A narrow path stretched before Kalin. Stones embedded along the cave walls glowed faintly, casting a soft light that illuminated the tunnel ahead.
He blinked several times, making sure his eyes were not deceiving him.
"What kind of cave is this?" Kalin murmured.
The path was perfectly straight, leaving him with only one option: move forward.
He hesitated for a moment. There was no telling what kind of monsters might lurk deeper inside the cave. Still, the thought didn't stop him for long. After a brief pause, he shook his head.
He had already come this far.
If he was lucky, he might even discover something related to the witch.
The cave's exit was still right behind him. If he wanted, Kalin could easily turn around and return to the village.
But that thought quickly faded.
What if there was something valuable hidden inside this cave? Even a small clue could give him a significant advantage.
Kalin took a deep breath to steady himself before moving forward. Anything could happen in a place like this. In the worst case, he might not make it out alive.
Slowly, he began to advance, each step careful and deliberate. His eyes scanned the surroundings while his sword remained pointed straight ahead. Since the tunnel was narrow and straight, any threat would have to come from the front.
The faint glow from the stones embedded in the walls provided just enough light for him to see clearly. Without them, he would never have considered exploring the cave in the first place. Walking into a pitch-black cave would have been nothing short of suicide.
Five minutes passed.
Kalin glanced back over his shoulder and realized he could no longer see the entrance. That meant he had already walked quite a distance. If he had to estimate, it was probably around eighty to a hundred meters.
As he continued observing the tunnel, something caught his attention.
The path did not look natural.
The walls were too smooth, and the shape of the passage seemed deliberate, as if someone had carved it long ago. It did not look like something nature had formed on its own.
That realization only strengthened his suspicion.
There had to be something deeper inside this cave.
Minutes later, Kalin pushed further into the tunnel. The deeper he went, the heavier the air seemed to feel. A strange pressure hung around him, slowly tightening around his chest and making it harder to stay calm.
It felt as if panic was creeping closer with every step.
Then he suddenly stopped.
Not far ahead of him stood a door.
A straight path appeared right in front of Kalin. The stones embedded in the walls emitted a faint glow, giving him enough light to see inside the cave.
He blinked several times, making sure the sight before him wasn't some kind of illusion.
"What kind of cave is this...?" Kalin muttered under his breath.
The path stretched straight ahead with no turns, no branches—only a single direction forward.
Kalin hesitated.
There was a high chance that powerful monsters lived in a place like this. Still, another thought quickly followed.
What if there are clues about the witch here?
He clenched his fist slightly.
"I've already come this far."
The exit was still behind him. If he wanted to, he could simply turn around and return to the village.
But what if this place contained something important?
If he could find useful information, it would give him a huge advantage.
Kalin inhaled deeply, calming his nerves.
A lot of things could go wrong... Worst case scenario, I die here.
Soon, he began walking forward step by step, carefully observing his surroundings. His sword remained pointed ahead of him, ready in case something suddenly appeared.
Thankfully, the glowing stones along the wall illuminated the path.
Without them, Kalin wouldn't have even considered entering this cave.
"That would've been suicide," he murmured.
Five minutes passed.
When Kalin glanced behind him, his expression stiffened.
The exit was no longer visible.
"So I've walked about eighty... maybe a hundred meters already."
As he continued examining the cave, something strange caught his attention.
The path looked... artificial.
"This wasn't made by nature."
Someone had clearly constructed this place.
Which meant one thing.
"There's definitely something deeper inside."
More minutes passed as Kalin ventured further.
The deeper he went, the heavier the atmosphere felt. A strange pressure seemed to close in around him, making his chest tighten.
Just as uneasiness began creeping into his mind—
He suddenly stopped.
"A door...?"
Not far ahead of him stood a wooden door.
Inside a cave.
Kalin slowly approached it, disbelief flickering in his eyes.
"A door... in a place like this?"
His expression turned serious.
"This has to be it."
Still, he didn't rush.
If anything, a door like this was the perfect place for a trap.
He observed it carefully for several minutes.
Nothing happened.
No magic circles.
No strange sounds.
Finally, Kalin placed his hand on the door.
"Let's see what you're hiding..."
He pushed it open.
Creeeak—
The slow sound of the door echoed through the cave, making his heart pound in his chest.
Kalin tightened his grip on his sword, expecting something to attack at any moment.
But nothing came.
When the door fully opened, a hidden room appeared before him.
Kalin's eyes widened.
"...Treasures?"
The room wasn't very large, but it was packed with items.
Rings, earrings, necklaces, and piles of gold filled a large chest. Meanwhile, rows of books were neatly arranged on shelves along the walls.
Despite his nervousness, Kalin slowly walked toward the table at the center of the room.
An open book lay there.
He glanced down at it—
And froze.
Blood stains covered the page.
"...Don't tell me."
His eyes quickly scanned the contents.
Then realization struck him.
"The witch..."
The book described the process of creating a magic circle capable of controlling the dead.
Kalin hurriedly checked the other books.
Every single one of them was related to necromancy.
"Tch."
He clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"So that's how it works..."
According to the texts, controlling the dead required collecting souls. The more souls a necromancer gathered, the stronger their authority over the undead became.
Kalin's expression darkened.
"So the villagers were sacrifices..."
This part of the story had never been mentioned before.
In the original story, Zev had already grown strong enough to kill the witch instantly when they fought.
Which meant many details were never revealed.
"So there's still a lot about this world that wasn't written in the story..."
Kalin looked around the room again.
Now that he had discovered the witch's hideout, he had no intention of staying here any longer.
"I shouldn't underestimate her."
A single mistake could easily cost him his life.
His gaze shifted toward the treasure chest again.
The rings, necklaces, and earrings were clearly not ordinary items.
"They probably have enchantments..."
For a moment, temptation flickered in his eyes.
But he quickly shook his head.
"No."
If the witch noticed that something was missing, she would immediately know that someone had been here.
And if she decided to relocate—
"Then finding her again would be impossible."
Kalin quickly stepped back to his original position before quietly exiting the room. He gently closed the door behind him.
Hrrr...
A cold breeze brushed against his skin.
The hairs on his body stood on end.
Someone was behind him.
"Damn it..."
A curse slipped from his lips as realization struck him. The cave had only one path, a straight tunnel leading in and out. The only way to escape was the path behind him.
And someone was standing there.
Swish!
Kalin pretended he hadn't noticed the presence at first. Using that brief moment of deception, he suddenly turned and swung his sword, launching a sneak attack.
If the strike landed, it would deal serious damage.
Swoosh!
But his blade sliced through empty air.
The figure simply stepped back two paces.
"Who are you?"
Kalin glanced at the one who spoke.
It was a slender woman wearing a black dress. Her long black hair reached almost to the ground, and her body was unnaturally thin, her bones nearly visible beneath her pale skin.
Witch.
The word escaped Kalin's mouth almost unconsciously.
He immediately understood the situation.
He was in no position to fight her.
The difference between them was like heaven and earth. His swordsmanship was still crude, barely more than basic training.
Earlier, he hadn't considered the bigger picture. His only goal had been to find clues about the witch. Once he had them, he planned to escape immediately.
But now—
Growl...
A nervous smile formed on his face.
Beside the witch stood the wolf he had killed earlier.
It seemed the witch had returned after sensing the blood from the dead beast.
Swoosh!
The wolf suddenly lunged at him.
Kalin stepped forward instead of retreating.
Slash!
His blade flashed through the air and cleanly severed the wolf's head. The head rolled across the cave floor, the sound echoing through the tunnel.
Without wasting a second, Kalin dashed toward the witch and swung his sword again.
Argh!
Before the attack could land, the witch moved with terrifying speed.
In an instant, her hand shot forward and grabbed Kalin by the neck.
"I asked who you are," she said coldly. "And why you are here."
Kalin groaned as pain shot through his throat.
Her nails dug into his skin while her grip tightened around his neck.
For nearly twenty seconds, she held him in the air.
When she noticed his skin turning violet from lack of oxygen, she casually tossed him aside.
Thud!
His body slammed hard against the cave wall.
Kalin gasped for air as pain spread through his body.
"I didn't expect the witch to be this strong..."
He forced himself to stand and pointed his sword at her as she slowly walked closer.
"Don't come any closer."
He swung the sword wildly, trying to keep her at a distance.
But it was nothing more than a desperate attempt.
Kalin had no plan.
No hidden trick.
No way to escape.
Even if he screamed for help, no one would come to this cave.
The thought that he might die again tightened his chest.
He had only just begun his new life.
And now he might lose it because of his own reckless decision.
Swoosh!
The witch closed the distance in the blink of an eye.
She easily snatched the sword from his hand and tossed it aside.
"Hm..."
She placed a finger on her chin as if recalling something.
"So it's you."
Her eyes narrowed.
"The one who killed my children."
Even though she hadn't personally participated in the attack the previous night, she had seen everything through the undead.
"You are a threat," she said calmly. "I should eliminate you."
Dark magical energy began gathering in her palm.
The energy twisted and condensed until it formed a massive black hand.
Before Kalin could react, the giant hand shot forward and grabbed him.
His body was instantly restrained.
He couldn't move.
"Let... me go..."
Kalin struggled as the invisible grip tightened around him.
It felt like his entire body was being crushed.
The witch slowly clenched her fist.
Crack.
Kalin felt his bones begin to break.
His breathing grew heavier as pressure squeezed the air from his lungs.
It was as if she planned to crush him until his body burst.
Am I... going to die again?
His vision darkened.
His consciousness began fading.
Just as everything was about to disappear—
Bam!
A loud impact echoed through the cave.
Blood splattered across the ground.
The witch's head rolled across the floor.
Her body collapsed moments later.
A man dressed in a black suit stood behind her, holding a sword dripping with blood.
Kalin's fading vision focused on the figure.
The man looked down at him coldly.
"This is the last time I will save you."
His voice carried no emotion.
"So next time, think carefully before you act."