Dragged Into Another World Because of My Otaku Friend-Chapter 81: Trapped

"Waaah!"

Bob suddenly stumbled backward from the water, falling onto his back with a thud. He scrambled away in a panic, crawling like a crab. His scream echoed loudly through the cave.

"What is it, Bob?" I rushed over, carrying a torch.

He did not say anything, just pointed his trembling hand toward the lake.

I turned and looked at the still surface. At first, I saw nothing.

Then I raised the torch higher, letting the light shine over the dark water.

My eyes widened, and my stomach twisted with unease.

There, beneath the surface, corpses. Dozens of them. Just lying silently in the depth of still water.

Each body looked fresh, skin and hair eerily preserved as if they had just died moments ago.

I instinctively stepped back, half-expecting one of the corpses to open its eyes. That’s usually how it goes in horror movies.

"The cold temperature of the lake must be preserving their bodies," Beltimore said calmly as he approached, intrigued by the sight.

I backed away and sat down in one corner, my legs stiff from walking for hours, and now, from pure fear. The chill of the cave crept deeper into my bones.

Beltimore clasped his hands and bowed his head slightly. It looked like he was offering a prayer for the dead. After a quiet moment, he sat down on a stone across from me.

"How long are we going to keep this up? It’s been over an hour," I muttered.

"We’ll keep searching for another path," he replied. "If we still don’t find one... our last resort is using your bomb. Let’s just hope the cave doesn’t collapse and bury us alive when you do."

I nodded lazily.

"Speaking of that bomb..." Beltimore turned to me, narrowing his eyes.

Oh no. I knew this was coming. He was going to ask where we got it.

"Sorry, Beltimore, can I ask you something first?" I cut in quickly, hoping to change the subject.

He blinked. "Hmm? What is it?"

"Uhh... actually..." My brain raced. I had not even thought of a question, I just panicked.

I glanced around the cave, searching for anything that might help spark a distraction. Then my eyes landed on Alice, who appeared to be dozing off with her back against a rock. frёewebnoѵēl.com

A question popped into my head.

"Did William and Alice know each other for a long time?" I asked. I remembered the brief but curious exchange between them earlier at the guild.

Beltimore looked at me with a raised brow, a little surprised by the question.

"Actually, William, Alice, and I have known each other for many years. We were part of the same adventuring group back then. In fact, we were among the founding members of the Dawnbloom Guild, over twenty years ago," he said, a faint smile tugging at his lips as if lost in old memories.

"I see... So the Dawnbloom Guild is already over twenty years old," I said, smiling back. "You must have shared a lot of adventures together."

"Yes, you could say that," he nodded slowly. "We were very active back then, taking on quests, exploring ruins, fighting monsters. It was a different time. But..."

Then his expression changed. The warmth in his eyes dimmed, replaced by a quiet sorrow. He fell silent for a few seconds.

"But?" I prompted gently.

He took a slow breath.

"One day... ten years ago, a disaster struck. The city was overrun by monsters. It was chaotic. We lost many adventurers that day... including our guildmaster at that time, Russ." His voice dropped. "After that... our group disbanded. Some quit adventuring altogether."

He looked down, eyes distant.

"The only ones who stayed were Mirinda, now our guildmaster, Alice, who joined the frontline units at the border, William, who chose to stay behind and train the next generation, Ida, assistant for Mirinda now.. and me, who took the position of vice guildmaster."

Beltimore and I then sat in silence.

In my mind, I regretted asking that question.

Seeing that he did not want to talk anymore, I quietly opened my status window and began scrolling through our card inventory. Some of them I had not even read in detail yet.

As I scanned through the list, my eyes suddenly locked onto one card, an Uncommon card I’d received as a level-up reward.

---

[Hidden Map]

Rarity: Uncommon

Type: Map (Uses remaining: 3)

-Map and reveals hidden paths in the surrounding area.

---

My eyes widened.

This is it!

I could use this to find a way out of here!

Without wasting a second, I tapped the card. A scroll materialized in my hands, made from coarse animal hide, its surface a faded brown. It was about the size of an A3 sheet. At first, the map was blank, but then, glowing ink began to draw itself across the surface, as if guided by an invisible pen.

Lines formed. Tunnels. Chambers. Openings. Even the small lake beside us.

It was incredible.

"Everyone!" I shouted.

Alice jolted awake. Bob turned and ran over. Beltimore lifted his gaze, curious.

"What is that, dude?" Bob asked, eyes gleaming. "Whoa, is this that map card you pulled before?"

I nodded, unable to hide my excitement.

I laid the map out flat on a nearby stone.

"What kind of map is this? Where did you get it?" Alice asked, now standing beside me. Even after sleeping, she looked stunning as always, her perfume still faintly lingering in the air.

"Err... I forgot I had this ’magical’ map in my bag," I said casually, trying to dodge further questions.

Alice and Beltimore stared at me with curiosity, but I ignored their gazes and pointed at the map, acting as serious as I could.

"This should be the lake where we are now. If we follow this trail here..." I traced the route with my finger, "it leads into a chamber, and from there, continues on to another path that exits the cave."

A smile spread on my face. "Yes. This path can take us out."

"Yahoo!" Bob cheered, throwing a fist in the air.

"I have a lot of questions for the two of you," Beltimore muttered, "but let’s escape this place first."

I lead the group with map on my hands.

Just a short distance from where we had been resting, a small waterfall cascaded down the rocks. According to the map, there was a hidden path behind it. I carefully folded the map and placed it back into my bag to keep it dry, then stepped onto one of the large stones in front of the waterfall. Taking a deep breath, I leapt forward, straight into the falling water.

A moment later, I emerged again.

"There’s a path behind it!" I called out to the others.

But then something strange hit me. I had just jumped into a waterfall... but my clothes were not wet. Not even a drop.

Alice’s expression became serious. She stepped forward and gently touched the falling water. Her brows furrowed.

"This is illusion magic," she said, voice low and serious. "Someone cast it here."

All of our expressions shifted.

Looks like we were not alone in this cave.

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