrinth.

The hidden boss Gregory the Coordinator had a low spawn rate and could only be found if you continued to climb higher up the Tower of Heavens rather than heading up to the fifth floor. After being the first to defeat it, the King of the Elves's party unlocked the Labyrinth of Larcaz, not to mention what were essentially three other distinct hidden areas on the fourth floor.

Well, whatever the case, that wasn't important. What was important was that on the seventh day, the first floor of the labyrinth would close, so if we didn't find anything by then, we'd have no choice but to head higher up.

"...There are a lot of people here."

When we arrived at the heart of the cave, the place was brimming with adventurers. The bustling scene stood in stark contrast to the usual quiet of this area, but I supposed that wasn't all that strange. This was the first place any smart adventurer who was searching for the hidden area would look. Case in point, most of the adventurers present were wearing high-quality gear and proudly showing off their clans' emblems.

Still, there are more people than I thought there'd be...

As we entered the dark zone, the adventurers who spotted us scrambled to clear the way for us, awed looks on their faces.

"Look, it's him."

"It's Bjorn Yandel..."

"Sure enough, even he's searching here first..."

They continued to stare at me like I was some sort of celebrity. But some instead looked at me with a competitive glint in their eyes.

"...Does he know something because he unlocked the area?"

"He came here first. That must mean something has to be hidden here, right?"

In this situation, being famous was a disadvantage.

"Missha, don't fall behind, and make sure to stay close."

"Oh... yes..."

As we continued to walk down the dark pathway, we eventually reached the cavern that housed the monument to the Last Great Sage. Again, countless adventurers were gathered around it.

"Oh! It's Bjorn! He's here!"

"You're finally here."

"You're here, Captain."

As soon as we arrived, we met up with the second team, who were already there waiting. The first thing I did was ask Amelia for an update.

"Did anyone find anything?"

"Not yet. It seems like the wizards from the other clans are doing something, but they haven't found anything yet."

"I see..."

As we approached the monument, the wizards gathered in front of us quickly cleared the way.

Gulp!

Everyone immediately shut up, their eyes wide as they drank in every single move I made, clearly hoping I'd give them some sort of hint. It was actually hilarious.

I don't have a single damn clue either.

It was strange to be standing in front of this monument again. Last I'd seen it, there was an alter to the Witch sitting in this exact spot instead. Just what other secrets were hidden in this labyrinth?

With that thought in mind, I began to read the text on the monument again.

[The Last Great Sage, Diplan Groundel Gabrielius. In honor of his great first step.]

It was the same text I'd read countless times before.

So the text didn't change...

After that, I scanned the monument with a careful eye, but once again, I couldn't find anything suspicious or different. The same went for when I touched the stone as well. After finding nothing, I returned to my teammates to discuss the situation.

"Versyl, did you activate Voice Control?"

"Yes, it's turned on."

"All right."

"Yandel, have you found something?"

"Not yet."

There were a lot of things I wanted to check out, but given how many eyes were on me, I couldn't do a thing. Everyone here might revere me as some great hero, but the truth was that I wasn't all that special—or nice enough to help them all out.

"Then let's go."

I decided to come back later when there were fewer people around. However, just as we were about to leave, someone came up to me.

Still, there are more people than I thought there'd be...

As we entered the dark zone, the adventurers who spotted us scrambled to clear the way for us, awed looks on their faces.

"Look, it's him."

"It's Bjorn Yandel..."

"Sure enough, even he's searching here first..."

They continued to stare at me like I was some sort of celebrity. But some instead looked at me with a competitive glint in their eyes.

"...Does he know something because he unlocked the area?"

"He came here first. That must mean something has to be hidden here, right?"

In this situation, being famous was a disadvantage.

"Missha, don't fall behind, and make sure to stay close."

"Oh... yes..."

As we continued to walk down the dark pathway, we eventually reached the cavern that housed the monument to the Last Great Sage. Again, countless adventurers were gathered around it.

"Oh! It's Bjorn! He's here!"

"You're finally here."

"You're here, Captain."

As soon as we arrived, we met up with the second team, who were already there waiting. The first thing I did was ask Amelia for an update.

"Did anyone find anything?"

"Not yet. It seems like the wizards from the other clans are doing something, but they haven't found anything yet."

"I see..."

As we approached the monument, the wizards gathered in front of us quickly cleared the way.

Gulp!

Everyone immediately shut up, their eyes wide as they drank in every single move I made, clearly hoping I'd give them some sort of hint. It was actually hilarious.

I don't have a single damn clue either.

It was strange to be standing in front of this monument again. Last I'd seen it, there was an alter to the Witch sitting in this exact spot instead. Just what other secrets were hidden in this labyrinth?

With that thought in mind, I began to read the text on the monument again.

[The Last Great Sage, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Diplan Groundel Gabrielius. In honor of his great first step.]

It was the same text I'd read countless times before.

So the text didn't change...

After that, I scanned the monument with a careful eye, but once again, I couldn't find anything suspicious or different. The same went for when I touched the stone as well. After finding nothing, I returned to my teammates to discuss the situation.

"Versyl, did you activate Voice Control?"

"Yes, it's turned on."

"All right."

"Yandel, have you found something?"

"Not yet."

There were a lot of things I wanted to check out, but given how many eyes were on me, I couldn't do a thing. Everyone here might revere me as some great hero, but the truth was that I wasn't all that special—or nice enough to help them all out.

"Then let's go."

I decided to come back later when there were fewer people around. However, just as we were about to leave, someone came up to me.

"Baron Yandel." The man had a sword, brown hair, and a strong-looking build. I looked down at him, wondering who he was, and he greeted me with aristocratic deference. "My name is Marnus Stilico. I'm the leader of the White Ivory Clan's Ninth Team. It is an honor to meet you, Your Lordship."

Ah, so that was the emblem of the White Ivory Clan. They were one of the four biggest clans left.

"Versyl, turn off Voice Control for a moment."

"Yes."

"So," I asked politely once Voice Control was deactivated, "What do you want to talk about?"

The guy immediately slid into a careful proposal. "If you have any information about the hidden area, we would like to buy it at a reasonable price."

Jeez, I was wondering what he wanted. But that's it?

I had received countless proposals over the past few weeks to buy information about the hidden area. If memory served, one of the letters I ignored had actually been from the White Ivory Clan.

"Information, you say..." Even if I did have any to give, I'd never sell it for money. Still, I pretended to genuinely consider his offer before asking him a question on my mind. "Is the captain of the White Ivory Clan also here on the first floor?"

"...I'm sure he's still here, but he's probably not anywhere nearby."

"Are you also searching the outskirts, then?"

"No, of the nine teams that make up the White Ivory Clan, we are the only ones tasked with exploring the hidden area."

In other words, aside from these guys, the rest of the clan had headed straight for the higher floors like usual.

"I'm surprised. It looks like you're not putting a lot of resources into the search?"

I decided to act like I was worried they wouldn't offer much money for my information, seeing as only one of their teams was assigned to explore the hidden area.

"No one within our clan is taking this matter lightly," he rushed to say. "Unfortunately, because of our wartime contract with the palace, we simply aren't able to dedicate all of our resources to exploring the area right now."

"In other words, the war comes first?"

"Yes. If this area can be found within a few days, our team alone will suffice. But likewise, if it's not easy to find, then there's no reason for us to go all-out from the start. Our clan isn't the only one approaching the issue this way. I'm certain that all the other clans are doing something similar as well."

"I see."

"Then... will you sell us information...?"

It was time to end this conversation. "I'm sorry, but I won't." I'd already heard everything I wanted to hear from him.

"...I see. Yes, thank you for graciously lending me some of your precious time."

After that conversation was over, we turned our backs to the monument and left the center of the cavern.

This war is surprisingly helpful.

I was worried that the entire first floor would be flooded with adventurers, but further away from the center, it was relatively empty. Most of our competition must have been tangled up in the war effort. That meant that even if the entrance ended up being easy to find, we wouldn't have to worry too much about losing out on our share.

"Bjorn! Where are we going now?" Ainar asked excitedly.

"The outskirts..."

It was finally my turn to show off some skills I hadn't used in a while. The quicker we found this place, the more treasures we could enjoy.

"Baron Yandel." The man had a sword, brown hair, and a strong-looking build. I looked down at him, wondering who he was, and he greeted me with aristocratic deference. "My name is Marnus Stilico. I'm the leader of the White Ivory Clan's Ninth Team. It is an honor to meet you, Your Lordship."

Ah, so that was the emblem of the White Ivory Clan. They were one of the four biggest clans left.

"Versyl, turn off Voice Control for a moment."

"Yes."

"So," I asked politely once Voice Control was deactivated, "What do you want to talk about?"

The guy immediately slid into a careful proposal. "If you have any information about the hidden area, we would like to buy it at a reasonable price."

Jeez, I was wondering what he wanted. But that's it?

I had received countless proposals over the past few weeks to buy information about the hidden area. If memory served, one of the letters I ignored had actually been from the White Ivory Clan.

"Information, you say..." Even if I did have any to give, I'd never sell it for money. Still, I pretended to genuinely consider his offer before asking him a question on my mind. "Is the captain of the White Ivory Clan also here on the first floor?"

"...I'm sure he's still here, but he's probably not anywhere nearby."

"Are you also searching the outskirts, then?"

"No, of the nine teams that make up the White Ivory Clan, we are the only ones tasked with exploring the hidden area."

In other words, aside from these guys, the rest of the clan had headed straight for the higher floors like usual.

"I'm surprised. It looks like you're not putting a lot of resources into the search?"

I decided to act like I was worried they wouldn't offer much money for my information, seeing as only one of their teams was assigned to explore the hidden area.

"No one within our clan is taking this matter lightly," he rushed to say. "Unfortunately, because of our wartime contract with the palace, we simply aren't able to dedicate all of our resources to exploring the area right now."

"In other words, the war comes first?"

"Yes. If this area can be found within a few days, our team alone will suffice. But likewise, if it's not easy to find, then there's no reason for us to go all-out from the start. Our clan isn't the only one approaching the issue this way. I'm certain that all the other clans are doing something similar as well."

"I see."

"Then... will you sell us information...?"

It was time to end this conversation. "I'm sorry, but I won't." I'd already heard everything I wanted to hear from him.

"...I see. Yes, thank you for graciously lending me some of your precious time."

After that conversation was over, we turned our backs to the monument and left the center of the cavern.

This war is surprisingly helpful.

I was worried that the entire first floor would be flooded with adventurers, but further away from the center, it was relatively empty. Most of our competition must have been tangled up in the war effort. That meant that even if the entrance ended up being easy to find, we wouldn't have to worry too much about losing out on our share.

"Bjorn! Where are we going now?" Ainar asked excitedly.

"The outskirts..."

It was finally my turn to show off some skills I hadn't used in a while. The quicker we found this place, the more treasures we could enjoy.

***

Dungeon and Stone was arguably the most player-hostile game I'd ever played. You had to bash your head into the keyboard to defeat its bosses. The various levels and Rifts you encountered were teeming with all sorts of bizarre mechanics that made them a pain in the ass to clear. On top of that, there were way too many hidden features in this game, so much so that you started to wonder if the entire point of the game was just to go looking for them.

I could rant about how hostile the game design was for three days straight, yet at the same time, the biggest reason I first got hooked on the game was that very same hostility. Those days, I'd been contending every day with unbearable boredom, and the only thing that had managed to grab my attention and light a fire in me had been this nightmarishly difficult game.

It's been a while since I've searched for a hidden feature.

What made Dungeon and Stone tough was these hidden elements. In essence, your ability to progress in the game was completely reliant on how many hidden features you knew about. If you didn't know a thing about them, it was practically impossible to progress up the floors like you'd be able to in most other games. That was why I developed a habit of searching for hidden features every time I played. It had become as natural to me as breathing.

If I saw a statue, I would look for a way to break it. Whenever I was on the move, I made sure to keep my character close to the wall while spamming buttons. If something seemed even slightly suspicious, I would cast all kinds of magic on it. I even burned, froze, and threw the bodies of plunderers around to see if there was a reward for doing so.

The result of doing that for nearly a decade was the discovery of countless hidden features. Oh, and of course, I gained a certain expertise in efficiently tracking them down.

The issue is that I haven't invested in ways to find hidden features.

I didn't have any characters near me with incredible luck or essences specifically tailored to searching. In fact, I'd trained up all of my current comrades to specialize in combat. After all, before last month, I'd been confident that I had already found every hidden feature that the game had to offer.

Thankfully, I can at least read the ancient language now...

Well, if the hidden area didn't require the ancient language to find, then it was a useless skill to have.

Slam!

Still, what else could I do? If you didn't have teeth, you just had to chew with your gums.

Like so.

Slam!

Just as I used to back when I played the game, I walked as close to the wall as I could and hit it as I went. It wasn't just me either; the entire clan did the same.

Slam! Thud! Whack!

It was a symphony of hammers, daggers, and spirits attacking the walls of the Crystal Cave.

"Ohhh! This is fun! Just like a festival!"

Everyone aside from Ainar seemed reluctant, but they still diligently carried out my orders.

"Even if you hate it, there's no other choice! This is the standard way to find an Achievement of Gabrielius."

"...Standard way?"

"I read it in a book before!"

As we continued to make our way through Crystal Cave, I was forced to keep making similar excuses to Versyl, since she didn't know that I was an evil spirit.

***

Dungeon and Stone was arguably the most player-hostile game I'd ever played. You had to bash your head into the keyboard to defeat its bosses. The various levels and Rifts you encountered were teeming with all sorts of bizarre mechanics that made them a pain in the ass to clear. On top of that, there were way too many hidden features in this game, so much so that you started to wonder if the entire point of the game was just to go looking for them.

I could rant about how hostile the game design was for three days straight, yet at the same time, the biggest reason I first got hooked on the game was that very same hostility. Those days, I'd been contending every day with unbearable boredom, and the only thing that had managed to grab my attention and light a fire in me had been this nightmarishly difficult game.

It's been a while since I've searched for a hidden feature.

What made Dungeon and Stone tough was these hidden elements. In essence, your ability to progress in the game was completely reliant on how many hidden features you knew about. If you didn't know a thing about them, it was practically impossible to progress up the floors like you'd be able to in most other games. That was why I developed a habit of searching for hidden features every time I played. It had become as natural to me as breathing.

If I saw a statue, I would look for a way to break it. Whenever I was on the move, I made sure to keep my character close to the wall while spamming buttons. If something seemed even slightly suspicious, I would cast all kinds of magic on it. I even burned, froze, and threw the bodies of plunderers around to see if there was a reward for doing so.

The result of doing that for nearly a decade was the discovery of countless hidden features. Oh, and of course, I gained a certain expertise in efficiently tracking them down.

The issue is that I haven't invested in ways to find hidden features.

I didn't have any characters near me with incredible luck or essences specifically tailored to searching. In fact, I'd trained up all of my current comrades to specialize in combat. After all, before last month, I'd been confident that I had already found every hidden feature that the game had to offer.

Thankfully, I can at least read the ancient language now...

Well, if the hidden area didn't require ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the ancient language to find, then it was a useless skill to have.

Slam!

Still, what else could I do? If you didn't have teeth, you just had to chew with your gums.

Like so.

Slam!

Just as I used to back when I played the game, I walked as close to the wall as I could and hit it as I went. It wasn't just me either; the entire clan did the same.

Slam! Thud! Whack!

It was a symphony of hammers, daggers, and spirits attacking the walls of the Crystal Cave.

"Ohhh! This is fun! Just like a festival!"

Everyone aside from Ainar seemed reluctant, but they still diligently carried out my orders.

"Even if you hate it, there's no other choice! This is the standard way to find an Achievement of Gabrielius."

"...Standard way?"

"I read it in a book before!"

As we continued to make our way through Crystal Cave, I was forced to keep making similar excuses to Versyl, since she didn't know that I was an evil spirit.

Besides that, whenever we came across certain areas, we made sure to perform a very thorough check. The three-way intersection, the pond next to a large rock, any unusual patches of moss or puddles of water we came across—and that was just to name a few.

For the most part, the topography of the Crystal Cave changed whenever the labyrinth reopened. However, there were a few things and locations that stayed the same every single time.

And usually, hidden features are found in places that don't change.

We continued to whack the walls as we wandered through the caverns, finally reaching the dark zone on the outskirts of the cave.

Fwooosh!

Of course, the portal leading to Goblin Forest had already been opened by some other adventurers. We looked around, but there didn't seem to be anything suspicious nearby.

Damn, it wasn't by the portal either.

We then decided to split up and search the outskirts on our own for a bit before meeting up again.

Day one, day two...

Time continued to fly by without any changes. Then, with only two hours left before the third day began, something finally happened. Erwen discovered a smallish clan of about twenty people all gathered by a certain passageway, trying to block people from accessing it. Like they had discovered something and were trying to hide it.

"I thought I needed to tell you before anything else, Mister, so I didn't approach them on my own. I kept my distance and made sure they didn't spot me."

So that's the situation...

"Well done, Erwen."

I led my team to the place Erwen described. When we arrived, we saw some adventurers who looked to be standing guard, blocking entry to a passageway.

Step, step.

I approached them without bothering to hide my presence, and the adventurers guarding the passageway recognized me almost immediately. They lifted their weapons, but their words and actions both oozed hesitance. "Stop! P-Please stop there... B-Baron Yandel..."

Yeah, it must be hard to be rude to me once they recognize me.

"I'm passing through. Is there a problem with that?" I asked, still approaching them.

The adventurers' wariness shifted to visible fright, and they desperately tried to convince me to turn back around. "W-We are currently camping here... and according to the unwritten ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠rules of adventuring... I-I must humbly ask you to please leave..."

Ha? They really expect me to buy that when they're acting so suspicious?

"Unwritten rule... What's that? Don't use such complicated words with me!" With that, I charged forward and plowed right through them.

"W-Wait...!"

"Y-You can't—"

Ultimately, all they could do was watch as I broke through their formation. And as soon as I barreled past them, I ran into about fifteen other adventurers who were gathered by the wall. They all flinched when they saw me like they'd just been caught doing something wrong.

A heavy silence filled the air.

"What's all the fuss over here about... huh?" A man suddenly stuck his head out of a very small crack in the wall, and his eyes went wide as they met mine. "U-Uhhh... you're...?"

"I am Bjorn, son of Yandel. Are you the captain here?"

"That's right, but..."

"What's in there?"

"Oh, uh... th-there's nothing here..."

"Hey. That doesn't seem to be true."

As I grinned at him, he screwed his eyes shut and shouted, "W-We found this place first!"

Well, gosh, that made it sound like we were the bad guys here.

"So, you found this place first..."

"Yes. And stealing the achievements of other adventurers will damage your reputation—"

"Did the adventurers you ran into earlier tell you the same thing?"

"...What? Wh-what do you mean—?"

Exactly what I said.

"Ow! Aaargh!"

I grabbed him by the hair and plucked him out of the wall like a radish. "Your sleeves. There's human blood on them. Whose is it?"

It hadn't even properly dried yet.

Besides that, whenever we came across certain areas, we made sure to perform a very thorough check. The three-way intersection, the pond next to a large rock, any unusual patches of moss or puddles of water we came across—and that was just to name a few.

For the most part, the topography of the Crystal Cave changed whenever the labyrinth reopened. However, there were a few things and locations that stayed the same every single time.

And usually, hidden features are found in places that don't change.

We continued to whack the walls as we wandered through the caverns, finally reaching the dark zone on the outskirts of the cave.

Fwooosh!

Of course, the portal leading to Goblin Forest had already been opened by some other adventurers. We looked around, but there didn't seem to be anything suspicious nearby.

Damn, it wasn't by the portal either.

We then decided to split up and search the outskirts on our own for a bit before meeting up again.

Day one, day two...

Time continued to fly by without any changes. Then, with only two hours left before the third day began, something finally happened. Erwen discovered a smallish clan of about twenty people all gathered by a certain passageway, trying to block people from accessing it. Like they had discovered something and were trying to hide it.

"I thought I needed to tell you before anything else, Mister, so I didn't approach them on my own. I kept my distance and made sure they didn't spot me."

So that's the situation...

"Well done, Erwen."

I led my team to the place Erwen described. When we arrived, we saw some adventurers who looked to be standing guard, blocking entry to a passageway.

Step, step.

I approached them without bothering to hide my presence, and the adventurers guarding the passageway recognized me almost immediately. They lifted their weapons, but their words and actions both oozed hesitance. "Stop! P-Please stop there... B-Baron Yandel..."

Yeah, it must be hard to be rude to me once they recognize me.

"I'm passing through. Is there a problem with that?" I asked, still approaching them.

The adventurers' wariness shifted to visible fright, and they desperately tried to convince me to turn back around. "W-We are currently camping here... and according to the unwritten rules of adventuring... I-I must humbly ask you to please leave..."

Ha? They really expect me to buy that when they're acting so suspicious?

"Unwritten rule... What's that? Don't use such complicated words with me!" With that, I charged forward and plowed right through them.

"W-Wait...!"

"Y-You can't—"

Ultimately, all they could do was watch as I broke through their formation. And as soon as I barreled past them, I ran into about fifteen other adventurers who were gathered by the wall. They all flinched when they saw me like they'd just been caught doing something wrong.

A heavy silence filled the air.

"What's all the fuss over here about... huh?" A man suddenly stuck his head out of a very small crack in the wall, and his eyes went wide as they met mine. "U-Uhhh... you're...?"

"I am Bjorn, son of Yandel. Are you the captain here?"

"That's right, but..."

"What's in there?"

"Oh, uh... th-there's nothing here..."

"Hey. That doesn't seem to be true."

As I grinned at him, he screwed his eyes shut and shouted, "W-We found this place first!"

Well, gosh, that made it sound like we were the bad guys here.

"So, you found this place first..."

"Yes. And stealing the achievements of other ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠adventurers will damage your reputation—"

"Did the adventurers you ran into earlier tell you the same thing?"

"...What? Wh-what do you mean—?"

Exactly what I said.

"Ow! Aaargh!"

I grabbed him by the hair and plucked him out of the wall like a radish. "Your sleeves. There's human blood on them. Whose is it?"

It hadn't even properly dried yet.