Xavier took a step toward the cave.
The wind that drifted out of the cave carried the sound of something faint.
A low scratching noise.
Like claws scraping against stone.
Xavier's eyes sharpened.
The bald man's face twisted in pure terror.
"N–no…" the man muttered weakly
"You… you can't go in there," he stammered, his voice cracking as panic tightened his throat. "I saw it earlier… that thing is way bigger than the others. It'll tear you apart in seconds."
Xavier didn't answer.
He simply kept walking, dragging the man closer to the cave entrance.
The bald man's body jolted every time his injured legs scraped across rocks and roots. A weak struggle followed as he clawed helplessly at the dirt.
"No! Stop! Please!" he cried, panic flooding his voice. "Don't bring me there!"
His nails dug into the ground, leaving shallow trails behind him, but it did nothing to slow Xavier down.
"I told you!" the man shouted hoarsely. "It'll smell the blood. It'll come out!"
Xavier finally stopped.
They were only a few meters away from the cave now.
The atmosphere inside the opening felt wrong. It wasn't just the absence of light. It felt thick, almost breathing, like the mouth of some enormous creature waiting patiently to swallow anything that wandered too close.
For a moment, Xavier simply stood there, staring into it.
Then—
A series of notifications flashed across his vision.
Seeker of Fortune:
"Ooooh! Here we go! This is the good part!"
Defier of Fate:
"What class is this dungeon again?"
Seeker of Fortune:
"C-Class."
Defier of Fate:
"Average… but that might be too much for a newbie."
Sovereign of Wind:
"If he charges in now, he'll probably die."
Tyrant of Blazing Flame:
"Die? Please. The GM wouldn't sponsor someone weak."
The messages stacked over one another, filling the edge of Xavier's vision like a crowd whispering over his shoulder.
He ignored them.
Instead, he slowly crouched down.
The bald man stared at him, trembling violently now.
"P–please…" he begged weakly, his voice barely more than a rasp. "I told you where it is. You can just leave me here."
His breathing grew shaky.
"I won't tell anyone. I swear."
Xavier tilted his head slightly, studying the man the way someone might examine a broken tool.
Then he said something that drained the color from the man's face.
"You didn't tell me."
The bald man froze.
Xavier's gaze drifted back toward the cave.
"You only confirmed it."
The man's lips trembled, realization dawning too late.
Before he could speak again—
A new notification suddenly appeared.
It looked different from the others.
The frame around it was darker.
Heavier.
Almost… authoritative.
[The Constellation of Gates is observing your decision.]
!!!
He finally showed himself.
He's observing me.
The survival and strength of a hunter often depend on the sponsor they have. If a hunter wants to grow stronger, they must stay on their sponsor's good side so they can receive more gifts, skills, and power.
And right now… I'm standing in the middle of a decision.
A single choice that could either raise or lower my affinity with my sponsor.
Does he want me to let this man die?
Or spare him?
Or… is he simply watching to see how I handle the dungeon boss?
I really don't know.
And if I make the wrong decision—
I might lose his support forever.
I racked my brain, trying to think of the best choice, weighing every possibility in my head. But no matter how much I thought about it, a darker part of me kept whispering the same thing.
Deep down, I wanted to see this bastard die.
Yeah, screw it. I'll follow my gut.
Without hesitating any longer, I dragged the man with me and stepped into the cave.
The moment I crossed the entrance, the light of the forest disappeared behind me and the cave swallowed everything in shadow.
It wasn't completely dark, though. Thin veins of golden minerals ran across the walls and ceiling, glowing faintly like dim lanterns embedded inside the stone. Their soft shimmer spread across the cave and painted the rough walls with a dull golden hue.
As I walked deeper, the air grew colder and heavier.
Then I noticed the bones.
They were scattered everywhere across the ground, some half-buried in dust while others lay in messy piles along the edges of the cave. Many of them were clearly from animals, small skulls and brittle ribs that had long since turned pale.
But mixed among them were—
human bones!?
My steps slowed slightly as I looked closer.
They weren't from my coworkers and they looked old.
Very old.
Judging from the ragged clothing that still clung to some of the skeletons, these weren't modern people. The fabrics were rough and faded, the kind that looked like they belonged to another era. Some of the skeletons still wore pieces of armor, rusted and cracked with age, while others were dressed in long robes and garments that strangely reminded me of outfits from historical dramas.
For a moment, a strange thought crossed my mind.
Just how long had this dungeon existed?
Had people been dying here long before the world even knew about dungeons?
They were similar to historical people but something felt different about them, they felt so foreign and carry something the people of this world never had.
I don't know what is it but I can feel it.
I was still thinking about it when something suddenly brushed against my senses.
I stopped.
My body tensed instinctively as my eyes shifted toward the deeper darkness ahead.
Somewhere inside the cave, roughly a hundred meters away, something had moved.
Followed by a low growl that rumbled through the darkness.