Chapter 34 – The Trap in the Cave
The group of adventurers moved ahead, their chatter echoing softly against the rocky path that led to the cave. Keal walked behind them, his expression unreadable, but his Cosmic Eyes glowed faintly beneath his calm demeanor.
Something was wrong.
They had claimed the bandits were numerous—too many for them to handle—but none bore scars or injuries from a fight. Their weapons gleamed as if unused, their steps too light for men who had supposedly "barely escaped" a skirmish.
Keal tilted his head slightly and asked in his cold, measured voice,
"Tell me… have you truly faced these bandits before?"
The leader stiffened for half a second before smirking.
"Yes. We escaped by sheer luck. You'll see for yourself once we reach them."
Keal said nothing further. But in his mind, the pieces already began to align.
When they reached the cavern's mouth, he opened his Cosmic Eyes fully. His vision pierced the darkness and the walls, revealing what lay beyond: dozens of men hiding, waiting like wolves for prey.
Archers perched on ledges above, bows strung.
Mages muttered incantations at the back.
Swordsmen crouched in shadows, waiting to ambush.
A trap.
And still, Keal stepped inside willingly, Seryna following in silence like his shadow.
The adventurer leader stopped abruptly. The smile that crept across his face was not the weary smile of an ally—it was the grin of a predator revealing its fangs.
"It was almost too easy," he chuckled. Then, raising his hand, he called out, "Show yourselves!"
From the darkness, fifty bandits emerged—twenty archers on the cliffs above, twenty swordsmen at the entrance, and ten mages lined behind them, their hands already glowing with spells.
One of the bandits sneered at the sight of Keal and Seryna standing still.
"What's the matter? Frozen in fear? Or just too slow to understand you're already dead?"
Laughter erupted around the cavern.
The leader stepped forward with false pride.
"Listen well, strangers. You're not adventurers anymore—you're captives. Congratulations. You'll fetch a fine price when we sell you off."
Keal's gaze didn't shift. His voice was calm, almost bored.
"…And why?"
The bandit leader blinked, confused. "Why? For money, obviously! What else?"
The mages launched the first volley, a cascade of light bolts filling the cavern. The blast shook the air and dust filled the cave like a storm.
When the smoke cleared, Keal and Seryna still stood, untouched.
Keal began walking forward slowly, his boots echoing like thunder against the stone floor. His words carried through the silence.
"So this is what humanity has become, no matter the world. Greedy. Treacherous. Always betraying, always selling your own kind for scraps of gold."
The bandits laughed harder, though unease flickered in their eyes.
"You speak as if you're not human yourself," one mocked.
Before Keal could respond, Seryna tilted her hooded head toward him. Her voice was smooth, dangerous.
"What do you want me to do, my king?"
Keal's cold eyes glowed violet as he answered.
"Kill the ones above. Slowly. Make them regret every breath."
Seryna smiled faintly. She rose into the air with one graceful step, shadows coiling around her. A single word left her lips—unheard by mortal ears—and the archers above screamed as unseen claws tore into their minds.
They didn't die quickly. Their arrows fell from their hands as they writhed, clutching their heads, shrieks echoing through the cave. Their pain became a symphony of horror.
The swordsmen below panicked, raising their weapons. But in the blink of an eye—blood sprayed. One man's head rolled across the dirt before he could even react.
The bandits froze.
No one had seen him move.
Keal was among them now, his presence like a storm. His blade was an afterimage, a serpent of death slashing faster than sight. The mages didn't even finish their second spell—Keal carved through them one by one, their cries cut short in fountains of blood.
The swordsmen followed, their bodies crumpling as Keal weaved through them like a phantom, every strike precise, merciless.
By the time he reached the leader, the cavern floor was painted crimson.
The bandit leader raised his blade desperately, shouting,
"Stop! I am of royal blood! If I don't return, the capital will come for you! You'll regret this!"
Keal's eyes glowed like burning stars, and his voice was colder than the grave.
"…Then let them come."
The bandit's sword trembled as Keal pressed forward, but instead of ending him, Keal lowered his blade. His words were slow, deliberate, and terrifying.
"You will live. Not out of mercy. But because I will use you."
He leaned closer, his voice a whisper of doom.
"Betray me, and I will show you suffering worse than death. Speak a word of me, and you will beg for the void."
The leader fell to his knees, pale as ash, nodding furiously.
Keal turned, his cloak brushing the bloodied stone. Above, Seryna descended gracefully, her shadowed form radiating quiet menace.
"Do you need my help?" she asked with mocking sweetness.
Keal didn't look back. His voice was calm, almost casual.
"I can handle it."
The surviving bandits dared not breathe. Silence reigned.
And then, at last, Keal sat upon his throne in the dead world once more. His gaze swept across his commanders, and his final words hung in the air like a decree of fate:
"Let us begin."