Dragged Into Another World Because of My Otaku Friend-Chapter 75: Cave of Coldshire

"Grave? You mean... many people died here?" I asked, needing to be sure.

"Yes. And many of their bodies were never recovered," Alice said nonchalantly as she twirled a lock of her hair.

I glanced at Bob. He looked back at me with the same pale expression. Sweat was trickling down my forehead, but luckily, I was already drenched from the journey, so no one could tell it was fear sweat.

"Are you scared?" Alice asked, her smile playful and a little wicked.

"O-of course not! We’re going to be adventurers soon. This is nothing. H-ha... ha..." Bob replied with a laugh that sounded like it was limping.

"Well, that’s good to hear," Alice said, her smile lingering.

"Stop teasing them, Alice," Beltimore said, finally closing his book and looking at us.

"What she said is true," he continued. "This cave has claimed many lives in the past. That’s why it was sealed for years. But there haven’t been any recent deaths, so the danger should be... manageable."

Somehow, that did not comfort me at all.

"Then why did Guildmaster Mirinda send us here for the trial? Does she want us dead too?" Bob finally broke, his brave front cracking.

"Why are you scared now?" Beltimore asked, annoyed. "That’s why we’re here. We’ll guide you until you find the beast. So stop worrying about dying before we even step inside."

As he turned back toward the cave, a thought crossed his mind.

’These two are complete amateurs. How in the world did William find them impressive? No stamina, no resolve, no courage. If Bob weren’t an S-rank, I’d be wasting my time here.’

Beltimore glanced back at the two of us as we readied ourselves at the cave’s entrance.

He pulled out a torch from his pack and lit it with a flick of flint. The flame cast flickering shadows against the cave walls as he stepped forward. But after only a few paces, a bright white light flared up behind him.

He turned back.

I was holding a stick, at the end of which a strange bug-shaped lantern glowed, bright and steady.

It’s a common-rank card called [Torch Bug Net]. It’s great for lighting up dark places, but the downside is it only lasts for one hour. If it exceeds that time, the card vanishes, so I have to make sure to use it wisely and not let it run too long.

The light was surprisingly strong, illuminating the damp stone path ahead of us. Both Alice and Beltimore looked momentarily impressed, but said nothing and continued walking.

As we ventured deeper, the wide path gradually narrowed. What started as a spacious corridor now shrunk to a tight passage barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side. Moss clung to the walls, and I could hear the distant chirps of crickets and the croaks of frogs echoing through the tunnels.

Suddenly, Alice raised her hand. A golden light shimmered around her, wrapping her in a soft, glowing barrier.

"Whoa... what’s that?" I asked, fascinated.

"Just a Light Barrier," she replied casually. "This cave is awful for my skin. I don’t want it getting damaged."

"Ooh! Can you cast that on me too?" Bob asked, eyes wide with excitement.

"Sorry," she said, still walking. "This spell only works on one person at a time."

Bob’s shoulders sagged, thoroughly disappointed.

Not long after, we reached a wider chamber. The sound of running water echoed softly, it must be a stream or underground river nearby. Beltimore suddenly stopped and turned to us.

"From here on, you two lead the way," he said firmly.

"What, are you scared, Beltimore?" Bob teased.

Beltimore twitched, his calm demeanor cracking.

"This trial is for you two, not me or Alice. Can you please take this seriously for once?"

His voice echoed sharply through the cave walls.

Bob and I straightened up immediately, nodding in unison.

Even the stoic Beltimore had his limits with Bob’s antics.

Bob and I walked forward, side by side, entering the center of the wide cavern. The rocky floor was uneven, making every step feel like a mini obstacle course. The ceiling stretched high above us like a massive stone cylinder. As we stepped into a broader opening, I lifted my hand to shine some light ahead—

FWAP FWAP FWAP

Suddenly, a burst of flapping echoed through the cave. Within seconds, a swarm of shadowy shapes flew across our heads. The sound was loud.

"What the—BATS!" I shouted, instinctively raising both arms to shield my head.

Bob ducked beside me, startled by the wave of screeches and wingbeats.

"Why are you freaking out? It’s just a bunch of bats," Bob said, trying to act cool.

I turned to him.

"Did you forget how you cried like a baby during the pandemic? We both got admitted to the hospital, and you thought you were going to die. The whole outbreak started from bats, remember?"

Bob paused. A wave of memories hit him, being quarantined, missing concerts, cancelled movie nights, and the soul-crushing fear of dying a virgin.

"N-no! I don’t want to die yet!" he cried, quickly throwing his hands over his head just like me.

The bats swarmed above us, flapping wildly before vanishing into the holes high above. Their screeching faded quickly, swallowed by the dark, leaving the cave in eerie silence once more.

Bob and I slowly stood up, dusting ourselves off. Then—

ROOAARR!

A deep, guttural roar echoed from the depths of the cave.

I spun around, trying to locate the source of the sound.

"What was that!?" Bob asked, eyes wide.

"That... is the sound of Cave Beast," Alice said calmly, brushing dust off her shoulder like it was nothing.

"Let’s move," Beltimore ordered, stepping forward with purpose.

Normally, hearing a sound like that would send us running in the opposite direction. But not this time. This time, we were heading toward it.

With Bob leading the way, we followed the tunnel. The roar grew louder with each step, thudding in our chests like a drum. Soon, we arrived at a wide stone platform extending over a deep chasm. Above us there were some opening that allow light to enter, making the vision acceptable.

We looked down, and there they were.

Massive creatures, towering and monstrous, wandered the cavern below. Their bodies were coated in thick, rocky armor, like living boulders. Their torsos were round and compact, with arms as thick as tree trunks and legs that shook the ground with every movement. Their mouths yawned wide, filled with rows of sharp, glowing teeth, flickering with firelight from deep within. Two jagged horns jutted from their heads, and each guttural roar reverberated through the stone walls.

They didn’t seem to have noticed us yet.

"That’s the Cave Beast?" I asked, lying on my stomach, peering over the ledge to look down.

"Yes," Beltimore replied. "And that’s your target, Bob. Alice and I will stay up here and observe how you perform."

He stood beside me at the edge, eyes locked on the beasts below.

So many of them... he thought. Looks like the absence of adventurers let them multiply. I’ve never seen so many in one place. This is the perfect opportunity to assess this guy’s abilities.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed something strange.

Both Bob and I were stretching, prepping ourselves for battle. Beltimore raised an eyebrow at me.

"Why are you stretching too?" he asked, clearly confused.

In his mind, he had assumed Bob simply wanted me to tag along for moral support, not to participate in the fight. But watching us now, it was clear we both intended to jump into battle.

"Why not? I want to fight too," I said plainly. "The Guildmaster said she wanted to test both of us."

Beltimore frowned. "No. She only wanted Bob to be assessed. She asked me to evaluate him. Not you. You don’t even have a class. You’ll just get in the way."

Ah, so that’s how it is. They really think I’m just here to cheer from the sidelines.

They don’t expect anything from me...

How little they thought of me.

But I did not blame them. I was classless, so their doubts were expected.

"Alan is my comrade in battle," Bob said, his voice steady and serious. "We’ve survived fights together. We’re inseparable."

Beltimore blinked, momentarily stunned. It was the first time he’d seen Bob this serious. He then turned his gaze toward me. I, too, wore a firm expression.

"...If that’s the case, then good luck to both of you," Beltimore finally said.

Bob and I nodded, then looked down at the area below. The drop was about five meters.

We stayed silent for a moment, each of us imagining a cool main character-style entrance, maybe a dramatic jump followed by a heroic landing pose.

"We’re not actually jumping, are we?" I asked.

"Nope," Bob replied quickly. "Let’s take the path."

He pointed toward a sloping trail that wound its way down the rocky edge. Without hesitation, he started walking.

I followed close behind, both of us descending carefully.

Beltimore sighed, shaking his head. This duo was unlike any he’d ever dealt with before.

"Alice," he said without looking away from us, "keep an eye on that Alan guy. Make sure he doesn’t die."

"Hmmm." Alice gave a lazy nod while inspecting her nails. She was looked bored along the way here, sometime even yawning.

After about five minutes of walking, we finally reached the same level as the creatures.

We exchanged a glance before turning our eyes toward the beasts. They still had not noticed us.

I looked up at Alice and Beltimore, both of them watching us intently from above.

A grin crept across my face.

See how this classless guy fight.

I raised my hand forward.

In a shimmer of blue light, my weapon materialized.

"Indra."

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