Chapter 14
Chapter 14
Translator: Penny
Chapter 14
The Cave's Secret, Part 1
Seeing Agron's grim expression, Baek Woon asked again, "People? Could it be others here on the same mission as us?"
Agron shook his head. "No, I don't think so. I was the first to claim this quest when it was posted on the Guild. Since duplicate quests aren't allowed, no one else could have taken it."
"Then they must be here for some other purpose..."
There's nothing more frightening than encountering strangers in an unfamiliar place.
Agron crouched low like a hunter, carefully observing them.
The figures, clad in pitch-black robes, were moving in and out of a cave across the ravine, diligently carrying something.
"What could they be transporting...?"
"It looks like food and basic supplies."
"You can see that far?"
"Can't you see it too?"
Baek Woon and Agron exchanged surprised and puzzled glances, struggling to understand each other.
"...!!"
Agron's gaze suddenly snapped back to the strangers.
"What is it?"
"They're transporting sacks... with people mixed in."
"Transporting people?"
Baek Woon furrowed his brow, straining to see the figures. All he could make out were tiny black dots scurrying back and forth like insects.
"Ugh, it's too far to see clearly."
"Judging by the number of sacks, it's more than just a few people."
"Wait, how do you know they're people? They could be animals."
"Animals don't scream for help."
Agron's senses were so acute they defied comprehension.
As a Daoist of Baek Woon Island, Baek Woon possessed physical abilities far superior to those of ordinary people.
Yet even Baek Woon, at a distance where the figures appeared no larger than scattered sesame seeds, Agron had discerned the number of weapons they carried, the crates they were transporting, and even the faint cries for help from someone inside one of the sacks.
His senses were truly superhuman.
"The fact that they're transporting a person is what troubles me most," Baek Woon murmured, stroking his beard. "Robbers, bandits, slavers, underworld adventurers... too many organizations come to mind."
There were always certain groups capable of committing such brazen crimes.
Baek Woon fell into deep thought, pondering how to handle this situation.
"It would be best to call for reinforcements. We need to alert the nearby Guard and gather adventurers."
"Why?"
"Well... you'd be at a disadvantage alone."
"Why?"
Baek Woon glared at him for a moment before asking with a sour expression, "Can you handle this alone? It could be very difficult."
"Why alone? There are two of us."
"You little..."
His grip tightened on his staff. If he were ten years younger, he might have swung it without hesitation.
"How about we wait until sunset? It would be best to strike when their vision is at its weakest."
"Is there really any need to wait that long? Let's attack now."
"Wait, hold on! What if the hostages get killed in the process?"
"If they die, that's their Wyrd."
"Hmm."
Wyrd.
For the tribespeople dwelling in the Snow Spirit Labyrinth, Wyrd was a concept that permeated their traditions and a word that encapsulated the essence of life itself.
Entrusting Everything to Divine Providence.
The Demonic Realm was a dangerous place by its very nature, where injuries, illnesses, and death visited like unwelcome friends.
No matter how strong humans might be, they could never truly conquer nature.
The tribal people did not resist the harsh realities of the natural world but instead adapted to them.
This entire system of cause and effect was encapsulated in the word "Wyrd."
"I understand. Since they were kidnapped, their fate was no longer their own to control anyway," Baek Woon nodded in agreement.
The value of life varied from nation to nation, race to race, and tribe to tribe.
Shouting, "Human life is unconditionally precious!" would be futile if the listener simply asked, "Why?" The conversation would end there.
For some, human life was paramount, while for others, it was worth less than words. To some, humans might be no more valuable than pigs or geese.
For Baek Woon, who had lived on the Eastern Continent, such customs were quite foreign.
Among them, the values of the Barbaroi tribe members, in particular, were sometimes downright bewildering.
"And Elder..."
Agron glanced at Baek Woon with a worried expression.
At times like this, he looked every bit the teenage boy he was.
Baek Woon reassured him with a deliberately gruff voice.
"Don't worry. I know how to take care of my own body. My Talisman Arts are second to none, you know."
"No, that's not it..."
"What is it, then?"
"Just make some fog. To block the enemies' vision."
"..."
"What are you waiting for? Make it already! And spread it thick."
Baek Woon gripped his staff tightly, vowing to one day smash Agron's head in.
"Hey, move those supplies properly!"
The men in black diligently carried supplies into the cave. Despite sweating profusely, they moved the goods deep into the cave without a single complaint.
"Everything must be ready by evening. The ritual begins at midnight, so hurry!"
"It's still broad daylight. Don't we have plenty of time?"
"You idiot! You think preparations happen as quickly as your empty head?! Move it!"
The man directing operations at the entrance clicked his tongue and disappeared into the cave.
Outside, the men still carrying supplies paused to catch their breath, sitting on nearby rocks to cool off.
"Whew, how many did they bring?"
"Four, as far as I know. But there might be others kidnapped by the other teams."
"Looks like they're going all out this time."
"I saw it too. There's definitely something here."
"Come on, really? You said the same thing last time, but it was just a regular corpse."
"No, I'm telling you, this is different—wait, what's with this sudden fog?"
The men cooling off outside stared in wonder at the thick fog rolling in, craning their necks to peer through the swirling mist.
"Is this mountain usually this foggy? I can't see a thing—"
Crack!
"Hey, why'd you stop talking? You little—"
Crunch!
"Wait! Something's here!"
One of them sensed something amiss and reached for the sword at his hip. Rumor had it that a "Herb Tiger" or something like that roamed these mountains.
"Everyone, grab your weapons and stay alert... uh...?"
At that moment, a pitch-black iron mace crashed through the fog into his field of vision.
Splat!
His head exploded like a watermelon, splattering bone marrow and blood in all directions.
"Still struggling to control my strength," Agron muttered, cracking his neck from side to side as he hefted the mace.
"W-what was that?! What's happening?!"
"Tell us what it is! Is it a Herb Tiger?!"
Panicked voices erupted from all around.
Agron moved swiftly again.
While the others were blinded by the thick fog, unable to discern friend from foe or understand the situation, Agron was different.
He sensed the faint heat of their breath, the subtle scent of sweat, the sound of feet brushing against the ground.
These minute details, caught in the web of his heightened senses, revealed the enemies' locations in real time.
Moving like a wild beast, Agron swung his mace at the enemies he detected.
Thwack!
The mace struck its target, causing an explosion that tore the creature's upper and lower body apart as if they had been ripped in two.
"What? A mace that can blow apart a torso?" Baek Woon, who had followed behind, clicked his tongue at the gruesome scene before him.
The carnage was so complete, it could have been mistaken for the aftermath of a monster rampage.
"Hmm, you've finally arrived," Agron said, approaching after finishing off the last enemy outside. He had overheard Baek Woon's muttered comment.
"Have you cleared everything outside?" Baek Woon asked.
"Yes, Sir. Let's head inside now."
"Wait, shouldn't we send in the fog first?"
"Why?"
"Well... didn't you tell me to create the fog when we came here?"
"That was because the distance was too great, and we didn't want to be detected approaching. The cave is dark enough; we don't need it."
Agron immediately turned toward the cave entrance.
Since Baek Woon wasn't the one fighting, he followed Agron casually, taking his time.
The cave was as dark as Agron had described.
Having eavesdropped on their conversation from afar, Baek Woon already knew there weren't many torches inside.
"I can barely see myself," he muttered.
"Elder, can't you see even in the dark?"
"...Do you think I'm a bat or a mole?"
"No, I know you're human. What are you talking about?"
"..."
Baek Woon glared at Agron, but Agron simply shook his head and strode deeper into the cave.
As soon as Agron spotted torches in the distance, he charged forward with terrifying speed.
"...Hahaha, so I threatened them with the liquor bottle!"
"Huh? I hear wind coming from over there..."
"What sound—"
KWAJI—IK!
Agron's mace, swung with lightning speed, crushed both men's heads on the spot.
Leaving the two corpses collapsing like scarecrows behind him, Agron surged back into the darkness.
Baek Woon struggled to keep up.
Scattered enemy corpses served as macabre signposts, guiding him deeper into the labyrinthine tunnels.
"Hah... hah... This young rascal... huff... is really putting this old man through his paces."
He diligently used his staff as a third leg, propelling himself forward.
Ahead, he saw Agron standing before a massive stone wall, shaking the blood from his mace.
"Hmm? No way through?"
"This seems to be the core."
Agron stared at the headless corpse slumped on the floor, a pang of regret washing over him. I should have made him open the door first, he thought.
"This... this is a Magic Array," Baek Woon said, tracing the massive glyphs and diagrams carved into the stone wall with his fingers.
"Hmm, this was crafted by someone skilled in magic. The design is remarkably intricate."
"Can't you open it, Elder?"
"It's like a keyhole and key. Can you open a locked door without knowing who made it?"
"Yes."
"..."
"Just pull it open."
"...I suppose you could." Baek Woon nodded, realizing he'd chosen a poor example.
"You can't know the arrangement of a keyhole made by someone else. Without that knowledge, my key won't turn, no matter how hard I try."
"Why?"
"Just... if it doesn't turn, that's that, you brat!"
Cornered by the question, Baek Woon roared and stormed off to escape the inevitable follow-up "Why?"
Agron tilted his head, but didn't press further. He simply stood straight before the stone wall.
"What are you doing?"
"Trying to insert the key."
"You're wise but ignorant. Didn't I just explain? Trying to insert the key without knowing the keyhole's arrangement... Huh?!"
Grind!
Agron flexed his arm muscles and shook the stone wall. A terrifying sound erupted as the wall slowly began to slide backward.
"Hmm. Wise but... what was that again?"
Having fully opened the door, Agron hefted his mace and glanced at Baek Woon.
"Uh... you're... you're incredibly strong!"
📝 Translator’s Note:
You may notice that certain lines or phrases in this novel appear both in their original Korean (or Hanja) form and in English translation.
This is intentional — these phrases are classical idioms, divine titles, or poetic expressions that carry layered meanings.
To preserve their original tone and authenticity, the raw text has been kept for reference, while the English interpretation is provided right before or after it. This helps convey both the literal and cultural nuance of the original work.
but if you guys dont want tha raw for future chapters or my future other novels u can just text me on discord and say so discord name Mr.Penny