Three of the awakened stood before the mouth of a cave, said to be the hiding place of a treasure now guarded by a one-eyed orc.
"We can still turn back," Bran said, his discomfort evident as his instincts screamed at him to retreat.
Eren's eyes darkened as he glanced at him. "Were you a leonine or a cat champion?"
"I can only see a scaredy cat."
Bran didn't respond and instead glanced at Eric, who also appeared visibly confused by Eren's actions.
Dark circles shadowed Eren's eyes, giving him a haggard appearance, and his words dripped with provocation.
---
The cave was spacious enough for the three of them to walk side by side, but they chose not to. Eren took the lead, Bran followed in the middle, and Eric stayed at the rear. This setup was Eren's idea after Bran voiced his doubts about going further, and Eren reassured him by leading the way. Bran had wanted to stay at the back, but Eren insisted otherwise.
"Eric is weaker than both of us. He lacks unique class protection, his armor is inferior to ours, even though he's a tanker. It's better for him to stay at the rear."
The cave was filled with glowing blue crystals, radiating light that illuminated the once dark cavern.
Soon, the forest of crystal ended, and their feet touched a golden pavement. They had arrived at the correct site. Eric pulled a torch from his inventory and handed it to Bran and Eren. It was a mana torch crafted by a Runesmith, costing him 3 creds each.
"Thanks," Eren said, taking the torch from Eric's hand. "The path ahead is narrower; we'll have to go one by one. I'll scout ahead and signal you if it's clear."
Eric and Bran nodded. "Be careful," Eric said.
Eren slid through the narrow cave, which looked recently collapsed. The rocks blocking the path were unstable, and even a slight brush against them caused some to shift.
Nevertheless, Eren pressed on, slowly disappearing into the darkness beyond the reach of the mana torch's glow. Suddenly, a light emerged from the shadows—it was another mana torch. Eren had reached the other side and lit his torch, carefully examining the pavement and searching the surrounding area as he ventured deeper into the cave.
"What's he doing?" Eric muttered, frowning as he watched Eren move further and further away.
"No idea. He's acting a bit strange," Bran replied, pausing for a moment before voicing his concern. "Do you really think we should keep going? I feel so stupid for thinking that plan would work. I can't see this ending well anymore."
Eric glanced down, second-guessing the plan. Contempt clouded his mind—why had he ever thought it could succeed? Even Jonathan, the strongest of them all, hesitated to face the orc head-on, opting instead to watch from afar.
"The reward on the other side is too valuable to let anyone else claim it. I understand Eren's vision; he doesn't want to remain beneath someone else's control. I believe that too. Doesn't a king carve his own path instead of following someone else? Though not a king, the beast you symbolize is the king of the jungle."
"Alright. I will quit the whining." Bran gazed into the darkness, watching a light that flickered and shifted, until it suddenly turned and vanished from view.
---
Eren approached the door, though calling it a door felt like an understatement. It was massive, slightly ajar, just enough for a person to squeeze through. Whoever had built this door must have intended it for giants—the handle was so high above Eren's head that it would take five of him stacked to even reach it.
Eren was tall and slim, with black hair and piercing mustard-colored eyes. His sharp gaze and jawline gave him an almost delicate, feminine appearance. His long hair hung around his shoulders. Standing at 6'2", he was taller than Eric, who measured 6'0". Yet, his lean frame often made him seem shorter than he was, and unless he stood directly next to Eric, no one would guess he was the taller of the two.
"Great, another narrow passage!" Sliding through the tiny gap between the door, he stepped inside the room.
The room glittered with gold, light shining from the ceiling but failing to reach the walls and the door behind him, as if the darkness devoured it. The space was filled with swords, armor, and skill books. Skill books littered the floor, some carved with a dragon symbol, others with a serpent eating its own tail, some marked with a shield and hammer, and others with swords. One book even emitted a demonic miasma, dark and alluring.
Then his eyes locked onto a giant monster, one-eyed and massive, its frame dominating the center of the room. If the giant desired, it could easily open the door, its handle previously seen meters above Eren.
But fortunately, the giant was fast asleep, and Eren carefully examined the room, searching for an exit other than the door behind him. He thoroughly inspected every corner, slowly and cautiously creeping away from the giant.
There were precious weapons and skill books just out of reach, but he refused to let temptation get the better of him and focused on finding the exit. He examined the room thoroughly, keeping an eye on the giant for any sudden movements. Then, at last, he found what he was looking for.
A smile crept onto his lips, not one of triumph, but a sinister and malicious one.
---
An hour later....
The orc grabbed Bran's leg, swung him around, and slammed him into the ground, causing cracks to spread and tremors to ripple. Barely clinging to life, Bran's special armor protected his internal organs, combined with Eric's Fortune Trade, which granted him 25% damage negation.
With one eye barely open, Bran glanced at his teammates, groaning in pain. Through the blurry, bloodied vision, he saw Eren. Standing there, Eren raised a finger to his lips, signaling silence.
Then his lips moved, and a mocking voice followed.
"Shhh... Do you want to alert the monster?"