Theron stepped closer to Ryn and spoke.
"I hereby order you… to enter the cave and eliminate them all."
He spoke with the smile of a victor—
the smile of a man who believed he had the right to send others to their deaths simply because he desired it.
Ryn remained silent.
"Well?"
Theron leaned in closer.
"Can you do it? Or are you… afraid?"
He let out a soft chuckle.
"No, no, no… that can't be it.
How could the disciple of a legendary hero think such a thing?"
His voice dripped with mockery.
"You should be brave—just like your master."
Theron's grin widened.
"Otherwise… your dear teacher would surely weep in disappointment
if he learned that his beloved disciple refused—or disobeyed—a commander's orders out of fear."
His gaze never left Ryn.
Ryn, who had listened in silence the entire time, finally spoke.
"Understood."
His voice was calm and emotionless.
"I will enter alone, as per your command."
Theron smiled in satisfaction, confident that his plan had succeeded.
Nearby, Goran and Alize wore unmistakably anxious expressions.
Ryn, however, remained composed as he stepped out of the formation.
"Ah—"
Theron exclaimed, as if suddenly remembering something.
"I nearly forgot."
He tilted his head, pretending to think.
"It seems the intelligence unit mentioned something to me earlier.
But what was it again…?"
He frowned theatrically.
"I just can't seem to recall."
Theron walked closer to Ryn once more, then snapped his fingers.
"Ah, yes, yes, yes! Now I remember."
He flashed a wide grin.
"Inside that cave…
there are reportedly two Calami Marauders—
giant ape monsters."
"Hee hee hee hee hee…"
Theron laughed with cruel delight, clearly savoring the pressure he had forced upon Ryn.
"Thank you for the warning."
Ryn bowed his head slightly toward Theron, then turned and walked into the cave, his figure disappearing into the darkness—
leaving behind a group of soldiers and mages who watched with deep concern.
The interior of the Calami Cave was vast, yet smothered in absolute darkness.
Ryn drew out his Auroral Tear and fastened it to his waist.
The gentle glow of the Auroral Tear illuminated the path ahead with sufficient clarity.
Ryn advanced deeper into the cave at an unhurried pace. His past expeditions alongside Richard had made him thoroughly familiar with Calami dens. Their internal structures were almost always the same.
At the end of the passage, a massive pit opened before him.
It was not particularly deep, yet wide enough to swallow sound itself.
Ryn removed the Auroral Tear from his waist and let it fall into the darkness below.
Brilliant light erupted as the crystal struck the stone, washing over the cavern walls and gradually revealing the interior.
The cave was layered into three distinct tiers.
And then—
The roars of numerous Calami echoed throughout the chamber.
They were followed by the thunder of countless footsteps, crashing against the stone in a deafening chorus that made the heart race.
Ryn drew his sword.
In the next instant, he hurled himself down the sloping path, slashing through the swarm of Calami that rushed upward, hungry for his life.
His blade carved through the air.
Blood sprayed.
Bestial roars filled the cavern.
One by one, the Calami fell, their bodies piling along the path Ryn tore through.
Moments later, he reached the bottom of the pit.
But before he could steady himself—
The Calami from the lowest tier surged toward him without pause.
Ryn raised his hand.
Wind magic condensed into razor-sharp blades, which tore forward and cleaved multiple Calami in half.
Blood splattered violently across the cavern walls.
He pressed forward without pause, his blade never ceasing.
Every movement was precise.
Every strike was lethal.
One by one, the Calami fell, their roars fading into silence.
Before long, the cavern was quiet.
Ryn swept his gaze across the battlefield, searching for the Marauders Theron had mentioned.
But there was no sign of them.
He retrieved the Auroral Tear and ventured deeper into the cave, eventually stopping before the Womb Chamber.
Ryn stared at it in silence.
An uneasy feeling welled up within his chest.
The air felt unnaturally heavy—
as though something unseen was watching him.
He knew full well that entering the chamber was forbidden by the Central Council's laws.
But before his thoughts could settle—
Two blood-red eyes flared to life behind him.
Ryn spun around at once.
Two Marauders clung to the cavern ceiling, their massive muscles coiled tight.
Their crimson eyes burned with murderous hunger.
Their gaping maws revealed rows of razor-sharp fangs, glinting in the light of Ryn's Auroral Tear.
And in the very next heartbeat—
They lunged at him simultaneously.