Bab 6 - Cave Whispers
1096 Words
【The Bandit Ambush】
【BOOOOMMM!!!】
A deafening crash shook the carriage so violently that the wheels nearly jumped off the tracks. My body slammed against the wooden wall, my head spinning.
“What… was that?” I muttered, still disoriented, trying to steady my breath.
It wasn’t an earthquake. As I peered through the window, I saw them.
Figures, lined across the ridge above the mountain road—bandits.
『Bandits? Here?!』
My chest tightened. Why would anyone dare attack this carriage? It was obvious this wasn’t a common wagon; this was a convoy of adventurers.
Inside rode magicians and swordsmen, several of them at least 6-Star. My father was among them—a seasoned party leader respected by many.
If these bandits still dared to attack, did that mean… they were confident enough to face us?
No. Confident enough to face my father?
Cold sweat slid down my spine. There were simply too many of them.
Father wasted no time. 【SWOOOSH】
He leapt out of the carriage, blade drawn, his comrades following close behind. Magic circles glowed in the air as mana surged.
“Attack!” one of the bandits roared.
【CLAAANG】 【BOOM】 【CRAAASH】
Steel clashed with magic. The air trembled from the sheer force of impact.
I clung to the window frame, my heart racing, watching as the battle unfolded. Father’s party was strong, but… the bandits swarmed like an endless tide.
Blood already stained the dirt. Several of father’s comrades were injured.
And then—words that twisted my stomach reached my ears.
“Don’t kill the women and children!” the bandit leader sneered, his face twisted in a perverse grin.
Rage exploded inside me. My fingers trembled as they gripped the dagger at my side.
『I… I can’t just sit here!』
Without another thought—【THUD】—I charged out of the carriage.
“Lucian!!!” My father’s voice thundered, laced with anger and fear. 『Why did you leave the carriage?!』
But I no longer listened. My blood boiled. My vision narrowed. All I saw was red.
【DASH!】
I lunged at a bandit locked in combat with Kairal, one of Father’s comrades.
【STABBBB!!】
My dagger sank deep into his chest. Hot blood sprayed across my hand.
『I… killed someone…』
My eyes widened. For a moment, silence swallowed me whole. Then—
『My son…?! No… my child killed… someone…!』 my mother’s scream tore through the chaos.
Her voice jolted me, but before I could react—
【DOOOSH!!】
Father took a heavy kick to his side, thrown violently to the ground.
“Ayahhh!!!” I cried out, my heart sinking in terror.
The bandit raised his sword high, its edge aimed straight at my father’s throat.
【SWOOOOSH!】
In a flash faster than my eyes could follow, a silver arc cleaved through the air.
The bandit’s head toppled to the dirt.
I froze. Standing there was Lucaris, a 6-Star swordsman. His sword still hummed from the strike, gleaming under the dim light.
『Incredible… I couldn’t even see the movement…』
But my awe left me exposed.
【CRAAACK!!】
A bandit’s boot slammed into my chest, hurling my small body backward.
【SKIDDD】
My body scraped across the dirt—until I realized. The ground had vanished.
“No—!”
My fingers clawed desperately at the edge of the cliff. For a second, I thought I’d made it.
But I was too weak. My grip failed.
【BRUUUUKKK!!!】
And I fell.
『Is… this the end?』
The world spun. The wind roared in my ears as I plummeted. Branches snapped against my body. Pain tore through me.
【CRACK】
Ribs shattered. Blood filled my mouth.
Then—【THUD】—darkness swallowed me as I crashed at the base of the cliff.
But somehow… I was alive.
“…Damn it…” I hissed, forcing myself to stand on trembling legs.
Above me, the cliff loomed impossibly high. There was no way back. And the forest surrounding me… it wasn’t any forest I recognized. Wild. Untamed. Unexplored.
And then—
《Move east. Find the great cave. I will guide you back to your family.》
A voice. Gentle, yet echoing, as if whispered directly into my mind.
“Who… are you?” I muttered aloud.
But silence was my only answer.
I had no choice. Clutching my side, I stumbled eastward.
Obstacles tested me every step of the way.
At a river swarming with crocodiles, I lured them away with deer meat, hurling it far downstream before diving into the water. I swam, lungs burning, praying they wouldn’t notice.
A vast gorge came next. I gathered fallen logs, binding them with vines into a crude bridge. My knees shook as I crossed, but I made it.
When night fell, I conjured a small flame. 《Ignis》
The fire flickered warmly against the cold, its light steady as I roasted the venison I had carried. Too wary of beasts, I slept in a tree.
By dawn, I was still alive.
At last, days later, I saw it: a massive cave yawning open before me.
『So this is it…』
Fear prickled in my chest. I hated ghosts more than monsters. But… if I didn’t go in, I’d never see my family again.
With a shaky breath, I stepped inside.
And froze.
『W-What… is this?』
The cave shimmered with light. Diamonds sparkled across the walls, healing crystals scattered in piles, radiating brilliance like fallen stars. It was nothing like the darkness outside.
I pressed forward until I reached a three-way split in the tunnel.
Then the voice returned.
《So, you made it, little one. More persistent than I thought.》
I clenched my fists. “Who are you?”
《HAHAHAHA! Don’t worry. I mean no harm. I only wish to help you… meet your family again.》 The voice teased, mocking almost.
“Damn you…” I growled.
《Take the path on your right.》
With no other option, I obeyed.
The corridor stretched endlessly. An hour. Two. Three. My legs trembled.
Finally, after nearly five hours, light glimmered at the end.
I stumbled forward, hope surging—
And there, standing in the glow, was the one behind the voice.
『That form…』
I froze, stunned and awed.
“Why that face, little one?” the figure asked, smiling faintly.
- Writer
