"This can’t be a normal cave."

Verc thought to himself, a few hours after entering the cave he saw.

The floor of it started rough when he got in, filled with jagged rocks and uneven terrain that required careful footing. But after a while of walking—it flattened, not naturally. Like someone intentionally made it smooth and nice.

The transition was so abrupt that it felt like he had crossed a boundary between a natural formation and a man-made structure.

Anyway...

"..."

Verc was actively using [Echolocation] and [Vibration Awareness], making sure that nothing suddenly appears and attacks him. He walked with his hand resting lightly on the hilt of his sword, his ears twitching at every echo that bounced back from the dark tunnels. The only good thing was that [Danger Sense] wasn’t sending him anything.

Meaning, his life isn’t in danger, at least.

And so, Verc was able to move forward without much thought. He trusted his instincts, and right now, they weren’t screaming at him to run away. The smooth floor under his boots felt strange, almost like polished obsidian, cold and unnaturally level.

... ... ...

He continued walking forward, Verc encountered some pathways, but he was able to scale the cave with his skills, such as [Echolocation], to decide what way he would take. The cave system was like a massive, dark maze, winding deeper and deeper into the heart of the mountain range.

He immediately knew if they were deadends just by hearing the feedback from his skill. The sound waves would hit a wall and bounce back quickly, telling him which paths were useless.

Once again, he was reminded why this was one of his favorite skill, and coincidentally; it’s the first skill he got, and from a bat, no less. It was ironic that a skill from such a weak creature was proving to be so vital in one of the most dangerous places on the continent.

Anyway, something did bother Verc a bit.

It’s been a while since he entered this cave, and he expected to see and fight a lot of monsters. After all, the forest outside was crawling with them, and a cave like this should have been a prime nesting ground for all sorts of horrors.

Though, let alone fighting them—he hadn’t seen nor detected a single life inside the cave except him!

Not even a stray insect or a blind cave fish. The silence was absolute, heavy enough to make his own heartbeat sound like a drum in his ears.

And not only that—

"The mana here... it’s so dense and corrupted."

Verc muttered, looking down at his hands.

If he was a normal human, no, even the people back in his territory—they wouldn’t be able to move properly now being under such mana. The air felt thick, almost like he was walking through water that had been turned into syrup. He felt like his whole body was being suppressed, like someone else was trying to get control of it.

The very atmosphere was trying to crush his lungs and invade his mind.

"..."

Verc closed and opened his hands, stretching them. Even he, was starting to feel some burden in his body. The dense mana was like an oily weight pressing against his skin, trying to seep into his pores.

’I guess it’s a good thing that I decided to go alone.’

He jokingly thought.

’If the others were here, they’d probably be unconscious or dead by now.’

And he added that. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

But then, he turned to the path he was walking by. He can see completely fine even in this total darkness, thanks to his skills, but he can’t see the end of the path he was on.

It looks like it stretched out into infinity, a smooth, dark throat leading into the unknown.

"There’s definitely something here in this cave."

Verc thought, confident that he was right.

Not only that he feels like that, he also felt in his instinct that he will have a lot of hard time if he continued walking toward the end of the paths. And honestly; his feelings are quite right from time to time.

So even without the [Danger Sense] giving him anything--Verc felt a shiver run down his spine, a primal warning that whatever lay at the end was not to be taken lightly.

"..."

So, did this stopped him from advancing and just decided to head back to his territory?

Well, no.

Verc wasn’t the type to run away just because things got a little uncomfortable. If anything, the challenge only made him more curious.

"Ugh, whatever."

Verc was resolute that he wants to get to the end of this. He wanted to know what was causing this mana, what had smoothed these floors, why the monsters were too afraid to enter, and why this forest is cursed.

But at the same time, he doesn’t want to ignore his gut feeling and regret it later. He knew he wasn’t at his peak yet. If he rushed in and met something he couldn’t handle, all his progress would be for nothing.

And so—

"I guess I’ll stay here for a while."

Verc said that and he sat in a lotus position on the ground.

He decided that if the environment was going to try and crush him, he would use that pressure to become stronger.

*****

After making sure that there was really nothing in the cave but him...

Verc decided to train. Being in a place with dense mana, training will be a lot easier and more fruitful.

The sheer volume of energy available was staggering. But the corruption of it is harmful... to normal people anyway. The dark energy would twist a human’s mind or rot their flesh from the inside out.

But Verc is a vampire, a demonic race.

Corrupted mana was just like normal mana for him. In fact, it felt more compatible with his nature than the "pure" mana used by the other races. It was cold, sharp, and powerful.

And so, after settling on a comfortable corner of the cave and changing his outfit to a new set—Verc closed his eyes and started using [Mana Circulation].

WHOOSH~!!!

He began to pull the thick, oily air into his body, forcing it through his circuits.

But he wasn’t just meditating. He knew that stagnant training only went so far.

SWISH—!

He was swinging his sword as well, practicing his swordsmanship as he moves mana into his body and weapon!

The blade hummed as it cut through the dense air, leaving trails of crimson dark energy. He moved with a slow, deliberate grace, focusing on every muscle fiber and every pulse of mana.

And not long after that—Verc went into a trance!

Verc is always entering this state whenever he trains, it’s like he has his own world. And in that world; nothing exists but him and his sword.

The walls of the cave faded away for him, the darkness became irrelevant, and the pressure of the mana became a rhythm he danced to.

FWOOSH! FWISH! FWIP-

He practiced his thrusts, his parries, and his footwork over and over again. Every swing was aimed at an invisible enemy, and every movement was meant to refine his control over the corrupted mana.

He was absorbing the energy of the cave, refining it within his own soul, and turning it into a tool of destruction.

... ... ...

... ... ...

... ... ...

*****

Four days had passed since Verc left his castle, and right now; Elianna and the expedition group is just two cities away from the forest.

They maintained their controlled pace, moving like a giant, armored snake across the landscape. Right now, they’re staying in a city to replenish their resources and energy. Traveling in a huge group is indeed a hard task.

The city was crowded, the local officials scrambling to accommodate a hundred soldiers, dozens of nobles, and the Saintess herself. The taverns were full, and the stables were overflowing with horses.

A lot of problem occurred, most were caused by the nobles and their sons. They didn’t understand the discipline of a military march. To them, this was just an expensive outing where they could show off.

"I can’t believe we have to share a room with these commoners."

One noble son complained loudly, throwing his silk coat onto a table.

"Where is the wine? This place is a dump."

They were constantly mistreating mercenaries and soldiers, treating the men who were there to protect them like servants. The tension in the camp was thick enough to cut with a knife.

"If I hear one more brat complain about the food, I’m going to throw him in the river."

Stanford said, his hand twitching near his sword. He was sitting at a corner table in a tavern with Kael and Elianna.

"Calm down, Stanford. We just need to get through this week."

Kael said, though his own expression was weary. He had spent the afternoon stopping a fight between a noble’s guard and a veteran mercenary who had been insulted.

"It’s not just the complaining."

Elianna added, her voice low and serious.

"They are harassing the maids that accompanied the group. I had to intervene twice today already. They think their status gives them the right to do whatever they want because we are far from the capital."

The nobles were acting like they were already victors, celebrating their "merits" before they had even seen a single monster. They didn’t realize the danger they were walking into.

"They think the [Cursed Forest] is a playground."

Kael muttered, taking a sip of his drink.

"They have no idea what’s waiting for them."

But still, at this pace they were going, at the end of the week—they will reach the next city. The logistical machine was still moving, fueled by the King’s gold and the Church’s influence.

And after that; they would just need to pass by the City of Sionann, which was the last major checkpoint before the wilderness. And a few more days after that—they will reach the [Cursed Forest], finally.