Chapter 33 The Caves Dark Secrets （2）
The clash of steel and the roars of monsters echoed through the cavern like thunder. Sparks flew each time a blade met claw or fang. The air reeked of blood and dust, thick with the stench of battle.
“Damn it, there’s too many of them!” Daito shouted, cutting down a lunging Fang Wolf with a swift strike. His blade flashed in the dim crystal light, but more of the beasts poured from the shadows.
“Looks like it,” I replied, slicing clean through an orc that charged from the side. “So, what’s the plan?”
Before Daito could answer, Ayame’s voice rang out from behind us, sharp and commanding. “Everyone, get back! I’ll end this right now!”
Daito glanced over his shoulder and immediately shouted, “You heard her—fall back! Now!”
We all leapt away from the front lines, retreating toward Ayame. She stood tall at the center of the cavern, her bow drawn tight, eyes glowing with focus. Mana surged around her like a blazing wind.
She took a deep breath and yelled, “Flame Arrow—Times Multiple!”
In an instant, countless magic circles flared to life in front of her bow, each one spinning and glowing with fiery runes. I stared in awe.
“What’s ‘Times Multiple’?” I asked Daito, keeping my eyes on Ayame as the glow intensified.
“It’s the divine skill gifted to her by the goddess,” he replied, his voice raised over the roar of mana. “It lets her multiply any attack she casts. The more mana she channels, the more the attack duplicates.”
My eyes widened. “So she can duplicate any of her attack as she wants?”
“Exactly,” Daito said with a grin. “And when she means multiple—she really means it.”
Ayame released her bowstring, and the air itself trembled.
A hundred blazing arrows erupted from her bow at once, streaking across the cavern like a swarm of comets. They struck the horde of monsters in an instant—then exploded in a massive wave of fire and force.
BOOM!
The entire cavern shook. The shockwave sent dust and embers flying in all directions. I covered my face with my arm as a hot gust of wind rushed past me.
When the smoke finally began to clear, I lowered my arm and looked forward. Every single monster had been wiped out—scorched bodies littered the ground, and the air shimmered with lingering heat.
I exhaled in disbelief. “So it basically duplicates the user’s attack count, huh? That’s… incredible.”
Zachi smirked beside me. “You got that right. It's quite a firepower.”
Gallagher stepped forward, his heavy armor clinking. “Excellent work, Miss Ayame,” he said firmly, giving her a respectful nod.
Ayame lowered her bow and smiled modestly. “Thank you, sir.”
But before the tension could settle, Yuchikimo scoffed and sheathed his swords. “Hmph. You didn’t have to do that, you know. I could’ve easily taken them all myself.”
Ayame turned to him slowly, her expression unimpressed. “Oh really?” She walked right up to him, jabbing a finger against his chest. “Because from where I was standing, you were barely keeping up out there. Even with all that flashy speed, you were struggling.”
Yuchikimo’s face turned red. “What did you just say!?”
“You heard me,” she shot back, crossing her arms with a smirk. “Just be grateful I even saved your sorry ass.”
“Why you—!” Yuchikimo clenched his fists, but before it could escalate, Gallagher’s voice boomed across the chamber.
“That’s enough, you two!” His tone was sharp and commanding. “This isn’t the time to be fighting among ourselves. Focus on the mission!”
Both of them glared at each other before turning away in sync.
“Fine,” they said in unison, crossing their arms.
Gallagher sighed, shaking his head. “Alright, everyone. Let’s continue the search for the missing people. Stay alert — we don’t know what else might be lurking down here.”
The sound of our footsteps echoed through the cavern as we moved past the smoldering remains of the battlefield. The air still carried the scent of burnt flesh and iron. Shadows flickered across the walls, cast by the dim glow of the crystals embedded in the rock.
As we walked, something tugged at my mind — a faint sense of unease. I stopped, glancing back at the heaps of fallen monsters scattered across the ground.
Kairo, who was walking beside me, noticed and paused. “Is there something wrong, Sir Raito?”
Everyone else turned to look at me.
I raised my right hand, focusing my mana into my palm. A swirling flame burst to life, crackling with heat. “Yeah,” I said calmly. “There’s something we need to take care of first.”
I swung my arm outward, casting a Fireball toward the nearest pile of corpses. The blast hit with a whoosh, and in seconds the monsters’ remains were engulfed in roaring flames.
Everyone was shocked. “What the hell are you doing, Sir Raito!?” Daito shouted, stepping forward in surprise.
I didn’t look at him, keeping my eyes on the fire as it spread. “I’m burning the corpses,” I replied. “If we leave them like this, their scent could attract more monsters. Worse, their lingering mana could corrupt this area and form a dungeon.”
The others stared at me for a moment, then Gallagher nodded approvingly. “Smart thinking, Sir Raito. We can’t risk another monster herd down here — not while we’re trying to save the missing citizens.”
The flickering firelight reflected off his armor as he turned back to the group. “Alright, men. Let’s move. Keep your formation tight.”
We continued deeper into the cave, the sound of crackling flames fading behind us.
A few minutes later, we reached a large open chamber where the tunnel split into three separate passages. The paths stretched into darkness, each one lined with faint crystal light but no sign of movement.
Daito frowned, glancing between them. “Sir Gallagher, what direction should we take?”
Gallagher stepped forward, resting his hand on his sword hilt as he studied the tunnels. His expression was tense, eyes narrowing as he weighed the options. After a long moment, he finally spoke.
“Alright,” he said, his voice steady. “We’ll split into three groups to cover more ground. Daito, you take the other heroes and head down the right passage.”
Daito nodded firmly. “Understood.”
“My soldiers will take the left,” Gallagher continued. Then he turned to me, his gaze resolute. “Sir Raito, you’ll come with me. We’ll take the center path.”
I gave a small nod. “Got it.”
Gallagher looked around at everyone, his presence commanding the room. “Is everyone clear on their orders?”
“Yes, sir!” everyone replied in unison, their voices echoing through the cavern.
Minutes later, Sir Gallagher and I were moving cautiously through the tunnel, the air thick with dust and tension.
The deeper we went, the colder it became, and the faint echo of our boots against stone seemed to stretch endlessly into the dark.
Neither of us let our guard down — one wrong step could be the last.
Then, the faint clang of falling metal echoed through the passage.
Gallagher’s head snapped toward the sound. “Let’s go, Raito.”
“Right behind you,” I replied, already breaking into a run.
We followed the noise until the narrow path opened into a massive chamber. The sight that greeted us was staggering.
Weapons — swords, spears, bows, and axes — lay scattered across the stone floor, glinting under the faint crystal light. Crates filled with potions and bottles lined the walls, and even several ancient-looking grimoires floated slightly above pedestals, sealed in faint magical barriers.
Gallagher and I exchanged glances before stepping inside, scanning every corner with wary eyes.
As I moved deeper into the room, something in the far corner caught my attention — a faint shimmer, almost buried beneath broken crates and loose stones. I approached it, brushing away the debris until my eyes widened in disbelief.
Gold. Piles of it. Coins stacked in neat bundles, gemstones glittering between them.
“Sir Gallagher!” I called out.
He turned, his armor clinking as he walked toward me. When he saw what I’d found, his eyes widened. “Is that…?”
“Yeah,” I said, crouching beside the pile. “Their gold reserve, most likely.”
Gallagher’s brow furrowed, his voice low. “This is no ordinary operation. Whoever’s behind this… they’re not just bandits.”
I looked at him questioningly. “What makes you say that?”
He turned toward one of the grimoires resting on a pedestal, the faint glow of its runes reflecting in his eyes. “Because these grimoires… they bear the insignia of the Maleficarum.”
I blinked, taken aback. “Wait, are you sure?”
He nodded grimly. “Positive. Long ago, after the Demon Lord was defeated, King Aldoria III ordered all surviving members of the Maleficarum to be captured. Their artifacts, grimoires, and weapons were seized and sealed away in multiple hidden vaults.”
He paused, his expression darkening. “But ten years ago, one of those vaults was attacked. Every sealed artifact stored there in there… was stolen.”
I glanced around the chamber again, realization dawning. “So these are… all those stolen items?”
“Most of them,” he said. “But from what I can tell, this is only half of what was taken.”
I pointed to the mountain of gold. “And what about all this? Is it part of the stolen items too?”
Gallagher shook his head. “What? No.”
“Oh, good,” I said casually, turning back toward the pile.
Gallagher blinked. “Good? What do you—wait—what are you doing!?”
I opened my Item Box, the portal shimmering faintly in the air, and began tossing piles of gold inside. The coins vanished one after another with a satisfying chime.
Gallagher stared at me, utterly bewildered. “You can’t just take all that!”
I shrugged. “Of course I can. You just said it’s not part of the stolen artifacts. Leaving it here would be a waste. Besides, once we take down whoever’s behind this, it’ll all go to the kingdom anyway. And let’s be honest… the kingdom of Aldoria’s already swimming in gold.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering under his breath, “Unbelievable…”
After a few minutes, I sealed the last of the coins away and turned to him with a grin. “All done.”
Gallagher opened his mouth to respond — but before he could, a sharp voice rang out from the shadows.
“Fireball!”
We both turned as multiple blazing spheres of flame streaked toward us from the right side of the chamber.
“Barrier!” Gallagher shouted.
We reacted instantly, casting a protective spell just as the fireballs exploded. A blinding flash consumed the room, followed by a thunderous BOOM! The shockwave sent dust and debris flying, but our barrier held firm.
When the smoke began to clear, I lowered my arm — and saw four cloaked figures standing at the edge of the blast zone.
Their faces were hidden, their movements silent and deliberate.
Gallagher stepped forward, sword drawn. “Who are you people!?”
A low chuckle echoed from the shadows behind them. Then, a familiar, smooth voice replied, “Well, look who it is…”
My grip tightened on my sword as a tall figure stepped into view, the flickering torchlight revealing sharp, crimson eyes and dark markings across his skin.
“Nice to see you again, adventurer,” the figure said with a smirk.
Gallagher’s face paled. “A… demonoid!?”
“So,” I said, voice low and steady, “it’s you.”
Sir Gallagher turned to me, his brows furrowed. “Wait—you know this demonoid?”
I nodded slowly, keeping my eyes fixed on the figure before us. “Yeah… I met him once, near the forest of Altheria. He was taking some kind of orb from a monster’s corpse.”
I stopped myself there. It’d be too suspicious if I said anything more about that orb.
The demonoid chuckled darkly, his crimson eyes glinting beneath the hood. “Oh, right… that orb. What did you do with it, I wonder?”
I tightened my grip on my sword. “Like I’d tell you.”
He sighed, shaking his head mockingly. “What a shame. I was hoping you’d be a good sport about it.”
Before he could say another word, Sir Gallagher stepped forward, his sword pointed directly at the demonoid. “That’s enough!” he barked. “Tell me—what did you do with all the people you’ve taken!?”
The demonoid smirked, slowly drawing his blade. The metallic sound rang sharply through the cavern. “Would you like to find out?” he said with a smug grin.