IN THE CAVE
Junyu slowly moved through the underground passage, his footsteps echoing through the enormous darkness.
The deeper he went, the more the place began to change.
Ancient stone walls surrounded him, while rows of torches burned along the corridor.
Junyu stopped beside one.
He reached out and touched the flame.
"Let's see..."
He concentrated his NIT energy and examined the torch.
His eyes narrowed.
Real fire.
He looked at the flame again.
That means this wasn't left burning here for centuries.
Someone lit it recently.
Junyu's expression became serious.
Which means there are people here.
He continued walking.
Torch after torch.
The corridor seemed endless.
The deeper he went, the more details he began noticing.
The walls weren't natural.
The pillars weren't natural.
The enormous doors weren't natural.
Junyu finally stopped.
He looked around.
"This isn't a cave..."
His eyes widened slightly.
"This is a castle."
An abandoned castle buried beneath the prison.
Yet parts of it had clearly been restored.
Fresh stonework.
Recently lit torches.
New sections built into ancient architecture.
Junyu slowly looked upward.
"A castle below another castle..."
He smiled faintly.
"Interesting."
He continued deeper into the underground structure.
"I just have to find the real secrets about this..."
His expression became determined.
"And then maybe it's all done."
Junyu eventually sat down against one of the ancient walls.
He closed his eyes and began organizing everything he had discovered.
Let's think.
He raised one finger.
1. "Runa loves Darmen."
He remembered the words carved into the rock.
He raised another.
2. There is a castle below the prison.
He opened his eyes.
"That probably means they have something to do with each other."
Junyu stood.
"I should be a wisdom provider to the kings."
He started walking again.
Then—
voices.
Junyu immediately stopped.
Footsteps echoed from somewhere ahead.
He quickly moved behind a pillar.
Two figures appeared in the hallway.
They were carrying something between them.
A strange crystal-like ore.
It glowed brightly enough to illuminate their faces.
Junyu watched carefully.
What is that?
The two figures walked past him.
Junyu waited.
Then silently followed.
They entered a room.
Junyu waited a few seconds before slipping inside.
The moment he entered—
he froze.
His eyes widened.
The room was enormous.
Thousands of glowing ores filled the chamber.
Golden light reflected across the walls and ceiling.
There were stacks everywhere.
Rows upon rows.
Junyu slowly stepped forward.
"...What?"
Numbers were written across the ores.
He followed them.
One.
Hundred.
Thousand.
The numbers continued increasing.
Junyu reached the final section.
His eyes locked onto the last ore.
Written across it were two words:
"LAST ORE."
Junyu looked at the number beside it.
9999.
His face went completely blank.
He slowly stepped backward.
His legs gave out.
He fell onto the floor.
"What the hell is happening over here?"
He stared at the enormous collection.
Nearly 10,000 ores.
Junyu reached down and picked one up.
It was warm.
Its golden glow pulsed faintly in his hand.
He examined it carefully.
"What happens if..."
He began breaking the ore apart from the inside.
The golden glow suddenly changed.
Golden → Crimson.
Junyu's eyes widened.
"Wait—"
The ore vibrated violently.
BOOM!
It fired forward like a bullet.
Junyu barely moved his head in time.
The crimson projectile passed beside him.
CRASH!
The wall behind him collapsed.
Stone fell across the floor.
Dust filled the room.
Junyu stared at the destroyed wall.
"...What?"
Then—
BZZZZZZZZT!
A warning buzzer echoed through the underground castle.
Junyu immediately dropped the ore.
I have to go.
He turned and sprinted out of the chamber.
Moments later, several guards rushed into the room.
They looked at the destroyed wall.
One guard simply stared.
Then he calmly spoke.
"Hmm."
He looked at the damaged ore.
"This is very normal."
Another guard looked at him.
"Normal?"
The first guard nodded.
"The master said this might happen in the final stages of the plan."
The guards continued examining the room.
None of them seemed particularly surprised.
Meanwhile, Junyu was already far down another corridor.
He stopped behind a wall and caught his breath.
His mind was racing.
One ore destroyed that wall effortlessly.
He looked back toward the direction of the chamber.
So what are they planning to do with ten thousand of them?
His expression hardened.
"There has to be more."
Junyu turned toward the deeper corridors.
"I have to find more."
The torches flickered behind him.
And somewhere deep beneath the castle...
another chamber began to glow.