After the stone door shut with a resounding THUD, Raine’s taut nerves did not relax in the slightest. His sharp gaze immediately swept toward the shadows inside the door.
At Kaelin’s feet lay a scattered circle of chopped-up Dogman Skeletons, their shattered Bone Claws still twitching faintly. Not far away, the mangled remains of a Razor Beast skeleton slumped on the ground. Arcs of Thunder Light occasionally flickered across its charred bones, and a faint scorched scent lingered in the air—clearly Winnie’s handiwork.
There were indeed Undead inside, but fortunately, not many.
Raine’s line of sight moved further down. This was another straight, extending corridor. The distance was dead silent, void of any moving shadows or the terrifying blue Flame. Outside the door, as the stone barrier completely cut off their scent, the frantic scratching and slamming of the Undead gradually subsided like an ebbing tide, leaving only a few sporadic knocks. These ordinary Undead possessed low Intelligence; having lost their clear target, they quickly fell into a dazed standstill.
"Looks like we’re safe for now."
After confirming their situation, Raine’s tense heart finally settled a little. He casually wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and nodded to his three teammates. "Let’s rest for a moment."
The others nodded, each finding a spot to sit or lean against. They seized this rare chance to catch their breath, adjust their breathing, and check their equipment. Sodden even pulled out his Water Bag and took a massive gulp.
"By Moradin’s forging hammer!" The Dwarf panted heavily. Even his Redbeard was covered in glistening beads of sweat. With a lingering trace of fear in his voice, he furrowed his brows and said, "What in the world woke up these old bones that have been asleep for centuries?"
Hearing this, the brief relief on Kaelin and Winnie’s faces vanished instantly, replaced once again by grim solemnity.
It was common knowledge that the Undead were created, never naturally transformed from death. That was why the team hadn’t initially viewed these ancient corpses as a threat; they should have merely been silent witnesses to that tragic war. In fact, they truly shouldn’t have posed any danger.
Some blasphemous Power had forcibly disturbed their slumber, twisting their Eternal silence into a baseless hatred for the living. Looking at the world as a whole, the Power capable of waking the dead boiled down to three unsettling possibilities.
First, a Mage with Mastery over the Necromancy School—a possibility known even to most ordinary people. Second, powerful Undead Creatures like a Lich or a Vampire Lord, which similarly possessed the ability to manipulate the dead. Third, Negative Energy itself. Undead spawned in this manner weren’t intentionally awakened, but rather the products of unconscious corruption by Negative Energy.
"They shouldn’t be under active control," Winnie broke the silence cautiously. "Otherwise, they would still be frantically attacking the door right now, instead of... falling into a daze like this."
"You’re right. That leaves Negative Energy corruption as the only explanation." Kaelin’s chest still heaved slightly as she agreed with Winnie’s deduction. "But the problem is, how could such a massive amount of Negative Energy—enough to awaken thousands of Undead—gather here? This is way too abnormal!"
Sodden pulled out a grimy handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his beard, his voice taking on a graver tone. "Could it be that our fallen brothers of the Human Race had lingering obsessions, and over centuries, it accumulated into this Power?"
"Impossible. If it were due to obsession, only the ancestors of my race would awaken, and their fury would only be directed at their past enemies—the skeletons of those Magical Beasts." Kaelin shook her head gently, rejecting the Dwarf’s theory. "But you’ve all seen the current situation. Whether Human Race or Magical Beast, they are even... moving together. This absolutely cannot be explained by lingering obsession!"
"Then what in the world could trigger a Negative Energy outbreak of this scale?" Sodden’s brows knit into a tight knot, his rugged face etched with utter confusion.
This question plunged everyone into a brief silence. The situation before them was truly bizarre, completely defying all the common sense they knew. Even Raine, after recalling the tales about the Undead told by the Sloppy Ranger, found the scene before them inexplicably eerie.
For a moment, an oppressive atmosphere spread through the cramped corridor. An uncontrollable sense of unease and dread quietly coiled around everyone’s hearts.
They were trapped.
Outside the door lay a Sea of the Dead that flooded the entire Unyielding Hall. Trying to force their way out through the path they came from was clearly unrealistic; they would be instantly swallowed whole by that tide of death. What was even more frustrating was that the core objective of their journey was still nowhere to be found.
The situation couldn’t possibly get any worse.
Raine twisted open his Water Bag and took a small sip. The ice-cold water flowed down his throat, helping replenish his body’s hydration while he tried his hardest to calm his turbulent thoughts.
"If everything goes smoothly, and arriving at the destination just means an effortless cakewalk of slaughter before collecting the loot, how could that be called an adventure? It’d be more fitting to call it a field trip!"
He recalled the words the Sloppy Ranger had spoken, reeking of alcohol and patting his shoulder, after getting dead drunk one time. Back then, he merely thought the scruffy old guy was acting out another drunken stupor, but at this moment, those words seemed to carry a different weight.
The Veteran Ranger had rarely set aside his banter, his gaze turning profound:
"True adventure often begins at the exact moment all avenues of retreat are cut off, when even hope feels like a luxury.
"Remember, the difference between an Adventurer and an ordinary person is that, even in desperate straits, they can still grip their weapons tightly and forcefully carve out a handhold on the cliff face of despair."
Those words were like a spark struck in the dark, lifting Raine’s spirits considerably. Yes, their retreat was cut off, and their goal remained unfulfilled, but frustration and fear wouldn’t solve anything. The only thing they could do right now was press forward and explore this new area known as the Rock Camp.
Perhaps the crisis held a turning point; perhaps undiscovered clues hid in the darkness. Besides, slaying just one more Demon would unlock the next stage’s rewards in the Hunting Chapter. During their earlier retreat, he hadn’t managed to secure a kill because he was focused on holding back those massive Skeleton Beasts. As long as there were lingering Undead here, he would naturally have to make up for it.
Raine gathered his thoughts and sank his consciousness into the Exploration Chapter. A map representing this area emerged clearly. Judging from its size and layout, this place was far larger than the Heart of the Watcher they had traversed earlier. Combined with the name, it was evidently the living quarters of the fortress’s former garrison.
"Perhaps Kaelin’s ancestors are here? Better to explore a bit first," Raine thought.
He put away his Water Bag and stood back up. His movement broke the stagnant atmosphere and drew his teammates’ gazes. He looked at the three of them, his eyes pausing on Kaelin’s grimly set face, Winnie’s restlessly twiddling fingers, and Sodden’s calloused hands gripping his War Axe, before finally taking a slow, deep breath.
"Let’s keep moving." His voice wasn’t loud, but every word rang with sonorous strength. "Who knows, a turning point might be waiting for us right ahead."