Chapter 629: Humans

Thoren walked through the dark trenches for hours.

The atmosphere was thick with tension. Every step he took echoed off the narrow walls, and every echo seemed to draw the attention of things he could not see. His hand rested on the hilt of his weapon.

His eyes moved constantly, scanning the darkness ahead, the darkness behind, the darkness above.

The undead Horn Lizard King and the undead Scorpion King flanked him.

The trenches twisted and turned. Sometimes they narrowed until he had to turn sideways to pass.

Sometimes they widened into cavernous spaces where the ceiling disappeared into black.

Sometimes they branched, and he had to choose a direction with no way of knowing which was right.

Still, he kept on walking.

Hours passed. Or what felt like hours. Time had no meaning in this place. The darkness was constant and the silence was constant and likewise the tension.

Then, suddenly, Thoren realized the darkness around him was different from before.

He paused and his breath caught in his throat. He tilted his head, listening, feeling.

Something had changed as he could feel the air was different.

Warmer.

Not the oppressive cold of the trenches, but something gentler. Something that hinted at life.

He could sense warmth.

Even though his perception was restricted on this plane, he could still make use of his undead to scout ahead.

Without hesitation, he summoned two undead Echo Scarabs. He sent them forward, and they vanished into the darkness while their senses linked to his.

Quickly, he followed.

For a couple of minutes, he walked after the undead Echo scarabs, his heart pounding with hope.

Gradually, the warmth grew stronger. The air grew fresher and then, through the link, he sensed it.

Traces of living.

Humans.

It was then he realized he had long left the trenches behind. He was presently inside a massive cave system.

The walls were no longer narrow and jagged but wide and smooth, carved by centuries of water or wind or something else entirely.

The ceiling arched high above him, lost in shadow.

And this cave system seemed to be the home of other awakeners.

He slowed his pace. He dimmed the soul fire in his undead’s eyes, reducing them to faint embers. He crept forward, his footsteps silent, and peered around a corner of stone.

There, seated on a massive bone, two young men draped in tattered tunics were sharpening their weapons.

One used a greatsword, its blade nicked and worn. The other used a saber, its edge gleaming with recent care. They were thin. Hungry. Their faces were smudged with dirt and exhaustion.

The cave around them was ancient. Stalactites hung from the ceiling like stone teeth, dripping with moisture that glittered in the dim light.

Strange stones, embedded in the walls and ceiling, gave off a faint yellowish glow. It was not bright, but it was enough to see.

Enough to reveal the carvings on the walls, ancient and faded, depicting creatures and symbols Thoren did not recognize.

"How long do you think we will be guarding this place?" Lucien asked his friend.

Kael’s hand froze for a moment. Then it resumed its action, sliding the whetstone along the blade.

"I don’t know," he said.

Listening to his response, Lucien’s face twisted. He gritted his teeth, subtle rage flickering in his eyes.

"We have been protecting this entrance for the past three days, and I have lost count of how many times we were close to dying," Lucien complained, his face unsightly.

"There are powerful awakeners inside, safe without the worry of losing their life any moment. But us..."

His voice trailed off.

Kael raised his head and looked at Lucien.

"Although our post is dangerous, compared to those scavengers for food or the pathfinders, I think we should be grateful."

The subtle change in Lucien’s expression was immediate. The thought of the scavenger parties and the pathfinders made his face drip with dread.

He shivered subconsciously, his hands tightening around the saber.

Even though he was new inside the camp, he had heard enough rumors about how easily people died in those two parties.

And every story he had heard made it painfully clear that joining either one was practically the same as walking directly into the jaws of death.

There were always people who entered those parties with confidence, believing their strength was enough to protect them, only to disappear shortly afterward without leaving anything behind.

The deeper parts of the cave system were filled with dangers that could not be judged simply by common sense or human comprehension.

And if he had been assigned to such a party, right now he might be inside the stomach of some terrifying beast, slowly being digested as food.

Lucien sucked in a cold breath at the thought. His grip on his greatsword loosened slightly, and although the fear remained buried deep inside his heart, his expression became much calmer.

Nevertheless, he still believed their job was equally dangerous, and they should have allowed them to rest and recuperate.

"Our job is equally dangerous, and they should have allowed us to rest and recuperate," he muttered, but this time, his voice lacked the previous anger.

Instead, it was replaced with exhaustion and a quiet sense of helplessness.

He knew complaining would not change anything.

Lucien hated his current situation, but he also understood that there was very little he could do about it.

Kael looked at his ignorant friend and shook his head. He opened his mouth to speak when his ear suddenly twitched.

The movement was so subtle that Lucien almost missed it, but the change in Kael’s expression immediately caught his attention.

"Something is coming!" Kael whispered before rushing to his feet.

The calm atmosphere that had surrounded them only moments ago disappeared instantly.

Lucien’s eyes widened in shock as he quickly rushed to his feet, his hands instinctively reaching for his greatsword while his eyes swept across the massive cave around them.

His heart began pounding violently inside his chest as he stared toward the dark entrance, searching for even the slightest movement within the darkness.