Chapter 10: Into the Abyss

The air grew heavy and damp, smelling faintly of ancient stone and rotting vegetation as the group approached the entrance. Before them gaped a massive cavern, its towering mouth carved into the sheer cliffside like the jaws of a sleeping beast. Beyond the threshold lay pitch-black darkness, suffocating and cold. Drops of icy water echoed faintly from deep within the damp stone ceiling.

"Is this really the cave?" Miku asked, tilting her head back to take in the sheer scale of the looming cavern.

"Looks like it," Ryu replied, stepping up beside Ren. His arms remained folded over his dark blue coat, his eyes quietly scanning the shadow-drenched entrance.

Arata turned his head, his cold, sharp eyes fixing on the heavily armored warrior beside them. "Kurogane, don’t you have a sharp sense of smell? Check for Lady Evelyn’s scent."

Kurogane grunted, stepping toward the rock face and inhaling deeply through his nose. His brow furrowed in concentration before he turned back to the squad. "Her scent lingers here. Lady Evelyn definitely passed through this cave."

Reika looked around the gloom, crossing her arms as a chill swept through the air. "Hey... did any of you bring a light source?"

Not wanting to be dead weight or rely entirely on the others, Ren took a few silent steps backward. He slipped behind the shadow of a large boulder, making sure he was well out of their direct line of sight.

System, he called out in his mind.

He closed his eyes, visualizing the exact design in his mind: a heavy-duty, impact-resistant matte-black aluminum housing, a thick tempered glass lens, and a high-efficiency ultra-bright LED emitter core powered by a dense solid-state energy cell.

Construct.

[CONSTRUCTION PROTOCOL ACTIVATED]

[SCANNING MENTAL BLUEPRINT...]

[TARGET OBJECT: HIGH-INTENSITY TACTICAL FLASHLIGHT]

[COST ANALYSIS:]

CHAOS MATTER (CM): 12 (For metallic frame, glass lens, and internal power-cell chemicals)

CHAOS POINTS (CP): 8 (For micro-circuitry assembly and light output stabilization)

[HOST RESOURCES:]

Available CM: 2,505 ✅

Available CP: 815 ✅

[WOULD YOU LIKE TO PROCEED WITH CONSTRUCTION?]

[YES / NO]

Ren pressed [YES].

At the center of his palm, swirling black particles materialized out of thin air, condensing with startling speed. A matte-black metallic tube formed first, followed by a thick glass lens at its tip. Inside, a miniature core flickered faintly before settling into a steady hum.

Click.

Ren pressed the side switch.

SWOOSH!

A blinding beam of harsh white light shot forward, slicing through the deep darkness of the cave mouth and illuminating the stone floor tens of meters ahead. Dust motes danced vividly within the piercing cone of light. The beam was so intense that even Ren had to squint slightly against the sudden glare.

[CONSTRUCTION SUCCESSFUL!]

[ITEM OBTAINED: TACTICAL FLASHLIGHT MK-I]

[ITEM SPECIFICATIONS:]

TYPE: Long-Range Vision Enhancement Tool

LUMINOUS INTENSITY: 5,000 Lumens (Equivalent to an automotive spotlight)

BATTERY LIFE: 10 Hours continuous operation.

ADDITIONAL FEATURE: Strobe Mode (Can be used to disorient light-sensitive targets).

DRAWBACK: Generates high internal heat if used continuously for over 30 minutes.

[REMAINING RESOURCES:]

CM: 2,493

CP: 807

[WARNING: NYX SEAL HAS INCREASED TO 81%]

[NOTE: EVERY SYSTEM ACTIVATION INCREASES THE NYX SEAL COUNTER. ONCE THE SEAL EXCEEDS 85%, INCREMENTS WILL BECOME FAR MORE SENSITIVE. PROCEED WITH EXTREME CAUTION.]

Ren swallowed hard, his eyes lingering on the flashing red warning interface before dismissing it.

"Eh?!"

The sudden wall of blinding light made the entire squad whirl around in shock. The harsh white beam pierced straight through the cavern while they were still standing on the outside threshold.

Ren stepped out from behind the shadow, holding the matte-black metal tube firmly in his grip. "I have a light source for us."

Reika squinted against the brightness, her brow knotting as she stared at the strange metallic object in Ren’s hand. She had never seen a light source like this before—it was fundamentally different from the flickering resin torches or glass candle lanterns typical of this world.

She wasn’t the only one stunned. Arata, Kurogane, Ryu, and Miku all stared with varying degrees of confusion and shock.

"I’ve never seen anything like that..." Miku murmured, stepping closer with wide, fascinated eyes as she peered at the strange device.

Arata’s glare narrowed into a razor-sharp gaze. "Where on earth did you get that?"

Caught off guard, Ren struggled for a logical excuse. He forced a stiff smile and rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah... I, uh... I brought it with me from before."

"Brought it with you?" Arata repeated flatly, his tone dripping with skepticism.

His reaction was entirely justified—Ren had been carrying nothing on him earlier besides the odd iron pistol tucked into his shirt.

"I have certainly never encountered a device of that design," Ryu noted thoughtfully, his voice smooth and analytical.

"Neither have I," Kurogane grunted, crossing his massive arms over his chest plate.

Miku leaned in sideways, examining the clean metallic edges of the housing. "What do you call this thing?"

"It’s a flashlight," Ren explained, maintaining his calm demeanor. "It provides far better illumination than open flames or oil lanterns."

"Is that so..."

Ryu stared at Ren, his eyes narrowing slightly as if dissecting every detail of the young man standing before him. The gaze made Ren’s shoulders tense.

"Enough talking. Let’s move," Kurogane interrupted, cutting through the heavy silence.

Arata unsheathed his blade slightly before stepping past the threshold into the dark cavern. "As long as the porter makes himself useful, I don’t care where he got it," Kurogane added gruffly, turning his back to hide his faint intrigue.

With Ren leading at the front to illuminate the path, the six of them ventured deeper into the damp cavern.

As they walked, Ren couldn’t help but notice Ryu’s eyes constantly lingering on him from behind. It was starting to feel bizarre—why was another guy staring at him so intently?

Ren stole a quick sideways glance toward Ryu. Why does he keep looking at me like that?

He blinked, a sudden realization crossing his mind. *Wait... is it because we share the same surname, Celestial?*

Or... don’t tell me he’s into Gay? Ren shuddered slightly at the absurd thought.

Ah, forget it. Not important right now, he shaking his head faintly to clear his head.

"Wait—stop!" Arata’s sharp voice echoed off the damp stone walls.

The entire team halted mid-step.

"Over here," Arata instructed, dropping to one knee.

The squad gathered around him as he gestured toward the soft dirt on the cave floor.

"Isn’t this the imprint of a high-heeled boot?" Arata muttered, pointing at a distinct, delicate impression in the mud.

"Indeed. That’s definitely a woman’s footprint," Kurogane confirmed, leaning over to inspect the depth of the track.

"It likely belongs to Lady Evelyn," Ryu added softly.

Miku’s eyes sharpened with determination. "What are we waiting for? Let’s follow the tracks!"

Ren held the flashlight steady, casting the wide beam ahead. Thanks to the intense 5,000-lumen output, even the faint traces left in the damp dirt were unmistakably clear.

"Right. We follow the trail," Arata said, pushing himself up and dusting the grime off his hands.

Ahead of them, the main cavern split into three separate branching tunnels: left, center, and right.

Inspecting the ground carefully, they noted that the single set of tracks veered directly into the far-left passage.

They stepped into the narrow tunnel. But before they could cover even fifty paces, a deafening, inhuman roar erupted from the depths of the stone walls.

"ROOOOOAAAAAR—!"

The force of the sound vibrated through the enclosed stone space. Everyone instinctively winced, clapping their hands over their ears to block out the sheer volume.

"Damn it! What is that noise?!" Miku hissed, her teeth grit tightly.

"There are monsters in this cave," Ryu called out over the lingering echoes, his head tilted sideways as he covered his ears. "Stay on guard!"

Ren, holding the heavy flashlight in his right hand, quickly raised his left arm to shield his ear, pressing the other side of his head tight against his raised shoulder to block out the deafening vibration.

As the roar faded, a heavy silence settled over the tunnel—only to be broken by a sudden movement in the shadows ahead.

Under the bright cone of white light, a hideous creature emerged from the dark. It had thick, coarse brown skin, matted fur, and a pair of glowing red eyes that locked onto them with pure malice. Long, razor-sharp talons extended from its gnarled fingers, scraping menacingly against the stone floor.

"Damn it... there really are monsters here!" Ren hissed, his fingers tightening around the metal body of the flashlight as he took a cautious step back.

Before anyone could react, a heavy, thunderous stamping echoed from the deep end of the passage.

It wasn’t just one.

Dozens of heavy footsteps vibrated through the earth. From the darkness beyond the beam, more red eyes ignited, one after another. A horde of beasts surged forward, forming a terrifying wall of claws and fangs. Grotesque, twisted grins stretched across their faces as if they had just stumbled upon a fresh feast.

"Shit... there’s way too many of them!" Miku gasped, drawing her weapons as she backed up.

"ROOOOOAAAAAAR!"

The entire horde erupted into a synchronized howl, shaking dust from the cavern roof and plunging the tunnel into utter chaos.