Free Web NovelChapter 19: Plans For Hunting
The flames cracked softly within the cave; with their orange glow pushing against the endless darkness that lurked beyond the stone walls.
Shadows danced across jagged rock surfaces like restless spirits while smoke curled lazily upward into unseen crevices overhead.
Outside the cave, the Nether Lands remained silent; too silent.
The kind of silence that felt alive...
The group of eight sat around the fire in scattered positions. Some leaned against the cold cave walls while others rested upon flattened beastskins salvaged from previous battles.
Though exhaustion still lingered within their bodies, something about them had changed.
The noticeable thing would be their eyes.
Previously, those eyes had been filled with fear, confusion, and helplessness.
Now, there was something hidden within them. Power!
Every single one of them had awakened their Essence Runes. Even now, traces of Aether still lingered faintly around their bodies like invisible tides responding to emotion and thought.
The atmosphere around them no longer felt like ordinary youths stranded in a cursed world.
They were becoming something else already. Something sharper and dangerous.
"Regaleon!" The loud voice shattered the peaceful silence in the cave.
Veyrath leaned forward excitedly, smashing his fist into his palm with enough force to make a dull sound echoed through the cave.
"Let’s start moving already." He said eagerly. "My body is itching to smash apart some monsters."
The failed Alchemist grinned proudly, chest puffed out like a victorious general preparing for war.
Anyone seeing him now would think he was some fearless warrior.
Unfortunately, everyone inside the cave knew better. Veyrath might very well be the biggest coward amongst all eight of them.
Caelestra glanced toward him from where she sat polishing one of her silver Coins.
Her expression immediately turned disdainful.
"Of course you would say that now..." She said dryly. "But when those monsters rip you apart later, don’t start crying that nobody warned you."
Veyrath frowned instantly. "And what is that supposed to mean?"
The failed Merchant rolled her eyes.
"You were screaming louder than the Wights yesterday..." She said. "Now suddenly, you want to become some great hunter?"
At her words, a few chuckles escaped the group.
But Veyrath immediately straightened imposingly.
"Do not underestimate me now." He declared indignantly. "Things are different. I am already strong."
"Strong?"
Suddenly, a deep laugh echoed from the opposite side of the cave.
Valmyr leaned forward, his broad frame casting a large shadow beneath the firelight.
The failed Vanguard grinned like a beast eager for rampage as he stared at Veyrath.
"Come then." He said while crackling his knuckles loudly. "Let’s test it."
Then his grin widened. "I also feel like I’ve become much stronger. Maybe I finally found someone worthy enough to fight."
The cave descended into an awkward silence.
Veyrath stared speechlessly at the brute...
While Valmyr stared back expectantly.
Several long moments passed.
Then the failed Alchemist suddenly coughed into his fist before waving his hand casually.
"You know what..." Veyrath said seriously. "I just realized that I still need to properly assess my strength first. Otherwise, I might accidentally kill you."
Then without waiting for Valmyr’s reply, Veyrath immediately sat cross-legged and closed his eyes dramatically.
"For now, I shall meditate further..."
The cave immediately exploded into laughter as they watched him feign meditation.
Even Vaelorin nearly lost control of the flames dancing around his fingertips.
Caelestra scoffed openly. "I knew he had no balls."
Veyrath opened one eye slightly before shutting it again with forced dignity.
He refused to acknowledge these uncultured fools.
Eventually, the laughter faded as the atmosphere slowly became quiet once more. Then, it slowly turned serious...
Veyrath finally opened his eyes again before looking toward Regaleon.
"So..." The failed Alchemist began while clearing his throat awkwardly. "About this hunt you mentioned earlier. How exactly are we doing this?"
Immediately, the mood inside the cave shifted as the light-hearted atmosphere vanished.
Hunting in the Nether Lands was not something you treat as child’s play or as a game. It was something you take seriously.
Something that is more like suicide...
Though they were now pretty strong, they couldn’t also deny the dangers that existed within this Lands.
They had arrived barely a day ago and had already died multiple times.
First it was against the swarm of Wights.
Then, it was against the twisted Drake which lurked inside the waterfall cave. freewebnovel.cσ๓
And now, Regaleon wanted them to deliberately seek out monsters again.
That wasn’t a suggestion that sounded courageous; it was something that sounded insane.
Regaleon sat quietly near the edge of the firelight, with his Halberd resting across his lap.
The rust covering his Armour reflected faint traces of gold beneath the flames whole silver light gleamed across the weapon on his lap.
Unlike the others, excitement never touched his expression as his face remained calm, cold, and calculating.
"We have all seen the dangers posed by the Nether Lands." He finally said, quieting the cave.
"We arrived her only yesterday night..." His golden eyes reflected the firelight faintly as he said. "And within a single day, we nearly lost our lives twice."
The group lowered their gazes slowly at those words.
"The first battle was tough because we were unprepared," Regaleon continue.
"While the second one was tough because we were clearly outmatched."
Immediately, memories resurfaced within everyone’s mind. Even now, some of them could still feel the terror crawling beneath their skin.
Regaleon’s voice remained steady as he continued.
"But both times, one thing remained the same... We remained passive."
The flames illuminated his sharp features as he swept his gaze across the group.
The rest also looked toward him.
"The creatures attacked while we defended," He said. "They controlled the battle while we merely reacted."
Then his voice became colder. "And because of that, we suffered injuries..."
There was a brief pause.
"...And death."
The atmosphere inside the cave became heavy as nobody spoke. They all remembered the boy who died during the first night.
There was his screams, his torn body... And his death.
Even now, none of them truly wished to remember it.
Regaleon slowly continued. "I am not saying we suddenly march into the deeper parts of the forest and challenge monsters beyond our abilities."
As he spoke, his eyes briefly shifted toward Veyrath.
"As even with our Essence Runes, we are not yet qualified for that."
Veyrath blinked as he saw his gaze. "What are you looking at me specifically."
Kaeloris adjusted his Lantern awkwardly before replying. "Because you were boasting about your strength earlier."
The failed Gnost pushed up his glasses as he said. "It is a reminder not to become arrogant because of your ’newfound strength’"
Veyrath scoffed loudly before crossing his arms. But beneath the firelight, a faint blush appeared near his cheeks out of embarrassment.
Seeing this, the others nearly burst into laughter again.
"So what exactly do we do?" Aureleah suddenly asked quietly.
The cave became still once more.
The failed Assassin sat near the shadows beside her younger sister, with her expression cold and unreadable as always.
This was perhaps only the second time she had spoke since Regaleon recovered.
Regaleon turned toward her briefly before continuing.
"Since we are not yet capable of fighting the stronger creatures deeper within the forest..."
His hand tightened around his Halberd as he spoke. "...Then, we begin with the Wights."
"Hold on," Veyrath interrupted immediately. "And how exactly are we supposed to do that? We barely know anything about them."
"Is it just me," Caelestra muttered dryly. "Or are you somehow becoming dumber every hour?"
Veyrath turned toward her with furrowed brows. "What does that mean?"
The failed Merchant sighed dramatically. "Who said we know nothing about those things? Didn’t someone literally explain what they were yesterday?"
She said, her gaze shifting toward Kaeloris.
Veyrath froze. Then suddenly he slapped his forehead. "Oh! I forgot."
Sylveris giggled softly beside her sister.
"Why wouldn’t you forget?" Then the young girl teased innocently. "All you think about now is your Saintsky Roses."
Her smile widened mischievously as she said. "I really thought you were going to marry them when you kept on whispering to those flowers."
Veyrath stared at her in disbelief.
Was he seriously being bullied by a child now?
What was wrong with the world these days?
Regaleon ignore the chaos entirely as he turned towards the failed Gnost.
"Kaeloris," He called out calmly. "Tell us what you know."
The failed Gnost straightened slightly beneath everyone’s gaze.
"Well, according to the archives I once read, Wights are creatures born from Nether and corpses." He started.
The group nodded in understanding. He had explained that part to them yesterday.
Vaelorin frowned immediately. "When you say corpses... Do you mean human corpses specifically?"
That question changed everything as the group perked their ears for the answer.
Kaeloris blinked uncertainly before scratching his cheek.
"I... I think the records specifically mentioned a human’s."
Silence followed. A very dreadful one.
Because if Wights truly came from human corpses... Then the hundreds of Wights they fought yesterday meant only one thing...
That an unimaginable amount of people had died within this Lands across several years.
And this was only the outer forest.
Kaeloris swallowed before continuing. "Furthermore, Wights do not usually appear on their own..."
Everyone looked toward him again.
"They are often created by a race known as the Sauryeans; who use them as cannon fodders during war."
The fire crack loudly but the group fell silent once more.
If ordinary Wights had nearly killed them...
Then what kind of monsters were the beings capable of creating them?
Regaleon’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"And what do you know about the Sauryeans themselves?"
Kaeloris lowered his head helplessly. "Very little..." Frustration lingered in his tone as he replied.
"The records concerning other races were heavily damaged. Most of them were unreadable."
Regaleon nodded slowly.
Before anyone could speak, Aureleah suddenly spoke again.
"So how exactly are we hunting these things?"
The failed Assassin’s silver eyes reflected the firelight quietly as she looked toward Regaleon.
He also turned toward her, then slowly, he smiled. It was not a reassuring smile nor a warm one.
It was the smile of an hunter preparing a trap.
"We do not need to hunt them directly. We simply need to bait them to come to us."
The group stared at him.
Beneath the flickering firelight, Regaleon’s golden eyes gleamed coldly.
"And what better baits are there..." His became low. "...than living, breathing humans."
