The deeper the group ran into the cave beneath the castle—
the worse the air became.
A horrible stench of decay drifted through the darkness.
Thick.
Rotten.
Suffocating.
Every breath tasted like death.
The narrow tunnels twisted endlessly through the mountain beneath the ruined castle, illuminated only by the faint orange glow of Noah's torch.
The deeper they went—
the more horrifying the cave became.
Bones littered the ground everywhere.
Animal skeletons.
Half-eaten corpses.
Rotting remains hanging from the walls like decorations.
Some looked fresh.
Others had clearly been there for months.
Something had fed here.
A lot.
Anna's face paled as she stared at a deer carcass missing half its body.
„Anna: There are so many dead animals here…"
Her voice trembled slightly.
„Anna: This can't be good."
Karoschi continued forward carefully while carrying Heinrich over his shoulder.
„Karoschi: I agree."
The cave suddenly echoed with Heinrich's shaky breathing.
His eyes locked onto the corpses around them.
And the fear inside him grew worse.
Much worse.
„Heinrich: Ahhh—!!"
He began struggling violently.
„Heinrich: PUT ME DOWN!!"
Karoschi tightened his grip slightly.
„Karoschi: Calm down!"
But Heinrich's body kept trembling uncontrollably.
The Soul Vector's effect still hadn't disappeared completely.
Then—
suddenly—
everyone froze.
A figure stood ahead of them in the darkness.
Completely motionless.
The group instinctively reached for their weapons.
Because of the darkness—
they couldn't tell what it was.
Human?
Monster?
Dead?
Noah slowly stepped forward.
„Noah: Hello…?"
No answer.
Only silence.
The figure still didn't move.
The group slowly approached it.
Step by step.
Carefully.
Then—
the torchlight finally reached the figure's face.
Anna gasped instantly.
„Anna: A HELP SCREAMER!!"
She immediately drew her sword in panic.
But the creature didn't react.
Didn't move.
Didn't attack.
Its glowing eyes were dark.
Lifeless.
The only thing they could hear—
was its breathing.
Slow.
Heavy.
Karoschi quickly raised his hand.
„Karoschi: Anna. Stop."
She looked at him nervously.
„Anna: What do you mean stop?!"
Karoschi stared at the creature carefully.
„Karoschi: It's morning now."
A pause.
„Karoschi: They sleep during the day."
The others slowly lowered their weapons.
But the tension remained.
Noah looked around uneasily.
Dozens of dark tunnels stretched deeper into the cave system.
„Noah: That's good… right?"
Karoschi exhaled slowly.
„Karoschi: Maybe."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
„Karoschi: Honestly… I don't know."
Another pause.
„Karoschi: I've never actually seen them sleep before."
The atmosphere somehow became even worse after hearing that.
Then suddenly—
a voice echoed from deeper within the cave.
„Johann: HELLO?! IS SOMEONE THERE?!"
Noah's eyes widened immediately.
„Noah: Johann! We're coming!"
Heinrich suddenly screamed again.
„Heinrich: PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!!"
His entire body shook violently.
The group immediately continued deeper into the cave.
And the farther they went—
the more sleeping Help Screamers they encountered.
Some stood against walls motionless.
Others hung from the ceiling like giant bats.
Some twitched in their sleep.
After several minutes—
the tunnel suddenly opened into a massive underground chamber.
The group stopped immediately.
„Karoschi: …This must be the nest."
The room was horrifying.
Dead animals hung from the ceiling by organic strands.
Rotting flesh covered parts of the walls.
The smell alone was enough to make Heinrich nearly vomit.
And then—
Noah saw him.
„Noah: JOHANN!!"
Johann was being held tightly by a sleeping Help Screamer near the center of the nest.
The creature's claws wrapped around his body like chains.
Johann struggled weakly—
trying desperately to escape.
But exhaustion had almost completely drained him.
The moment he saw the group—
relief flooded his face.
„Johann: Oh my God…"
His voice cracked.
„Johann: You actually came…"
„Johann: Please… please help me."
Anna looked around the nest nervously.
Then noticed something strange near Johann.
Several large pale spheres covered the ground around him.
„Anna: What are those…?"
Karoschi's expression darkened immediately.
„Karoschi: Eggs."
Silence.
„Karoschi: Help Screamer eggs."
Anna's face turned pale instantly.
„Karoschi: Johann was supposed to become food for the babies after they hatch."
Johann looked horrified.
„Johann: WHAT?!"
Noah didn't waste another second.
He rushed forward silently—
and drove his sword directly into the sleeping creature's liver.
The Help Screamer's eyes suddenly lit up bright yellow.
It twitched violently.
Its mouth opened slightly.
„Help Screamer: H…help…"
But it was already too late.
The yellow glow flickered weakly—
then disappeared completely.
The creature collapsed lifelessly onto the ground.
Johann immediately broke free—
stumbling toward Noah.
Then suddenly—
he grabbed him tightly.
„Johann: Thank you—thank you—thank you—"
His voice shook heavily.
„Johann: I swear… I couldn't take that any longer…"
Noah remained calm—
but quietly placed a hand on Johann's shoulder.
Meanwhile—
Karoschi gently lowered Heinrich onto the ground.
Then immediately began crushing the eggs beneath his feet.
CRACK.
CRUNCH.
Thick liquid spilled across the stone floor.
„Karoschi: We can't allow these things to keep multiplying."
Another egg shattered beneath his boot.
„Karoschi: We destroy every last one."
Suddenly—
Heinrich stood up.
His breathing had become unstable again.
Then—
without warning—
he started running.
Screaming.
„Heinrich: AAAAAAHHHH!!"
Karoschi turned instantly.
„Karoschi: Oh, you've got to be kidding me!!"
Johann looked completely confused.
„Johann: Uh… what exactly happened to him while I was gone?!"
„Noah: No time to explain!"
Noah immediately started chasing after Heinrich.
„Noah: We need to catch him before he tries killing himself again!"
Johann froze briefly.
„Johann: Wait—WHAT?!"
„Karoschi: MOVE!!"
The entire group sprinted after Heinrich through the cave tunnels.
Ahead of them—
Heinrich kept screaming in agony.
„Heinrich: MAKE IT STOP!!"
Karoschi looked genuinely frustrated now.
„Karoschi: HOW is he still this fast with that level of pain?!"
Anna looked around nervously while running.
„Anna: I'm honestly more scared that the Help Screamers are going to wake up because of him!"
Karoschi shook his head.
„Karoschi: No."
„Karoschi: Once morning comes, they stay asleep."
The group burst out of the cave back into the ruined castle.
Heinrich continued running wildly through the hallways.
Barely even aware of where he was going.
Then suddenly—
he ran up a massive half-destroyed staircase leading upward through the tower.
„Karoschi: Oh COME ON!!"
„Johann: I seriously can't keep running anymore…"
„Noah: Don't stop! Keep moving!"
The group chased Heinrich higher and higher through the tower.
Broken stairs.
Collapsed walls.
Cold wind roaring through cracks in the stone.
Finally—
they reached the top.
A gigantic circular chamber stood before them.
The highest point of the tower.
And there—
at the very edge—
stood Heinrich.
One more step—
and he would fall to his death.
Tears streamed down his face.
„Heinrich: I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!!"
Anna's eyes widened in horror.
„Anna: HEINRICH NO!!"
Then—
suddenly—
something enormous flew upward from below the tower.
The Skelet Dragon.
Its gigantic skeletal wings burst through the air violently.
Before Heinrich could jump—
the dragon slammed him away with its massive tail.
Heinrich crashed across the floor toward the others.
„Johann: HEINRICH!!"
Noah quickly rushed toward him.
„Noah: Are you okay?!"
Heinrich slowly opened his eyes.
The madness in them finally beginning to fade.
„Heinrich: Ahh…"
He breathed shakily.
„Heinrich: Everything hurt so much…"
Anna nearly collapsed in relief.
„Anna: Thank God… you're back…"
Then—
a massive shadow covered the tower.
The Skelet Dragon landed heavily before them.
Stone cracked beneath its claws.
Its hollow green eyes stared directly into the group.
Silent.
Motionless.
The cold wind roared around the ruined tower.
And deep down—
every single one of them realized the same thing.
Whatever happened next—
would not end well.