In short, this was a place important to the Mountain Dwarves, but not so critical that it warranted elite protection. The honest, elderly Mountain Dwarf miners working inside had stumbled upon traces of zombies and skeletons, which terrified them so badly their souls flew from their bodies. Left with no other recourse, they pooled their savings and put the matter up in the Rockseeker camp's guild hall, vowing never to return to work until the adventurers had eradicated these undead and their source.
Whether because the reward was generous, or because Rockseeker camp itself deemed the matter worthy of attention, it wasn't long before a lively and ambitious Adventurer Squad—composed of what looked like energetic youths—arrived, descended the mine, and attempted to investigate.
And then, they never returned.
Actually, they had come back once. On the first and second nights, they managed to vanquish a great many zombies and skeletons, loudly assuring everyone that by the next day, the source of the undead would surely be destroyed and mining would resume.
Yet up until now, the miners were still waiting in vain for that good news.
This left the dwarves worried, believing the dangers below might be far worse than expected. They were just about to collect coins to post a greater reward when, before two more days had passed, yet another party appeared—this time led by a white-haired young man, followed by three stunning women, each more beautiful than the last. Just at a glance, they seemed anything but reliable as they reached the abandoned mines.
"…So, that's the situation."
In the miners' shack, built simply from thatched grass, an aged dwarf with a greying beard and a glistening bald head clutched his wineskin and recounted events in a halting voice.
His cheeks flushed red, evidently drunk, but his words to Charles were clear as he recounted recent events: "In short, there's no way we'd dare go back in. We can only stay here and pray those fine gentlemen and ladies make it out safely."
Charles quickly calculated—the timeline meant Anno and her party could not have been captured by the Drider for more than two days.
There was still time!
With that in mind, he raised his head, set his jaw, and looked out toward the cavern with a solemn expression. "We're moving out. We're going into the cavern now!"
The old dwarf in front of him hiccupped, the flush fading from his cheeks. "You're going in now? Sirs and ladies, even with eight of them, none ever came back—are you four really up for this?"
Charles showed not the slightest concern at the skepticism toward their strength. He only smiled softly: "Our strength is great indeed."
So saying, he cast Light on his shield and strode straight toward the mine. "Let's go!"
With their protective spells already buffed, and ignoring the kindly warnings of the drunken elder, the four of them set off boldly for the cave.
The entrance was a massive natural cavern, its ceiling supported by stalactites and stone columns. The interior sloped gently upward, ending at a pit about ten meters deep.
Thick hemp ropes were tied to nearby rock pillars, creating two makeshift rope ladders, proof that the dwarves, short legs and all, would use them to climb up and down daily for mine work.
For the record, the mine had three levels, but only the first was currently accessible.
The four also grasped the chilly rock, clutching the rough, splintery rope ladders to climb down. Halfway, they simply leaped, landing nimbly at the bottom without incident.
At the pit's base, mine tunnels branched north and west. Charles called Nidalee over. With a druid's keen analysis and investigation, they deduced Anno's party last went west, so the group entered the western tunnel.
Here, all light disappeared, and a faint metallic tang of copper mixed with the stench of rot wormed its way into their nostrils.
Charles hunched his shoulders, moving forward slowly. Although the dwarves had hewn the mine as high as possible, the ceiling still barely reached two meters. While he wouldn't bump his head, Charles stayed cautious, creeping along at a crouch.
At least the width was sufficient—you could still roll side to side in a fight without issue.
Behind him, Andny frowned slightly; the environment put her on edge. What grated more: the knowledge she was here to rescue another woman who would compete with her for Master's affection. Her mood grew subtly sour.
She glanced at Theresa and Nidalee, considering something, then secretly guided a mosquito to Theresa's ear. "Eldest sister, may I ask you something?"
Theresa turned, her smile gentle. "Ask."
"Well, um…" She gestured a little. "What do you think about Lady Anno's situation?"
Theresa looked puzzled. "What do I think?"
"Um… well, aren't you against it?"
"Why would I be against it?"
"But, the other sisters don't seem pleased that Anno's joining our family." Not daring to admit her own jealousy, Andny deflected: it was others who objected.
"Like who?"
"Like Sephera."
"What, her? Why?"
"Uh… I'm not sure. Maybe she fears Anno will threaten her position in Master's heart?"
Andny's explanation wasn't confident; honestly, she felt much the same, though she herself didn't mind Anno's addition—after all, until recently, she was last in line regardless.
Now that she'd begun fighting for her own place, of course she thought more about her ranking in Charles's heart.
Hearing her out, Theresa's expression became rather nuanced. Still, she said nothing for a moment, then asked, "Anyone else?"
"Um… not really…" Andny realized only Sephera had truly shown any overt dislike.
"Hattie—has she objected?"
"I… can't say for sure." Andny thought a moment, then shook her head. "She seems to have feelings about it, but has never openly objected."
"In general, most sisters don't really approve of Master and Lady Anno's romance—but thinking about it, apart from Sephera, no one else has really shown dislike outright."
Theresa frowned slightly. She hadn't thought of this before, nor paid much attention to the others' attitudes.
After a bit, she shook her head. "Sorry, I don't quite understand that mentality. To me…"
Looking over at Charles's silhouette, she continued: "The larger Master's harem, the better, surely. Shouldn't we be happy if he wins the heart of another outstanding woman?"
She turned to Nidalee and smiled: "It's like, um…"
She wanted to say "like watching your own boar root up a prize cabbage," but thought the metaphor too vulgar and swallowed it back.
"In short, I'm happy for every new sister who joins. No matter who—whether Nidalee, Anno, or even Porter, even if her goal is just to bear a better child, it's Master's child, so I'd be sincerely delighted."
Andny fell silent, her heart full of confusion. She answered, "So that's it," and unconsciously slowed, mulling over Theresa's words.
Further back, Nidalee was also silent. She'd overheard the witches easily, and was equally conflicted.
She truly didn't want more women around Charles, but listening to Theresa, she wondered: was this a greater mindset she needed to emulate…?
Should she also believe it was good for him, and therefore encourage him to gather more women?
She wasn't sure, and the confusion was hard to express.
Is sharing a man's love with other women really my destined fate?
But soon, they had no time for confusion. Up ahead, Charles suddenly stopped. "Andny, Nidalee, do either of you have a way to control the vampire bats ahead?"
Vampire bats—a cross between bat and mosquito, bat-sized, but with lengthy, mosquito-like proboscises, feeding on blood.
Once they picked a target, vampire bats would dive beneath clothing, digging mouthparts and claws in and drinking deep before letting go.
Charles had layers of magical protection, but vampire bats didn't hunt alone—where there was one, there'd be a swarm, which was endlessly annoying.
He had no desire to waste energy on such nimble little pests, so he asked if Andny or Nidalee could help.
"Oh, I can try," Andny said, closing her eyes to cast her powers. Soon she sensed the bats ahead and brought them under her control—
Charles waited patiently. After the monastery's blessing, Andny's progress was remarkable. It didn't take long before she opened her eyes: "All done."
As she spoke, the bats soared up, forming a heart in the air.
Nidalee pouted, unimpressed with Andny's flattery. Theresa, smiling, was genuinely pleased by her sisters' growth, while Andny herself seemed frustrated: "Still too slow. These tunnels are so vast—this handful of bats aren't enough…"
Charles smiled, stroking her hair gently. "This is excellent already. Let's continue!"
With bats scouting, their progress sped up. The team charged deeper, racing for the Drider's lair.
While they pressed ahead, the miners' camp outside was quiet—until the old bearded dwarf, half-dozing in the sun, saw several tall, broad silhouettes approaching.
Immediately alert, he squinted and saw a group of seven or eight muscular, jet-black minotaurs coming his way. The leader stood over two meters tall, radiating such a menacing presence that just a glance made the dwarf's hair stand on end.
Before him, they bowed. "Hey, old man, is this the cave where the undead have appeared?"
"Yes," the dwarf replied, eyes darting. "But who are you?"
"We are the new Alliance of the Mountain Purifiers," the leading minotaur boomed, puffing out his massive chest. "As for me, I am a warrior of the Highmountain Tribe—Torun Highmountain!"
"Our alliance was created to purify these mountains of every foul blight! We are the mountains' greatest defenders!"
"So, any undead, fiends, cultists, or invaders—we're here to wipe them out!"
"We represent justice and order, and cannot be defeated!"
With that, he thumped his chest—a gesture of respect, apparently—then turned toward the cavern's opening and roared, "Warriors, advance!"
The minotaurs thundered into the mine. Watching their backs, the dwarf muttered, "Are these fools for real…?"
All at once, he glimpsed something violet dart past, joining the minotaurs in their charge.
He rubbed his eyes. "What the…? Am I really that drunk?"
He didn't know—in truth, a powerful succubus had just shadowed the minotaurs' trail into the depths of the mine.
That was Ines's demonic silhouette.
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