"How are you guys holding up?" I asked, walking back to the center of the camp.

  "We didn't take any major injuries, sir," Hoiler groaned, pushing himself up from the dirt. "Just some bruises and a few scratches."

  I looked at Kenny and Patrice. They were shaken, but physically unharmed. I let out a heavy exhale. "Good."

  A moment later, Mathilda emerged from the brush.

  "Oh my gods! Matty! What happened to you?!" Patrice rushed toward the archer.

  I glanced at her. Mathilda hadn't bothered to wipe away the crimson splatter that painted her pale face and leather armor.

  "I’m okay, Patrice. It’s not my blood," she said, letting out an awkward, innocent little laugh. "I just slipped in a puddle of it while I was running to support Mentor."

  Patrice sighed, checking her over. "You need to be careful, you know! Don’t just recklessly rush in alone!"

  Mathilda nodded meekly.

  "Alright, enough. Grab the shovels. Help me bury these corpses," I ordered, gesturing to the dead raiders scattered around the camp.

  "What?! Why, sir? They're the ones who attacked us!" Hoiler protested.

  "Then we should be grateful that we’re the ones burying them, and not the other way around," I said, picking up a canteen and taking a long drink.

  "Still, they’re scum. They don't deserve to be buried, sir."

  I looked at him. "Listen. If we just leave them here to rot, the scent of blood will attract every lurking monster in the area. That puts us, and any passing merchants, in extreme danger. Furthermore, rotting corpses spread plague."

  "W-Why not just burn them, sir?" Kenny spoke up nervously.

  "A fire that big will attract too much unwanted attention from other raiding parties," I explained. "Besides, the wind is too strong tonight. One stray spark and you'll cause a wildfire."

  They slowly nodded, the logic finally settling in.

  "Alright. Let’s get to work."

  After a few grueling hours of digging, we moved away from the blood-soaked perimeter and set up a clean camp just for sleeping. Knowing their nerves were fried, I let the squad sleep in longer than usual.

  By midday, we were back on the road. Just as the sun began to dip below the horizon, we finally arrived at Madenspire—the bustling gate town bordering the Nirwall Forest.

  Locus Hog Inn – Madenspire Town, South Nirwall.

  "Sigh. I thought I was going to miss the tavern vibes after camping for so long," Patrice muttered, slumping against the sticky wooden table. "But for some reason, I miss our campfire. It's way too loud in here."

  "Yeah, and the food tastes like dirt," Hoiler added, dropping his half-eaten bread onto his wooden plate. "Matty’s trail cooking is definitely better than this." He let out a heavy exhale.

  Mathilda giggled warmly. "Thank you. Out at the camp, we could actually hear each other tell stories, too. I really loved Patrice’s story."

  "Y-Yeah! I liked it a lot when we swapped stories!" Kenny was brimming with excitement as he looked at the dwarf. "I liked the one where your dad made shoes for that old wizard at the Academia!"

  Laughter erupted at our table.

  "Yeah! The sole-less shoes! That was absolute gold!" Hoiler gasped, clutching his ribs as he laughed.

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  Patrice beamed with pride. "Don’t worry! I have plenty of stories saved up for our journey back!" She raised her sloshing wooden mug. "Let’s cheer for tomorrow!"

  "Cheers!!!" the squad yelled, happily smashing their mugs together.

  A subtle smirk touched the corner of my lips.

  Heh. I’m glad they’re bonding so well. I took a long chug of bitter ale from my mug. I'll let them enjoy their rest for tonight.

  I stood up from my seat and slipped out the tavern door. I needed to gather some raw intel, and the local gate guards were the best place to start.

  Under the night sky, Madenspire's dirt roads were practically empty. The raucous noise from the Locus Hog Inn faded into a dull hum behind me.

  At the southern gate post, I flashed my Cave Crawlers token to the guards on duty. The heavy brass coin immediately loosened their tongues, and I managed to get some surprisingly detailed intel.

  The dark cave near the forest entrance had spawned barely a month ago. The town guard only realized it existed after a local logger was attacked by a Saurian. Saurians were extremely hostile reptile monsters that exclusively nested in deep caverns near underground spring lakes.

  According to the guards, there was indeed a spring lake inside the Nirwall Forest, but it was miles away near the southern border. This confirmed Hans's warning: the spatial distortion of this dark cave was massive, connecting the forest entrance to a completely different geographical location.

  Then came the grim news. A week before we arrived, a group of five local hunters had attempted to close the dark cave themselves. After five days, only one of them returned. The guards couldn't interrogate the survivor because the moment he stumbled out of the dark cave, he collapsed and died.

  Based on the guards' description of the body, the hunter had lost both of his arms, suffered a massive, severing cut across his waist, and had the entire left side of his skull crushed inward. All the catastrophic damage indicated severe, blunt-force physical attacks.

  Hmm. That means the monsters inside are feral, physical brawlers. It's highly likely to be a Saurian nest.

  I exhaled slowly. That's actually fantastic news. Physical trauma means it isn't a Draconic cave.

  Thanking the guards for the intel, I turned and walked back toward the inn, preparing my mind for tomorrow's descent.

  On my way back, my senses caught a presence lurking in the darkness beside the inn. I turned my head. A pair of glowing red eyes pierced the shadows. I walked straight toward them.

  "Why are you out here?" I locked my gaze onto her crimson eyes. "And why did you revert to your elf form?"

  A smirk curled her pale lips. "I just wanted to bathe in the moonlight."

  I frowned at her. "For the last time, I am asking you: are you on board for this mission or not?"

  She dropped her smirk and stepped smoothly into my personal space. "Was yesterday’s action not enough for you, Mentor?" she whispered, her breath tickling my ear. "Or do you want me to prove it with my body?"

  She playfully nipped my earlobe before stepping back, a wide grin spreading across her face.

  My jaw clenched hard. "I’m not joking. Tomorrow, things get real."

  Her grin vanished instantly, replaced by a terrifying stare that pierced right through me. "I'm not joking either." She melted into the darkness, vanishing completely.

  I let out a heavy exhale. I shouldn’t overthink this. If she really wished for our doom, she would have killed us during the travel. I pinched the bridge of my nose. Let’s focus on tomorrow's mission. This is only the beginning. I turned around, walked into the inn, and rested for the remainder of the night.

  Early the next morning, we packed our gear to venture into the dark cave. We marched east until we arrived at the entrance. Four town guards were stationed nearby.

  "Hold! State your business!" A guard stood firm, blocking our path.

  I pulled the Crawler Token from my pouch and showed it to him. "We’re Cave Crawlers from the Ravenoir Guild."

  The guard checked the token and gave a firm nod. "Thank you for the confirmation, sir. My apologies for the sudden interruption."

  I gave him a nod. "Any movement? Anything besides the Saurian attack and the local hunters' attempt?"

  He shook his head. "Completely dead silent."

  "Alright, thanks."

  " Anytime! We'll hold the perimeter. Have a safe journey down there."

  I looked back at my squad. Their expressions were a tight mix of determination and nervousness.

  "Listen, squad. We will enter this cave in our usual formation," I said, meeting each of their eyes. "Our goal is to destroy the magic totem and get out. We will avoid combat for as long as possible and use stealth to close this cave. Understood?"

  "Yes, sir!"

  "Good." I threw them a warm smile. " Let’s get in, get the job done, and walk back home. I want to hear the rest of Patrice’s stories on the road."

  Their expressions changed immediately. The crippling nervousness vanished from their faces, and subtle, warm smiles drew on the corners of their lips.

  "Now, let’s move in."

  We crossed the threshold.

  The dark cave swallowed the morning sunlight instantly. The air was thick, heavy, and completely dead.

  My face hardened. Every muscle in my body pulled tight, coiling for violence. I dropped my hand to the hilt of my dagger.

  This is it. This is just the beginning.

  Hello, Crawlers!

  We've reached the end of Beginning arc! Thank you for your attention to the story so far. I hope you enjoying the story, if you have any critique about my pacing or writing so far, feel free to drop the DM to me.

  Now stay tune for the next chapter!

  Enjoy the ride, Crawlers!