A Distant Reverie

Chapter 54

Vesper's eyes darted about, scrutinizing every inch of the cavernous path. They had entered Mount Iya. He was near the vanguard of the column beside Marine and Kersen, led by the scouts who had swept through path earlier.

Vesper scratched the back of his neck, suddenly overwhelmed by an insatiable itch. Discomfort. The narrowness of the cavernous path made his skin crawl, gripped by a suffocating sense of claustrophobia that only intensified as they trekked deeper. The endless nooks and crannies caused his imagination to run rampant. Paranoia gnawed at the back of his mind from the ever-present threat that they could be ambushed from some place the scouts had missed.

This area was definitely occupied recently.

There were innumerable signs that the cavernous path had been used. Torch holders were affixed to the side of the walls, holding remnants of charred wood. Fragments of broken barrels, rusted blades, rotting food and other miscellaneous items were scattered about in a disheveled mess. Unintelligible writings and diagrams smeared the floor and walls. It couldn't be denied that this place was once used for something—whether it was for Eden's base of operations or some other nefarious purpose was unclear.

But why is it empty?

It was eerie that they found no signs of life yet. Vesper thought back to the encounters they had with the cultists over the past few days. He always considered it odd that they were ambushed on the very first night of the expedition. It implied that Eden was already on the move. And judging by the state of this base, it seemed like they left in a hurry.

There was at least a thousand of them during the attack on the abandoned village.

Given the emptiness of the base, it was probably safe to assume that was the last of the cultists. But why were they so intent on leaving? If Eden wanted to defend against their raid, then it would have been far more advantageous to stand their ground here. Vesper was a novice at the art of war, but even he could tell that the cavern's narrow corridors and natural darkness would have been excruciating to fight through.

Nothing is making sense.

He refused to believe the cult that terrorized this kingdom could behave so irrationally. Something here must have caused them to abandon the base.

"Tell the line to stop," Marine suddenly ordered. A pair of messengers ran back down the path, passing her orders to the rest of the battalion.

"Mr. Noir, Kersen, come with me."

Marine slowly advanced, hovering her hand over her scabbard. A bend in the corridor soon appeared, sharp enough that they couldn't peer around the corner.

"The scouts are late. Get ready for anything."

Vesper frowned. I didn't even realize. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to quell his frazzled nerves. Mana gathered at his fingertips, swirling with a frenetic frenzy. The ambient mana in this cavern was surprisingly abundant. He gave Marine a nod. Marine reached for her pistol, holding it at chest level, before slowly peeking over the bend.

Vesper held his breath, ready to react to any signs of action. The silence was agonizing. His heart thundered to his ears.

To his surprise, Marine suddenly stepped into the open corridor. Her head darted about, scanning the vicinity.

"Come. I think you two should see this." She looked bewildered.

Kersen was the first to move. Vesper reluctantly followed, holding his hands out, with Ignis at the tip of his tongue. As he caught up to Marine and Kersen, his eyes grew wide.