Chapter 630: I mean No Harm.

Nothing could be seen and that was what made it even more terrifying.

The entrance before them was completely dark, and the faint yellow light coming from the strange stones attached to the ceiling barely reached the outer portion.

Beyond that point, the darkness seemed almost solid, swallowing everything that entered it without revealing what waited on the other side.

Lucien’s breathing became shallow as his fingers tightened around the handle of his weapon.

Their last battle was still fresh in his mind.

He could still remember the terrifying beast that had attacked them without warning, its enormous body emerging from the darkness with enough speed to catch several experienced awakeners off guard.

Its claws had torn through defensive equipment, its roar had shaken the entire passage, and he would have certainly died if Kael had not arrived in time to save him.

He could still remember the feeling of death approaching him.

He could still remember the sharp pain in his body and the moment his legs nearly gave out beneath him.

And now, just when he thought he was going to relax for a day or two, they appeared again. The realization sent a surge of rage, fury, and fear burning through Lucien’s heart.

He had barely survived their previous encounter, and his body had not completely recovered from the injuries he had sustained. Yet another unknown presence was approaching them again.

It felt like the world itself was refusing to give them even a moment of peace.

"Damn it..."

Lucien gritted his teeth as fear battled with anger inside his chest. He gripped his greatsword with both hands, raising it slightly as he prepared himself for another life and death battle.

His knuckles gradually turned pale from the strength of his grip, while sweat slowly formed along his forehead despite the coldness of the cave.

He was afraid.

There was no point denying it. But fear did not mean he would simply stand there and wait to be eaten.

As for Kael, he remained much calmer.

He took a couple of steps forward toward the exit, his boots pressing quietly against the stone floor as he approached the boundary between the faint yellow light and the darkness beyond.

He raised his weapon slightly and held his breath, concentrating entirely on the faint sounds coming from the passage.

His expression was grim as he did not know what was approaching.

He narrowed his eyes and remained perfectly still, allowing his hearing to extend as far as possible into the darkness.

The cave was so quiet that he could hear Lucien’s nervous breathing behind him.

"Remember, if the beast is too strong, blow the whistle immediately," he whispered, his face grim.

The whistle hanging around Lucien’s neck was not an ordinary whistle. It was an artifact used for requesting help.

Lucien was too scared to respond as he could only nod. His throat felt dry, and even swallowing seemed difficult.

He kept his eyes fixed on the darkness while his body remained tense, every one of his muscles prepared to react at the slightest sign of danger.

The cave suddenly felt much smaller.

The faint yellow light from the strange stones above seemed to grow weaker, while the darkness beyond the entrance appeared to stretch farther and farther toward them.

The air became heavy with suffocating tension, and neither man dared to make unnecessary movements.

Lucien could hear his own heartbeat. Each beat seemed unbearably loud in the silence.

Kael slowly lowered his body into a more stable stance, his weapon held firmly in front of him as he stared into the darkness.

He had already experienced enough battles to know that the most dangerous moment was often the moment before an enemy appeared.

But this time, he could not convince himself that everything would be fine.

For several seconds, nothing happened. Then a faint sound echoed from the passage.

Footsteps.

Completely different from the heavy movements of a beast. Instantly, Kael’s eyes narrowed and Lucien’s heart nearly jumped into his throat.

Another step echoed through the darkness.

The footsteps gradually became clearer as whatever was approaching moved closer to the entrance.

Lucien prepared himself to swing his greatsword with everything he had. Kael lowered his center of gravity and prepared to attack the moment the enemy appeared.

The atmosphere became so tense that it felt as though even the cave itself had stopped breathing. Just then, a calm voice cut through the darkness.

"I mean no harm. I’m also an awakener."

Hmm?

Both Kael and Lucien froze.

Their faces were filled with disbelief as they stared into the darkness, unable to immediately process what they had just heard.

An awakener?

Here?

Their minds struggled to understand the situation. Worse, the voice was completely calm.

It sounded almost as though the person approaching them had simply taken a casual walk through the darkness and happened to encounter them.

Lucien’s expression became complicated as his grip on his greatsword remained tight.

Kael did not lower his weapon. He had heard the voice clearly, but that did not mean he trusted the person behind it.

Many dangerous beings could imitate voices as many beasts possessed strange abilities.

The footsteps continued and slowly, a figure emerged from the darkness.

At first, only his silhouette could be seen. Then his face gradually became visible beneath the faint yellow light.

A young man walked out of the darkness with calm and measured steps, his expression completely relaxed despite the weapons pointed toward him.

Thoren walked out of the darkness and appeared before them. Now that he was facing humans, his tensed nerves had relaxed and the calm stoic facial expression returned to his face.

For a moment, neither Kael nor Lucien spoke. Both young men simply stared at him.

Their minds were filled with questions.

How had he arrived here?

Where had he come from?

How had he managed to walk through the darkness alone?

Kael’s expression gradually became more serious as his instincts warned him that something about the young man standing before them was different.

He had expected a beast as he prepared himself for another brutal battle.

Instead, an unfamiliar awakener had appeared from the darkness, standing completely calm before the two of them.