Alvaric and Niva continued walking together. After defeating five giant snakes, they had also faced several other large monsters. However, none of them were truly a threat to the two.
"They only win in size," Niva said confidently.
In her opinion, if Ant Bee had the same size, they could rival or even surpass the strength of the monsters in this place.
Alvaric didn't deny it. He had thought the same.
So far, they had taken down around twenty giant beasts. But compared to the strength of the Giant Sandworm, even all of them combined didn't amount to a quarter of its power.
Now, the two were resting under the curved roots of a giant tree that formed a cave-like shelter. The hollow inside was spacious enough to take cover and even light a small fire.
"Still not full?" Niva asked, watching Alvaric still chewing the roasted meat of a giant rabbit they had hunted earlier—the rabbit was nearly two meters tall, and its meat tasted sweet and savory when grilled.
"I haven't eaten this well in a long time. Might as well enjoy it while I can," Alvaric replied, still chewing.
Niva only shrugged. They had spent several days in this place and hadn't found any clues about the 'Demon Girl' mentioned by the Giant Sandworm. That meant they might stay here longer than expected. Nothing was certain. So, if Alvaric wanted to eat his fill, so be it.
"You're really full?"
Niva nodded slowly as she turned outward, watching the silent night.
Suddenly, a loud scream shook the air. It seemed to come from afar but was strong enough to make both of them instantly alert. In an instant, they stood and jumped out from the shelter beneath the roots.
Without speaking, they looked at each other and nodded.
"Let's go!" Alvaric urged.
They ran toward the source of the sound, leaving behind the remnants of food and the small fire still burning.
Along the way, they encountered several more giant beasts. They avoided battle when possible, but some creatures were too aggressive to ignore. They had to quickly disable them before moving on.
The atmosphere grew more tense. The air felt heavier, as if something was pressing down from afar.
Eventually, they arrived in front of a massive tree—the largest they had ever seen in this place. Its trunk soared like an ancient pillar, and its branches disappeared into the fog that hung low in the air.
Its roots jutted out from the ground like massive claws, and there was a large opening at the base, gaping like a mouth.
The sound had come from within that tree.
Alvaric gripped his sword tightly. Niva began preparing herself in case Alvaric asked her to go inside.
"Do you think… it's her?" Niva murmured.
"I don't know," Alvaric replied, "but whatever it is… we're about to find out."
Cautiously and slowly, they stepped into the opening of the tree. Nothing blocked their way. The monsters in the area had retreated as they approached the giant tree.
As if telling them this place was dangerous. Niva and Alvaric knew that, but they had to go in. This was the most reasonable clue they had.
Even though that scream signaled danger. They could very well die once they stepped inside.
Alvaric gripped his sword tighter. "I have a bad feeling about this."
***
Marie and Kael were severely injured. Their entire bodies were covered in wounds. They had already lost 70% of the Hollow Fang members.
Those who remained were also wounded, barely hanging on, and the monsters around them were still numerous and powerful.
"What should we do?" Kael asked.
Marie didn't know what to say. She truly had no idea what to do. Everything seemed hopeless. It was impossible to turn the situation around now.
Marie was furious. This was the first time she had been rendered powerless. She was an S-rank Awakened, ranked in the top ten of her country's strongest. But here, she was nothing—just a tiny speck among a horde of insane monsters.
"I'm sorry, but… we're finished."
Marie's response angered Kael. He clenched his fists.
"You're the leader of this expedition and you're giving up? That's ridiculous. You disgust me," he snapped at Marie.
"If you know what to do, then give me your idea! Don't just talk and push. Even a dog can bark without giving a solution," Marie retorted.
Kael and Marie stared at each other, both visibly angry. Their argument only made the other members of Hollow Fang more hopeless. Their two strongest members were starting to lose their composure.
That meant the situation was beyond their control.
"Aaarrrrghh!" one of the Hollow Fang members screamed in pain.
Marie remained silent. Kael did too. They averted their eyes. In front of them were dozens of extremely powerful giant monsters.
There was no way they could defeat them. Besides that, there was one red-eyed figure whose true form couldn't be seen. A presence more powerful than all the other monsters there.
"I'm sorry," Marie whispered.
***
Alvaric and Niva descended further. They entered another tunnel. This time it was drier, but there was a strange aura all around. As if something was watching them, but when they looked, no one was there.
It was strange and disturbing. "There's something I want to try."
Alvaric stopped. He took out Vappers Dagger and stabbed the wall on his right side. Nothing happened at first, but a white liquid began to drip.
Alvaric touched the sticky liquid and sniffed it.
"It's just tree sap."
Niva came closer and looked at the sticky substance dripping from the wall.
"Normal sap?" she asked.
"I think so," Alvaric replied. "But this place… doesn't feel normal."
Niva nodded. There was a pressure that was hard to describe. As if they were being watched from all directions, yet no one was there.
The tunnel kept descending, and the light from above grew dimmer. Eventually, they had to rely solely on the small torch Niva carried.
Their steps slowed. Not because of fatigue, but because the pressure of the place kept increasing. Their bodies felt as if they were being pushed back. As if they weren't allowed to proceed.
"I don't like places like this," Niva muttered.
"No one does. But we have to go in," Alvaric responded.
Before long, they heard a sound. A whispering voice, soft… but clear.
"…help…"
They both stopped. Alvaric looked at Niva. "Did you hear that?"
Niva nodded. Her face grew tense. "Someone's asking for help… from ahead."
Without another word, they quickened their pace. They pushed with all their strength just to keep moving forward. It felt heavy, but they forced themselves onward.
"…help me… I beg you, help me…"
The voice echoed again.