They set up camp just inside the cave, far enough from the entrance to stay hidden, but close enough to see if anything approached. Rylan and Daesung gathered some branches from the nearby trees, while Mira started a small fire that flickered against the cave walls, casting long shadows that danced around them.
The smell of roasted bird meat filled the air, surprisingly appetizing despite the creature's strange blue feathers. Hyun-Jae sat beside Soo-Min, quietly skewering a few pieces as they cooked, the faint sound of crackling fire echoing around them.
After they all started eating, Rylan leaned back, wiping his mouth. "Not bad for a first hunt," he said. Then, glancing at Soo-Min, he added with a smirk, "And you that healing ability was impressive. Learning how to do it that fast isn't easy."
Mira nodded in agreement. "You'll be a great support for the team. Most people would've panicked before figuring out what that kind of book was for."
Soo-Min remained composed, but a bit bashful. "Thanks… I just didn't want anyone getting seriously hurt."
Daesung let out a short laugh. "Well, you did good. Makes surviving this thing a little easier."
No one looked at Hyun-Jae. They didn't ask if his arm still ached or if he was fine. It was clear the C ranks saw him as an afterthought, the E-rank tag hanging over him like a quiet reminder that he didn't belong in their circle.
Still, Hyun-Jae didn't say anything. He smiled faintly to himself, chewing the tough bird meat in silence. They can praise her all they want, he thought, as long as she's getting recognition for what she deserves.
Soo-Min noticed his silence but didn't call it out. Instead, she just nudged his shoulder lightly and whispered, "You did good too, you know."
He gave her a small nod. "Yeah… sure."
Outside, the night grew darker, and the stars above the island shimmered like shards of glass in the sky. The cave's firelight flickered, keeping the cold at bay, at least for now.
A low growl echoed from the mouth of the cave. Then another.
Rylan froze mid-bite, his expression tightening. "Looks like we've got company," he muttered, setting his sword down beside him.
Within moments, the flickering firelight revealed several pairs of glowing amber eyes staring at them from the darkness beyond the entrance. The smell of cooked meat must've drawn them in, large, wolf-like beasts with thick gray fur and fangs like polished knives crept closer, their claws scraping against the stone.
"D-rank beasts," Mira said calmly, already reaching for her bow. "Shouldn't be too hard."
Rylan stood, drawing his blade with a grin. "Easy enough. Just stay behind us, Hyun-Jae. Try not to lose the food."
Hyun-Jae frowned slightly but didn't say anything. Soo-Min looked like she wanted to protest, but before either of them could, the first wolf lunged.
The C ranks moved fast, Rylan cutting through the air with practiced precision, Mira firing arrows that shimmered faintly with energy, and Daesung swinging his mace in heavy, crushing arcs. The beasts snarled and yelped as the battle escalated, but more kept pouring in from the dark.
Soo-Min's healing magic flickered to life again, glowing softly in her hands as she kept close to Hyun-Jae, who guarded her side with his small blade, slashing at any wolf that got too close.
The fight spilled deeper into the cave as the wolves retreated and regrouped. Their howls echoed through the tunnels, bouncing off the stone walls and making it hard to tell where they were coming from.
Rylan cursed under his breath. "Damn things are smarter than they look. Keep pushing forward don't let them surround us!"
The deeper they went, the narrower the path became, forcing them into a tight formation. The air grew colder, the firelight from their camp fading behind them.
Hyun-Jae's grip on his weapon tightened as he realized this wasn't just a random skirmish anymore. The wolves were driving them somewhere.
The battle continued until the last wolf hit the ground with a dull thud, Daesung's mace crushing its skull. Its body twitched once before going still, and the echoes of battle finally faded into silence.
Rylan exhaled sharply and wiped his blade clean against the creature's fur. "That should be the last of them."
The air hung heavy with the scent of blood and wet stone. The faint glow from Soo-Min's healing magic flickered out as she looked around uneasily. "Wait… where's the way out?"
Everyone froze for a moment, glancing in every direction. The cave around them branched into several narrow tunnels, twisting and curving out of sight. The faint light from their campfire was long gone.
Mira turned slowly, frowning. "we took a left, maybe? Or was it a right?"
Daesung grunted, swinging his mace onto his shoulder. "Doesn't matter. We just backtrack."
Rylan glanced down at the ground, the rocky floor was scarred with claw marks and scuffed footprints, but there were so many overlapping trails it was impossible to tell which were theirs. His confident expression wavered. "...Unless someone memorized the path?"
Silence.
Soo-Min sighed, brushing some dirt off her sleeve. "Great. We're lost."
Hyun-Jae looked between the tunnels, each one disappearing into darkness. His chest tightened slightly at the thought of being trapped underground. "So… which way now?"
Rylan sheathed his sword with a frustrated grunt. "Guess we find out the hard way."
Hyun-Jae exhaled slowly, glancing at the others. Just when I thought things couldn't get worse…
Rylan squinted down the largest tunnel, his sword loosely held at his side. "This one's definitely the way we came from," he said confidently, gesturing with a sharp nod. "Biggest tunnel. since we were all able to make it through, right?"
Hyun-Jae glanced at the wide, shadowy passage and felt a cold knot form in his stomach. The tunnel looked ominous, the walls slick and uneven, and the echo of dripping water made it feel alive. Something about it didn't sit right with him.
But what would I know? he thought, forcing himself to stay quiet. He didn't argue. After all, Rylan seemed so sure of himself, and besides… who was he to challenge a C-rank like him?
Still, a tiny voice in the back of his mind warned him, and he couldn't shake the unease as they started walking into the darkness.
They kept walking, the light from their torches flickering against the jagged stone walls. The air grew heavier with each step until Hyun-Jae gagged quietly as a foul, rotting stench filled his nose, thick and nauseating. It was so strong he had to cover his mouth with his sleeve.
He slowed down, glancing around the others, expecting them to react, but they didn't. Rylan kept marching forward with that same smug confidence, Mira trailed behind him alert but calm, and Daesung simply cracked his neck like nothing was wrong.
"Do you guys not smell that?" Hyun-Jae asked, his voice slightly strained.
Rylan turned his head with an amused expression. "Smell what? You're just imagining things. Relax, Let us C-ranks handle it."
Hyun-Jae clenched his jaw but didn't reply. The dismissive tone stung, but before he could say anything, Soo-Min stepped closer to him, ignoring Rylan entirely.
"If you want, we can turn around," she said softly, her eyes scanning his face with concern. "Try another tunnel instead?"
Rylan let out a quiet scoff behind them, clearly irritated by her suggestion, but neither of them paid him any mind.
Hyun-Jae hesitated, looking between the twisting tunnels and his team. "No… it's fine," he finally said, shaking his head. "It must be in my head."
Soo-Min frowned slightly but didn't argue. Still, she stayed closer to him as they ventured deeper and that smell only seemed to grow worse.
They reached the end of the tunnel, their footsteps echoing softly before silence swallowed them whole. The dim light revealed what looked like a pile of bones, wolf-like skeletons scattered around the rocky floor, stripped clean, as if something had fed here long ago.
Soo-Min wrinkled her nose. "Let's turn back," she said firmly, glancing over her shoulder. "We'll try one of the other tunnels. This one's"
"Wait," Rylan interrupted, holding up a hand. His eyes gleamed with curiosity as he stepped over the remains. "There's something under this rubble."
Hyun-Jae watched uneasily as Rylan and Daesung began heaving rocks aside. Every scrape of stone against stone made him tense. The stench had grown so strong now that it burned in his nostrils a suffocating mix of decay and iron.
When the last bit of rubble was cleared, they revealed a smooth rock slab embedded into the wall. Strange markings shimmered faintly across its surface, forming words in an unfamiliar but somehow readable language.
Rylan crouched closer, reading aloud. "'If you are brave enough to face the trial, speak the incantation aloud. Riches and blessings await those who overcome.'"
Daesung's grin widened. "Now that sounds worth our time."
Hyun-Jae's stomach twisted. "No. This, this is wrong." He stepped closer, feeling the air pulse around the slab like a heartbeat. "That smell's coming from this thing. Whatever this trial is, it isn't worth it."
Rylan smirked without looking at him. "Relax. You're just scared because you can't sense what real power feels like."
Soo-Min frowned, seeing the obvious unease on Hyun-Jae's face. The stench grew heavier still, and the slab seemed to hum faintly in response as if waiting for someone foolish enough to answer its call.
Soo-Min folded her arms, her expression firm. "We should just focus on surviving the twenty-four hours," she said, her voice echoing faintly off the cave walls. "We don't need to mess with whatever this is. We already survived half way why risk it now?"
Rylan let out a short, dismissive laugh. "You're thinking too small. If this really is some kind of hidden trial, the rewards could give us a massive edge in the next round."
Hyun-Jae stepped closer beside Soo-Min. "Or it could kill us before we even get a chance at that next round," he countered quietly, the sour stench from the slab making him want to gag.
Rylan rolled his eyes. "Fine," he said, spreading his arms with mock patience. "Let's make it fair then. We'll take a vote."
Daesung grinned, already nodding. "You know my answer, yes. We're C-ranks; this should be easy."
Rylan smirked. "That's one. I'll say yes too. That's two."
Soo-Min crossed her arms tighter. "No. We're not doing this."
Hyun-Jae immediately followed, "No. Definitely no."
The two turned toward Mira, who had been standing a few steps back, eyes darting between the glowing slab and the others. The cave light flickered across her uncertain face as she hesitated, biting her lip.
Finally, she shook her head. "No. It feels wrong."
A tense silence followed, broken only by the faint hum of the slab.
Rylan exhaled sharply through his nose, clearly irritated. "Fine. Majority rules." He turned away from the wall, though the hungry look in his eyes said he wasn't completely letting it go.
Hyun-Jae exhaled in relief, but the uneasy feeling in his chest didn't fade. Something about that slab still felt like it was watching them, waiting.
The group retraced their steps through the winding tunnels, the flickering light from their makeshift torches casting long, twitching shadows along the walls. The air grew less suffocating with each step, and before long, a faint current of fresh air brushed against their faces.
Hyun-Jae's shoulders eased the moment he saw the faint glow of moonlight ahead. "Finally…" he muttered under his breath, and when they stepped out of the tunnel, the cool night air hit them like freedom.
They were back at the cave's entrance, the place they had started. The smell of burnt wood from their old campfire still lingered faintly, and the distant sound of waves reminded them how isolated this island really was.
Rylan groaned and dropped his pack with a thud. "Well, at least we didn't get eaten."
"Barely," Mira muttered, glaring at him before sitting down near the fire pit.
Soo-Min let out a soft sigh and sat beside Hyun-Jae. "We should stay here for the night. It's open, safe, and we already know what's around."
Hyun-Jae nodded, grateful for the familiarity, even if it wasn't much. The others quickly agreed, too tired to argue. They rebuilt the small fire from earlier, the flames casting a warm orange hue over their tired faces.
As they ate the last of the cooked bird meat, Hyun-Jae leaned back against the cave wall, eyes half-closed. For the first time since the trial began, he felt the faintest sense of safety.
Tomorrow would bring new chaos, but for tonight, the flickering light and the quiet breathing of his teammates were enough to let him drift into uneasy sleep.