An hour of quiet preparation followed. Katrina restocked her quiver with specialized arrows: a few broadheads for unarmored targets, some armor-piercing bodkins, and a couple of distinctive blunted shafts David guessed were for non-lethal purposes or specific creature types. Hailey cleaned her daggers with careful precision, humming a jaunty tune that clashed oddly with the grimness of their impending mission. She fastened a series of small, rattling pouches to her belt, traps or disabling tools, David guessed.
Isaac, after getting his arm re-bandaged by a city healer, spent most of the time sharpening his axe with a whetstone, the rhythmic shink-shink-shink grating on David's nerves. He also acquired a slightly newer, though still plain, wooden shield from the barracks quartermaster, eyeing David's [Livingwood Aegis] with renewed envy.
David used the time to visit a general merchant. With the coin earned from the Grove Guardian loot, he bought a sturdy waterskin, some dried rations (described as "Traveler's Sustenance Biscuits – surprisingly edible!"), and a whetstone of his own. His [Trainee's Blade], despite its evolutions, was still a basic quality weapon and showed signs of wear. He had 15 EP left – not enough for a major evolution, but he carefully used 10 EP to perform a "Minor Durability Restoration" on his blade through the system, bringing its sharpness back to peak and mending some tiny nicks.
He also took a moment to really study his [Swift Strike] skill. The mana cost was still "N/A," which was puzzling. Did he need to unlock a mana pool? Or was it drawing on some latent energy he wasn't aware of? For now, it worked, and that was what mattered.
Soon enough, they gathered at the eastern gate, the designated departure point for the Sunstone Mines. The area was less traveled than the western road leading to the Whispering Woods. The air already felt drier, dustier.
The entrance to the Sunstone Mines was a gaping maw in the side of a rocky hill, the old wooden supports around it weathered and decaying. A faded sign, half-eaten by time and insects, once proudly proclaimed "Newhaven Sunstone Consolidated." Now, it looked more like a warning.
"Charming," Hailey commented, peering into the darkness. "Smells like old socks and regret."
"Old socks, regret, and hopefully, lots of EP," David amended, adjusting the [Livingwood Aegis] on his arm. Its faint protective aura was a small comfort as they faced the gloomy entrance.
Katrina produced a sunrod – a chemically treated stick that, when snapped, emitted a steady, bright glow. "David, you'll be on point with Isaac. Your shield offers good protection. Hailey, stay between us and Katrina. I'll take the rear, cover our backs."
It was a sensible formation. David nodded, taking a steadying breath. Isaac grunted, giving David a sideways glance that was more appraising than hostile this time. Perhaps It could've been the shared danger, or maybe David's surprising skills, but his anger seemed to be fading, Or maybe he just didn't want to be the first one eaten.
They stepped into the mine.
The transition from dusty daylight to the cool, damp darkness of the tunnels was immediate. The sunrod's glow made the wet stone walls shimmer, shadows shifting across them. The air was stale, heavy with the scent of minerals and something else… a faint, metallic tang that David didn't like. The only sounds were their footsteps, the drip-drip-drip of water from the ceiling, and Hailey's soft, almost inaudible humming.
"Keep an eye out for unstable ground and old mining traps," Katrina cautioned from the rear. "These old tunnels weren't always cleared properly when they were abandoned."
They proceeded cautiously, the beam of the sunrod cutting a swathe through the oppressive darkness. Side tunnels branched off at irregular intervals, dark and uninviting. They stuck to what seemed like the main shaft.
It wasn't long before they encountered their first inhabitants.
A creature crawled out from a narrow crack in the wall. It was about the size of a badger, with six insect-like legs, a dull rust-colored shell, and sharp mandibles that clicked threateningly. Its multiple eyes glowed with the same faint, crimson light as the Riftlings.
[Skittering Riftling (Mine Variant - Level 3)]
[Adapted to the dark, confined spaces of the mines. Its carapace is tougher than its woodland cousins.]
"Riftlings, as expected," David muttered, bracing his shield.
Before he or Isaac could react, Hailey darted forward. "My turn to get first poke!" With a flick of her wrist, a small, metallic pellet shot from her hand, hitting the Riftling squarely. It wasn't a damaging attack, but the pellet burst with a puff of acrid smoke. The Riftling stumbled, disoriented, shaking its head.
Hailey followed up instantly, her daggers flashing. [-9 Damage!] [-10 Damage!]. The Riftling collapsed, dissolving.
"Smoke pellets," Hailey said cheerfully, retrieving a small, unused pellet. "Good for confusing things with too many eyes."
More Riftlings began to emerge from other crevices and shadowy corners, drawn by the commotion. This time, David and Isaac were ready.
David's shield deflected a pounce, the Minor Thorn Retribution pricking the attacker. His [Trainee's Blade] followed up. Isaac's axe cleaved through another. Katrina's arrows found their marks with deadly precision from the rear.
The "Mine Variant" Riftlings were a bit tougher, their shells deflecting light hits more easily, but they still couldn't stand up to the team's teamwork. David focused on shielding both himself and Isaac, letting his aura reinforce their defenses as he chose his strikes carefully. He resisted the urge to use [Swift Strike] on every single one, conserving his (still undefined) energy for potentially tougher foes.
As they cleared a small alcove of Riftlings, David noticed a section of the wall that seemed… off. It was smoother, almost glassy in places, and a faint, purplish light pulsed from behind it, barely visible.
"Katrina, look at this," he said, pointing.
Katrina moved forward, examining the wall closely. "This isn't natural rock. It feels… thin. Like a scab over a wound." She pressed her ear to it. "I hear them. More of them. And something… bigger."
Suddenly, a section of the glassy wall cracked, then shattered inwards, revealing a larger cavern beyond. And from that cavern, a new type of horror emerged.
It was roughly humanoid in shape but slender and distorted, its limbs too long, its skin the color of a fresh bruise. It had no discernible face, just a swirling vortex of shadow where its head should be. Wisps of void-like energy trailed from its elongated fingers.
[Minor Void Terror (Level 5)]
[A being partially manifested from the void between realities. Its touch can drain vitality.]
The Minor Void Terror let out a silent scream that resonated directly in their minds, a wave of nausea and dread washing over David. This was definitely a step up from the Skittering Riftlings.
This was what Kaelen had sent them to find.