I grumbled to myself as I surveyed the scene. The forest was in complete chaos. Trees lay toppled in every direction, and frightened animals darted around in a panic. Still, it was fortunate that it had rained. If such an earthquake had struck during a dry weather, the friction from falling trees rubbing against each other might have sparked a wildfire.
“Phew. Hopefully, nothing too serious happened. I need to regroup with the main force.”
Muttering to myself, I stood up. Having been thrown into the mud created by the spring rain, my clothes were a mess, smeared with dirt.
“In ten years of living around here, I’ve never experienced an earthquake before.”
Dusting off my clothes, I quickly realized there wasn’t much point—it was too damp for that to make a difference. Resigning myself to the mess, I started making my way out of the forest at a brisk pace. Then, something unusual caught my eye.
“Huh?”
As I emerged from the woods, I noticed a previously unseen cave opening gaping in the mountainside at about mid-height.
“….”
An isolated cave like this would normally be an ideal habitat for animals, but there were no signs of creatures having lived there. This must mean it had been sealed until the earthquake revealed it. Sure enough, there were piles of collapsed rock scattered around the entrance.
“Whoa?”
I approached the cave to take a closer look and was taken aback. Though it appeared to be a natural cave from the outside, a brief inspection revealed an interior that had been precisely carved into a perfect square. In other words, it was clearly an artificial tunnel. Surely no one would believe nature had somehow crafted such a neatly squared-off cave.
“An artificial tunnel? Was this always here?”
Muttering under my breath, I peered deeper into the cave. The inside was utterly dark, with no source of light other than what filtered in through the entrance. Even so, I could make out stone blocks lining the floor.
“Hmm. I should take a closer look.”
I glanced around the area. Thanks to the earthquake, there were plenty of freshly broken branches scattered about. I selected a few sturdy pieces suitable for making torches. The branches, broken only moments ago, were full of resin, which made them perfect for this purpose. Resin-rich wood burns steadily and for a long time.
“Perfect. Let’s light this up.”
Talking to myself, I began my preparations. Now it was time to demonstrate the fire-making skills of a Velkysus Ranger. Digging through my belongings, I retrieved some matches wrapped in oiled paper. Striking one against the heel of my boot, I was surprised by how easily it ignited despite the high humidity.
“Nice. That worked well.”
I gathered dry twigs and leaves from the surrounding area—surprisingly easy to find, even in a forest that had been drizzled on all day—and used the match to light them. Once the flames were going strong, I held the torches over the fire to dry them out further, then lit one end. Despite being freshly cut, the resin made the wood burn brightly, creating an excellent torch.
“Alright, let’s head in. But first, put out the fire.”
After stomping out the flames with wet soil, I turned toward the cave. The earthquake-exposed entrance seemed almost to call me inside. A strange thrill surged through me.
At 20 years old, I might be a little old to dream of becoming a legendary hero, but the heart of an adolescent still beats within me. The legendary figures—like Emperor Orthegar the Great and his Zodiac Knights, or the founding Grand Duke Belkisas of the Lionia Kingdom—had all made their names in their late teens. Yet here I was, harboring romantic notions of treasure-filled caves and ancient mysteries.
“Hah.”
Trying to calm my excited heart, I cautiously stepped inside. Could this tunnel be hiding something extraordinary? Perhaps a legendary sword or a beautiful maiden from an ancient civilization, waiting in enchanted slumber? Am I being too fanciful?
Inside the cave, the only sounds were the faint whispers of the wind and the crackling of my torch. The tunnel extended straight ahead in a perfect 3-meter square, its walls unnaturally smooth and precise.
“Hmm.”
But this place didn’t seem safe. A tunnel like this wouldn’t have been built without reason—or without traps. I approached cautiously, realizing I’d entered through a breach created by the earthquake. Judging from my surroundings, this wasn’t the proper entrance but a ruptured section of the hallway.
“So, which way leads deeper in, and which way is the exit?”
Holding up my torch, I drew a wide circle with it, the flickering flames casting eerie shadows around me. With my free hand resting on my sword hilt, I called out cautiously.
“Hello? Is anyone there?”
Only my voice echoed back, repeating endlessly. There were no signs of creatures or other disturbances, likely because this section had been sealed off until now. After scanning the hallway in both directions, I decided to take a step forward. It was just one small step, but for me, it felt monumental.
Click.
It was a step that could risk everything for the sake of a trap! As soon as I felt something was off, I instinctively twisted my body sideways and pressed close to the wall.
Schkak!
At that moment, a spear shot out from the ceiling, piercing the spot where I had just been standing. If I had remained there—or even hesitated for a fraction of a second—no matter what posture I took, I would have been sent to the afterlife with a single blow.
“What… is this?”
I murmured, trying to calm my pounding heart. Good grief. A spear made entirely of iron, even down to its shaft. At least it came from the ceiling. If it had been a trap from the wall, my side would’ve been skewered, leaving me like a kebab.
“As expected, there are traps here.”
I stuck my tongue out, feeling vindicated that my suspicions had been correct. True, I was technically an intruder in this cave, but still—lethal traps like these? Not even ten lives would be enough to survive!
“Could there be more traps?”
I muttered, examining the trigger for the trap I had just set off. It seemed to be a pressure plate I must have stepped on.
“So, I just need to be careful where I step?”
With that thought, I looked ahead. However, the floor was entirely made of uniform blocks. There was no way to distinguish which would trigger a trap. Moreover, it was pitch dark—without a torch, I couldn’t even see a step ahead. How was I supposed to spot traps in such a place?
“Hmm.”
I wiped the sweat from my brow as a chill ran down my spine. Damn it. If I were fighting a formidable enemy and died from a sword, at least that would be less humiliating. But to die from a trap in a place like this? What a meaningless death that would be! The best course of action would be to turn back and request reinforcements. But I resolved to press on.
“Let’s go.”
If there’s treasure here… it would be a shame to leave it for others.. I don’t need much money anyway. But—this is absurd, I know—what if there’s a sleeping beauty here? That’s something I absolutely can’t let anyone else have!
“…”
It’s a ridiculous thought, even to me. But risking your life for something silly like that? Isn’t that just what it means to be a man? A youthful dream, you might call it. Ah, how embarrassing.
“But how am I supposed to figure this out?”
I sighed, looking at the indistinguishable blocks on the floor. Who knows how old this tunnel is? Any mechanisms here would’ve rusted or decayed over time. For instance, if a spring mechanism were left in a damp place for two years, it would rust and become unusable. Yet, the traps here still work flawlessly, which means a lot of money and effort must have gone into creating them.
“…”
I’m no professional treasure hunter, just a ranger. If this were an outdoor trap, I could spot it easily. But here? It seems I’ll have to disarm everything by brute force.
“Ah, what a fate.”
Cautiously, I started moving forward. I assumed this direction was forward because the spear from the earlier trap had tilted slightly forward when it thrust. This meant it was designed to anticipate someone walking that way. Ha! How brilliant of me to figure out such clues from trivial details. Just how intelligent, elegant, and cool-headed am I?
“Huh!”
I ran a hand through my hair with a smug smile. There was no one around to see me, but practice makes a man perfect—if I didn’t rehearse being cool now, I wouldn’t look good when it mattered.
“…”
Carefully, I moved forward, keeping my eyes on the floor. But then—
Piiing!
“Piiing?”
Mimicking the strange sound, I carefully looked at my chest area. What now? There was a thin wire at chest height. Painted black, it was barely visible even when I held up the torch. Clearly designed to be hidden.
“Ha!”
Feeling a bad premonition, I immediately backflipped away.
Spat!
Just as expected, the trap activated. A pitch-black blade shot out from the wall and sliced through knee height. What made this trap particularly insidious was that it didn’t just stop at knee level—it slashed upward at an angle. If I had mistimed my reaction, I would’ve been split in two. Few could leap over a blade that fast, let alone survive.
Of course, someone like me, who chose to backflip immediately, could avoid it entirely. After a graceful rotation in midair, I landed smoothly on the ground. Normally, I could do over 100 backflips in two minutes, but my legs trembled from the tension of the situation. My heart pounded faster than a watermill, and my mind went blank.
At least my quick thinking had saved me. If I had hesitated or miscalculated, I’d be in pieces. I wasn’t relying on mere intuition, either. The earlier trap had come from above, so I figured a trap triggered by a chest-height wire would aim low.
“Huff, huff. Damn it.”
I wiped my chin and let out a heavy sigh. Just two traps, and I was already drained. Taking a deep breath, I resumed walking cautiously.
Clunk.
Clatter-clatter-clatter.
“Whoaahhh!”
To my shock, there were traps every three steps. What kind of madness was this?! Was this the tomb of some ancient tyrant?! The interconnected nature of the traps, designed to lead into one another, reeked of malice. The arrogance I’d felt earlier had given way to self-pity.
“Falling into so many traps… am I a goldfish or something?”
I muttered as I trudged forward. My body was covered in cuts and bruises, making me look like I’d rolled down a rocky slope in my sleep. My clothes were in tatters, and I looked no better than a beggar.
“Damn it. Should I just turn back now?”
I glanced behind me. But there lay the traps I had painstakingly disarmed, almost looking pitifully at me. Seeing them reignited my stubbornness.
“If it’s come to this, I’ll get through all the traps and reach the end, no matter what! Damn it! Whatever treasure is here, it better be worth it! If it’s worthless, I’ll bury this entire cave under the mountain!”
