Chapter Nine: The Death Knell

Just as Jen had anticipated, Verna’s mercenaries swept through the entire tomb, but found nothing. Aside from some broken pots and traces of blood, not even a single corpse of a gray dwarf remained. It was completely inconsistent with the gray dwarves’ earlier claims of heavy casualties.

Yet the more this proved true, the more tense Verna became. Jen noticed her glancing at him several times. Clearly, the dark elf also sensed something was amiss, but even so, Verna showed no intention of retreating. She now resembled a gambler who had gone all in, staking everything on this final round—either to win big or lose it all.

Since Verna hadn’t come to him to request a withdrawal, Jen had no reason to urge her to leave. For Jen, these mercenaries were mere cannon fodder, intended as targets for him; their presence was optional, but useful. As for Verna’s fate, it was of no concern to him.

The repeated failures of her mercenaries visibly angered Verna. She lashed the ground with her whip, producing sharp, cracking sounds that expressed her displeasure. The mercenaries scarcely dared to breathe, rummaging through the burial grounds filled with skeletal remains, but even after smashing and scattering the bones, they found nothing of value.

Jen, uninterested in this farce, simply stood quietly beside Enoya, carefully observing the hall before them. It was the most spacious part of the tomb, its central chamber. Yet even here, aside from the stone coffins lining the perimeter, nothing else could be found.

However, aided by the banshee’s reconnaissance, Jen had already discovered a passage leading below. He observed the marks left by the gray dwarves; it was evident they had opened Pandora’s box here, unleashing something they never wished to encounter.

Now, that box had been closed again.

But it was not sealed forever.

The din grew louder around him. The orcs and bear goblins, frustrated by their fruitless search, began to vent their rage, smashing everything in sight. They toppled coffins and swung their weapons with furious roars, destroying all within. The pain of the earlier ambush and their anger at finding nothing had made them lose all reason, revealing their savage and violent nature once more.

Neither Verna nor Jen stopped their actions. The concept of desecrating corpses meant nothing in the underworld; to its inhabitants, bodies were mere objects, no different from rotting tables or battered swords and armor.

More importantly, by breaking these things, one ensured that on the return journey, they wouldn’t face enemies best left unencountered.

A deep rumbling echoed throughout the hall as another bear goblin toppled an upright coffin in a fit of rage. The mercenaries, startled by the sound, quickly gathered around Jen and Verna, wary and alert.

This time, however, there were no traps nor ambushes. Amidst the continuous rumbling, what had seemed a seamless wall began to slowly rise. Soon, a pitch-black, seemingly natural cavern appeared before them. Seeing this, Jen’s lips curled into a faint smile.

Pandora’s box had been opened.

A biting wind swept out from the depths of the cave, causing many to shiver, but for those with keen senses, it meant much more.

“There’s a scent of blood!”

A bear goblin rubbed his nose and shouted at Verna.

“There’s been fighting inside—a lot of corpses!”

A strange, chilling howl suddenly echoed, and from the darkness within the cave, crimson glimmers emerged. Soon, dozens of squat figures appeared.

“They’re gray dwarves!”

Upon seeing the enemy, everyone was shocked. The gray dwarves emerging from the cave had bloodshot eyes, brandishing their battle axes madly as they charged at the mercenaries like whirlwinds.

The mercenaries responded with angry shouts, raising their weapons to meet the attack.

Steel and axes clashed.

Bear goblins and orcs, the fiercest warriors of the underworld, proved formidable. The berserk orcs roared, swinging their massive swords and cleaving gray dwarves in half, axes and bodies alike. Bear goblins wielded flails, sweeping through the air and scattering their attackers.

Yet the gray dwarves were no easy prey. Their small stature allowed them to evade most blows, and once close, a single axe strike could sever a foe’s legs. Fallen mercenaries offered no resistance, their skulls smashed open without mercy.

The two sides descended into chaotic battle.

“I knew… trouble was inevitable.”

Watching a gray dwarf charging toward him, axe raised, Jen sighed, almost leisurely. He saw how troublesome these dwarves were, and their glaringly red, bloodshot eyes confirmed their true nature—they had become puppets.

“It seems I’ll have to use something stronger…”

Muttering to himself, Jen stretched out his hands. Two strange sigils appeared on his wrists, and suddenly, crackling lightning erupted, striking the gray dwarves with force. Arcs of electricity soared out, binding their bodies like ropes. Flames ignited, instantly consuming the gray dwarves.

The lightning, after hitting its target, did not stop; it leapt to the next, and soon the hall became a sea of thunder and fire. Every gray dwarf was felled by lightning and incinerated by flames, leaving not even ashes behind.

Still, the other attackers showed no sign of retreat. The gray dwarves, now undead, surged forward, fearless and relentless. Jen frowned and stepped back.

Unlike the world’s native magic, Jen’s spells originated from the Dungeon system. While powerful and broad in scope, they had their flaws. As a mage with only two spells, Jen had to endure cooldowns—a ten-second wait between casts, rendering him defenseless in the interim.

Fortunately, he was not fighting alone.

As Jen retreated, Enoya stepped forward, her thunder whip transforming into an unbreakable net of electricity, halting the gray dwarves’ advance.

Elsewhere, the battle raged on. The undead gray dwarves feared nothing, but for the strong bear goblins and orcs, they posed no great challenge. The mercenaries wielded their heavy weapons mercilessly, smashing everything before them to pieces. The hall was filled with the sounds of collisions, roars, and screams, creating utter chaos. Almost no one noticed that in this moment, the shadow within the newly revealed cave began to twist and distort.

“Hm?”

After unleashing another fire spell to destroy the gray dwarves before him, Jen caught sight of a strange shadow out of the corner of his eye. He turned quickly, startled.

From the cave’s deep shadow, four or five slender tentacles suddenly extended, darting toward an orc. The mercenary, engaged with the gray dwarves, never noticed the threat above. As he swung his sword, the tentacles dropped from behind, wrapping tightly around his neck.

Startled by the sudden assault, the orc mercenary had no time to struggle. He went limp, as if anesthetized, and the dark tentacles lifted him silently, whisking him deep into the cave.

Trying to escape?!

Seeing this, Jen’s eyes lit up. He quickly reached out and cast another spell. Blazing white lightning tore through the air, striking the tentacles. With a strange, agonized shriek, the tentacles recoiled and retreated, dropping the unfortunate orc mercenary before vanishing into the depths.

“Master, what was that?”

As Jen attacked, Enoya saw the creature as well. Unable to leave Jen’s side to pursue it, she asked worriedly as the dark tentacles disappeared.

“I don’t know.”

Jen shook his head at Enoya’s question.

“But I believe it’s at the heart of this adventure.”

He glanced again at his system interface, where a line of text floated serenely.

“In darkness there are countless wonders and mysteries. Since you have embarked on this path of no return, don’t expect to live in peace. Do you desire treasure? The monster has hidden it where sunlight can never reach. Become an adventurer, and walk this sacred road of death—Quest: Eliminate the shadow monster and claim the reward you rightly deserve.”

The daily quest had finally been triggered.