Chapter 5: The Traitor's Daughter

The heavy stone gate opened to a dark and damp space. The stagnant air, carrying the scent of moss and the oblivion of time, enveloped the two of them. They descended a steep staircase into a deep, pitch-black corridor where light could not reach. Even so, in the near-absolute darkness, Kaega's eyes, accustomed to hell, could still vaguely make out the outlines of the passage.

-Aren't you going to use a torch? – Lyne took the initiative to break the silence, her voice echoing softly in the quiet space.

-Not yet. The light could trigger mechanisms we can't see.

They paused. Kaega began to move systematically, one hand tracing the rough stone wall, the other waving gently in the air, feeling for any unusual drafts. Lyne was also on high alert, her eyes scanning the darkness, searching for any sign of danger.

-This is... – Kaega's fingers touched a strange surface, not stone. It was smooth, cold, and slightly curved.

-What is it?

-A mirror, I think?

-Not sure, but let me check.

Kaega stood up, walking around to the opposite side of the object. His eyes narrowed.

-Hmm, there's a tripwire here... very thin, seems to be made of wax...

-So it's a light trap?

-Looks like it. I'm not sure about the mechanism, but it seems we can only move in darkness. Can you see the path clearly?

-I can.

-Good, then move carefully.

They proceeded again, more cautiously than before. Kaega could only see clearly within a few meters, but Lyne seemed unaffected. Her eyes were like a cat's, sharp and keen, constantly pointing out dangers Kaega couldn't perceive.

-Careful, eight meters ahead of you, the brick on the right looks very suspicious. Avoid it.

-Got it...

"Her night vision is much better than mine."

It was a skill that couldn't be acquired through ordinary training. It was forged in desperate escapes, in long nights spent hiding in fear.

"What has she been through...?"

Kaega didn't know, but he was certain that this girl's past was even harsher than he had imagined.

-"Don't... go any further."

A whispering voice suddenly echoed, not from the surroundings, but from inside Kaega's head. He stopped dead in his tracks.

-What's wrong?

-Did you hear that?

-Hear what? I didn't hear anything.

-"It's very... dangerous ahead... it will devour you..."

The whisper came again, cold and full of warning. Kaega looked at Lyne in confusion, then a realization dawned on him.

-Is this what you called the mysterious power?

Kaega quickly composed himself, analyzing the situation.

"My thoughts are still coherent, not hazy. This isn't mind-manipulating magic."

Just then, Lyne suddenly collapsed, clutching her head.

-Aaa....

-Hey, what's wrong with you? Hey!

Kaega immediately rushed forward, but a sharp blade swung towards him.

-STAY AWAY FROM ME!

Kaega managed to dodge, then stared intently at Lyne.

"That speed isn't as fast as when she attacked the 'hound.' It seems she's trying to hold back."

-"The girl... is in pain... restrain her."

"Damn it... What the hell is going on?"

Keeping his cool, Kaega pulled a coil of rope from his bag and slowly approached Lyne.

-STAY AWAY!

Lyne's voice was distorted, foreign yet somehow familiar. Kaega paid it no mind, focusing on dodging her frantic slashes. Still, he was careless and the blade grazed his palm.

"Ogh–"

He winced in pain but seized the opportunity, grabbing Lyne's wrist. Strangely, the moment he touched her, she stopped struggling, her body going limp. She stared blankly at Kaega, who was gripping her with his bleeding arm.

-What... happened?

Kaega's face was as cold as ice, only a slight frown betraying his pain.

-I should be the one asking that. How are you feeling now?

-I'm fine....

-Alright, rest here for a bit.

Kaega let go of Lyne's wrist. Blood was still flowing from the wound.

-Let me bandage that for you.

Lyne quickly sat down, tore a strip of cloth from her sleeve, and carefully wrapped it around Kaega's wound.

-"Leave... it's not safe inside."

The voice echoed in his head again.

"I can't leave now. It's dangerous here, but it's also the safest place to hide from the 'hounds' tonight."

As if reading his thoughts, the voice replied:

-"Then be careful, don't let the aberration devour you... I will... protect you."

"Huh? What? Isn't this the mysterious power protecting the ruins?"

Kaega was stunned. But there was no time to think; he stood up.

-How are you feeling now?

-I don't know either...

"She's hiding something from me. Is it dangerous?"

-We don't have time. We have to keep moving.

-Okay...

The deeper they went, the newer the traps looked, as if they had been set only six or seven years ago. Their mechanisms were crude and easy to figure out. Along the way, they found traces of others who had come before.

-Is this a crow's feather?

Lyne picked up a strange feather. It was jet black but shimmered with a magical aura, completely undamaged despite having lain here for a long time. Kaega recognized it. It was an item belonging to the Lady of Shadows, a power in Grava. This was a feather from the Crow Lord. He had read about it in the Assassin's Guild documents. Pushing aside his questions, he urged Lyne to keep moving.

After another three hundred meters, a door appeared before them. Kaega checked it himself, finding no traps. But as soon as his hand touched the doorknob, the space around him twisted and dissolved.

"An illusion magic trap?"

A lavish scene materialized. Gold and jewels were piled high as mountains. A figure identical to Kaega sat on a throne, and beside him, Lyne stood in a seductive outfit, attending to him.

-Yo, look Lyne, we have a guest.

Kaega stood below, silently listening to his double speak.

-Indeed, Lord Kaega. He is looking at you.

-Hey Kaega, how do you feel? Is this what you desire?

His double gestured, and the illusory Lyne glided down, pressing herself against Kaega, breathing a hot breath into his ear. But Kaega's eyes remained as cold as ice.

-Master, would you like to play with me~?

-Kaega, do you want to become me?

Kaega's brow furrowed slightly.

"This again... How boring."

Instantly, the seductive Lyne and the lavish hall vanished, replaced once more by oppressive darkness. Facing him now was the Kaega from the throne.

-Don't you have any better traps? – Kaega said, his voice dripping with contempt.

-Haha, you and I will meet again soon, and you will have to accept me.

The double laughed loudly and faded away. He was back in reality, in front of the door.

-Are you alright? – Lyne asked from behind him.

Kaega turned around.

-What just happened?

-When you touched the door, a strange, slimy mass of flesh latched onto you. Then you just stood there. When I was about to use my knife to deal with it... it suddenly burst into flames and disappeared.

-I see. It was just... illusion magic.

Kaega pushed the door open. Inside was a room where a human skeleton sat, facing another corridor. Kaega saw a letter on the skeleton, while Lyne began to search the area.

"A letter?"

The name "Erpert Graystone" was written on it, a name that caught Kaega's attention.

"By the time this letter is found, I will likely be dead. I am Erpert Graystone, a high-ranking member of the Assassin's Guild. I was wounded when the Guild was purged by the Blood Wolves, the God's Faith, and the Hunters. The main reason was the betrayal of Marina Rose. She sold us out. I escaped to these ruins but fell into a trap here and don't have long to live. Here is a dagger made by the master blacksmith Dorgan, my most prized possession. Be careful, deep inside are aberrations, and they are very strong. Do not confront them, and help me take Marina's life if she is still alive..."

Behind the letter was a photograph.

"This is...!"

Kaega was stunned, but quickly hid his emotions. After a moment of calculation, he took the Dorgan dagger and walked towards Lyne. Sensing his approach, Lyne immediately became wary.

-Lyne...

-What is it? Why are you bringing that dagger to me?

Kaega said nothing, simply handing her the letter and the photograph. Lyne looked at the photo, her brow furrowed slightly, and then read the letter.

-The people in the photo, I assume, are Marina Rose and... you, right, Lyne?

Lyne's eyes were full of suspicion. Her hands still held the letter, but her gaze had already darted to the dagger at her hip.

-Yes, that's me. And Marina Rose is my mother.

-I see...

Kaega handed the Dorgan dagger to Lyne.

-What do you mean by this?

-Take it. You can use it better than I can.

-My mother is a traitor. Aren't you afraid I'll betray you too?

-Your mother's betrayal was her choice. Whether you betray me or not, that's your choice. I'm not one who has never betrayed anyone, so I have no right to judge others. If you betray me now, I'll just have to accept my death. But I don't think you're foolish enough to give up a chance for revenge.

-...You are a strange man. The only one who hasn't judged me...

With that, Lyne turned away, not knowing that Kaega had just secretly pocketed a bag of Thunder Powder.

"Revealing the letter was the right move. Now she'll trust me a little more, enough to prevent a sudden knife in the back."

As he turned his back to Lyne, Kaega both increased the distance and concealed his actions, guarding against a surprise attack. The conversation had improved their relationship, but the real hunt had just begun.

Outside, night had completely fallen. Under the moonlight, a figure in a silver mask was approaching. But this time, it was a smiling mask. He lit a torch as he entered. Instantly, the light trap was triggered, and arrows whizzed through the air. But the man with the smiling mask simply swung his short sword, cutting them all in half.

-"The hunt has begun..."

He whispered, then slowly advanced, ignoring the traps that sprang and effortlessly blocking them all.

-"The target is that brat... Kaega..."

The noise from the traps had awakened something deep within the ruins. Something that was also heading out at a terrifying speed...

Two hours later, the Smiling Mask reached the door the pair had entered. He slashed the door open, and almost immediately, an explosion occurred. Countless stone fragments hit him, sending him flying.

-Ha, this one seems even dumber than the last ones.

Lyne had barely finished speaking when the figure stood up. She recognized him with horror.

-The Smiling Mask! This is bad–

Before she could warn Kaega, he charged, slashing straight at him. Kaega reacted with incredible speed, throwing a bag of Thunder Powder at him. The explosion blew off his arm.

-No, it's still not enough.

Lyne immediately rushed forward to attack with her new dagger. But he picked up his severed arm, retreated, and reattached it to his shoulder. The wound began to heal.

-Regeneration?

-Yes, he's undead and has regenerative abilities. He can only be killed by decapitation or by being burned.

-Why didn't you tell me they had this type too?

-I didn't think they would send him on the second night.

-So does he have any other weaknesses?

-When a limb is severed, it can't function during the recovery period.

-Then the goal is to restrict his movements.

Kaega threw another bag of Thunder Powder. He dodged, but the explosion still severed the newly reattached arm. Lyne seized the opportunity to attack. He used his remaining hand to draw a short dagger from behind his back to parry.

"Not effective enough. I need to find another way."

Kaega felt a strong tremor. In the darkness behind them, something huge was rushing forward.

-Lyne, fall back!

Lyne didn't hear, too focused on the hound. Kaega had no choice but to lunge, tackling her to the ground.

-Huh? What are you doing–

Before Lyne could finish, she saw the hound get snatched by something. It was a mass of muscle in a humanoid shape, with a head like two faces merged together and a body as large as a troll's. It roared, slammed the hound to the ground, and then threw him violently into a corner. Then, it turned its head to look at Kaega and Lyne.

-Damn it!

Kaega threw a bag of Thunder Powder straight at its face.

BOOM!

The explosion made the monster recoil in pain. At the same time, the hound had recovered and was charging at them again. Kaega stopped Lyne. The hound had only made it halfway when the blinded monster swatted him away. The monster then charged toward the sound.

-"Annoying pest."

The hound got up, dodging the monster's attack. But every sound he made drove the monster into a greater frenzy. He began to counterattack.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

He continuously slashed at the monster, carving pieces of its flesh off.

-That hound is too strong. - Lyne exclaimed.

But Kaega, the weakest one here, never chose to stand by idly.

-Lyne, throw your dagger!

Kaega and Lyne simultaneously threw their daggers, accurately embedding them in the Smiling Mask's knee and shoulder, breaking his rhythm. Instantly, the monster seized the opening, grabbed his leg, and began to slam him repeatedly.

CRASH! CRASH! CRASH...

His body was repeatedly smashed against the hard stone floor. The bones in his body seemed to have turned to mush. This time, the monster didn't throw him away, but began a rain of fists...