NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 78: Into the Cave
The massive Poisonous Treant, still bound by the thick layers of dark ice, thrashed violently, splintering the frozen prison that held it.
Cracks spider-webbed through the ice as the Treant's immense strength slowly began to break through. Alex's eyes were locked on it, his hands trembling from the effort of maintaining the spell.
"Just a little longer..." he muttered through gritted teeth, fighting against the draining pull on his mana.
But Alas it was too late for the Territory Boss monster.
The moment the ice shattered,
Tendrils of dark lightning snaked through the Poisonous Treant's body, striking with lethal precision. The creature let out an earth-shaking roar, its massive form convulsing as the lightning ripped through its wooden flesh, charring it from the inside out.
The monstrous Treant's towering body buckled, its limbs cracking and smoldering. Finally, with one last tortured groan, it collapsed to the ground in a massive heap, its form still smoking from the blast.
Alex stood there, panting, his vision swimming as the mana drain left him momentarily light-headed. But a small, satisfied grin spread across his face. The Poisonous Treant Territory Boss was no more.
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[The Host has killed a D rank Territory Boss Monster]
[+500 XP and +25 SP]
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'Huh? So Territory Boss Monsters give more XP and SP compared to others of the same rank. Well, good for me.' Alex thought, feeling a sense of accomplishment.
He quickly downed a mana and energy potion, the cool liquid revitalizing him almost instantly. Within a few minutes, his strength had recovered to about 75%, and the weariness that had plagued him during the fight began to lift.
After regaining his composure, Alex moved toward the remains of the Poisonous Treant Territory Boss and began carving away at its thick, charred bark.
His blade cut through the wood with ease until he found what he was searching for—the Mana Core of the fallen monster.
Holding it in his hand, he couldn't help but compare it to the other D-rank monster core he had collected, particularly the one from the Berserker Boar.
Though both were from D-rank creatures, the Treant's core was slightly larger and noticeably more concentrated in mana.
"Well, they say not to judge mana cores by their size but by their potency." Alex muttered to himself, turning the core over in his hands. "This Treant's core might be the biggest one I've seen so far, but that Grim Hound's core still had more mana packed into it."
His mind flashed back to the Grim Hound—a C-rank monster that had nearly killed him. Only Sherry's intervention had saved his life. Despite the Grim Hound's core being about the size of an E-rank monster's, the sheer richness of the mana within had been unmistakable.
The easiest way to judge a mana core's rank was by the intensity of its color and the brilliance of its shine. Lower-ranked cores had a duller appearance, while higher-ranked cores, like the one from the Grim Hound, practically radiated energy.
Satisfied with his efforts, Alex pocketed the Treant's core, his mind already calculating the price it would fetch.
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Venturing deeper into the Poison Mist Forest, Alex found himself in a completely different region. The dense, towering trees of the Treant's territory had vanished, and the swampy marshlands were nowhere in sight.
He stood in a barren patch of land, where only the poisonous mist lingered in the air.
"I'm definitely not in the Treant's territory anymore.", Alex muttered, scanning his surroundings. "And this is definitely not the marshlands. Must be the third territory...I wonder what kind of monster are in this place."
Typically, the territory bosses should reside near the center of their domain or in areas where the poison mist was most concentrated, which meant he was likely still in the thick of the forest.
The oppressive fog that clung to the air confirmed that much. His curiosity piqued, Alex moved forward, hoping to either encounter another territory boss or stumble upon a clue for his side quest.
The system had issued a side quest: to explore the Poison Mist Forest, uncover the source of Opal Village's problems, and discover a hidden treasure.
Solving the mystery behind the village's troubles was a challenge Alex had accepted wholeheartedly, but the allure of finding hidden treasure made the journey even more exciting.
After searching for more than an hour, with nothing but a few scattered, gnarled trees dotting the barren landscape, Alex finally stumbled upon something intriguing—a cave entrance.
It was partially dug into the ground, making the opening larger and more accessible, though half of it seemed to be swallowed by the earth.
'This looks promising.' Alex thought, crouching near the entrance. 'A hidden cave in the middle of nowhere… could be something important.'
He stood at the mouth of the cave, peering into the dark depths. The thick mist still hung in the air around him, but he sensed that this place held secrets—secrets that might lead him closer to uncovering the source of Opal Village's troubles or, perhaps, the hidden treasure.
"Only one way to find out." Alex murmured to himself, as he took a deep breath and stepped inside the cave.
'Luckily I had bought these in anticipation of such situations.' Alex thought as he strapped on the headlamp he'd purchased earlier.
While his night vision skill allowed him to see in the dark, the lamp's luminance offered better clarity, especially in unfamiliar territory.
The cave was spacious, easily able to accommodate a six-foot-tall man with headroom to spare. Its width allowed Alex to move freely, though the sense of confinement still lingered as the entrance behind him disappeared into darkness. The poisonous mist from outside thinned, making way for the damp, musty air of the cave's interior.
Alex moved cautiously, his footsteps echoing faintly against the cold, slick stone beneath him. The atmosphere was heavy, the air dense with moisture.
The walls of the cave were jagged, lined with patches of strange moss that emitted a faint, otherworldly glow. The dim light from the moss mixed with the beam of his headlamp, casting ghostly shadows that danced along the slick stone.
As Alex ventured deeper, he could feel the mana in the air shift. Something was different here—dense, almost oppressive.
His Hunter's instincts flared, warning him that he wasn't alone. He paused briefly, his muscles tense, eyes scanning the cave for any sign of movement.
The walls bore strange markings, like claw marks from small creatures. But some of the scratches were larger, deeper—clearly left by something much more formidable. 'What kind of creatures made these?' Alex wondered, his grip tightening on his sword.
He pressed forward, senses heightened, knowing that whatever lay deeper in the cave was likely responsible for the eerie atmosphere.
His heart raced slightly, not out of fear, but anticipation. He could feel the presence of something lurking, waiting in the shadows.
As Alex moved deeper into the cave, the narrow passage he'd been navigating opened into a vast, cavernous hallway.
The ceiling stretched high above, lost in shadow, while the walls curved outward, creating a massive chamber that seemed to sprawl in every direction.
At the center of the hallway, multiple labyrinth-like passageways branched out, twisting and snaking their way into darkness.
The air was colder here, thicker with an oppressive sense of decay, and the faint glow of the moss on the walls barely cut through the heavy shadows that cloaked the chamber.
Straight ahead, at the far end of the hallway, a massive archway loomed ominously. Jagged stone framed the entrance, and from within the pitch-black void beyond, Alex saw it—a pair of enormous red eyes, glowing with malevolent intensity, fixed on him from the darkness. The eyes remained still for a long moment, watching him with a predatory calm.
Alex's pulse quickened, but he didn't flinch. Suddenly, a new sound broke through the silence—scratching, skittering. The noise reverberated through the cavern, growing louder as it echoed off the stone walls.
From the smaller passageways that branched off the main hall, creatures began to emerge. Dozens at first, then more.
Carrion Rats, grotesque and twisted, their matted fur filthy and their eyes glowing with an insatiable hunger. They poured out of the tunnels like a tide of death, their movements erratic and frenzied as they surged toward Alex.
The cavern was soon filled with the sound of their scurrying claws, the air thick with their rancid stench. Alex braced himself, knowing the swarm of rats was just the beginning.
Whatever was watching him from the archway was still there, waiting, and that was the true threat he would have to face.