The first creature to approach was a Mantis. Its enormous scythe-like forelegs swung toward Maxim, who was carrying Theodora. Maxim quickly ducked and severed the Mantis's leg. The creature collapsed forward without a sound. The remaining monsters split into two groups—those who turned back to feast on the fallen Mantis and those who continued to charge at Maxim.

"Die."

Maxim leaped into the air, targeting the remaining creatures. He swiftly decapitated one unknown monster, its head rolling to the ground, followed by a Hexaped that also fell under his blade. Having efficiently slain the monsters, Maxim sprinted forward.

Behind him, the crippled Mantis and the other dead monsters became the center of a bloody feast. Despite its injuries, the Mantis continued to flail its scythes, taking down several of the other monsters in its final moments.

Creak, creak, creak, creak.

Maxim ran. He had to reach the end of this cursed tunnel to find a way out. The sound of the Death Worm's slithering grew louder, drowning out the noise of monsters tearing each other apart. The faint light at the end of the tunnel was getting closer. With a final burst of energy, Maxim made a great leap forward, rocks scattering beneath his feet.

Just a little more.

Creak.

Behind him, something massive was approaching. The sounds of the monsters fighting had ceased, as if they had been swallowed up by the enormous creature.

The exit was just ahead.

The slope of the rubble hill rapidly declined. Maxim threw himself down the incline, using his sword as a brake as he slid down the steep path. Sparks flew from his boots, and dust rose around him as he struggled to maintain his balance.

Don’t look back.

Maxim thought with desperate determination, knowing that if he fell now, they would all be dead. He hurtled down the slope, his eyes wide with urgency.

Crash.

Maxim finally reached the end of the path, stumbling onto the vast, debris-strewn wasteland that stretched out before him. As his vision expanded, light flooded his eyes. At least here, he was in an open space, no longer trapped. His mind raced with conflicting thoughts.

Should I keep running? Should I try to escape the cliff? Or should I turn and fight? Out here in the open, there might be a chance of victory, but what about Theodora? If I have to fight while carrying her, there's no way I can win.

Maxim extended his senses, trying to detect any threats. The massive presence seemed to linger near the collapsed cliff, not advancing further. With his sword held tightly, Maxim spun around to face the threat.

"…"

Inside the deep, collapsed cliff, it lurked—a hideous, massive creature, red like a mix of a worm and a caterpillar, with an appearance that was nothing short of grotesque. It was the Death Worm. Its gaping, spiral-like mouth was filled with thousands of razor-sharp teeth, and debris from the remains of other monsters was caught between them.

For some reason, the Death Worm did not attempt to leave the rubble of the collapsed cliff. Maxim couldn't understand how this eyeless, noseless creature could sense him.

Rumble.

The Death Worm twisted its massive body, causing the cliff to erode further as it writhed.

Maxim began to move slowly, taking careful steps to the side, keeping his eyes fixed on the creature. Each step on the barren ground produced a crunching sound. At the sound, the Death Worm began to retreat, gradually disappearing into the dark recesses of its lair.

"…Phew."

With the Death Worm gone, Maxim let out a sigh of relief and looked up at the cliff. Even from below, it loomed imposingly high. Of course, nothing could be seen from this vantage point. To signal the investigation team above for rescue, Maxim knew he needed to stay near the collapsed section of the cliff. However, until Theodora regained consciousness, he couldn’t afford to take any reckless actions.

Maxim glanced at both sides of the cliff and decided to move to the left from the point of their fall. Strangely, the march of monsters attempting to climb the cliff seemed to have stopped after the collapse. However,

Growl. Hiss.

Even though the number of monsters had decreased, this was still the wasteland. This was not a place where humans were meant to set foot. Everywhere Maxim turned, there were monsters—some fighting among themselves, some feasting on carcasses, and others eyeing Maxim, waiting for their chance to strike.

Maxim, awkwardly carrying Theodora on his back with one hand while holding his sword in the other, looked like easy prey. Of course, even if he weren’t burdened by Theodora, standing still in this place would mean certain death within seconds, torn apart by the monster hordes.

"We’ll survive."

Maxim muttered, trying to bolster his courage. But in truth, it didn’t help much. Thankfully, even though Theodora was armored, she didn’t feel too heavy on his back.

"We’re going to make it."

Yet the weight of carrying Theodora’s life on his shoulders pressed heavily on him. Maxim twisted his sword in his hand.

Before I become prey, I need to take down these monsters first.

Maxim’s gaze, cold and focused, began searching for the weakest, easiest target among the monsters, just like a predator. He set his sights on an Arachne, busy feasting on the carcass of a fallen Hexaped. Maxim selected his target.

Maxim accelerated, his presence concealed as much as possible, becoming like an iron arrow aimed straight at the Arachne. With a swift, clean strike, he sliced the creature in half, its head and abdomen separating in midair. Maxim prayed that the other monsters would be more interested in the fresh carcass as he sprinted away.

He didn’t know if he could find one, but he needed a place to hide, at least until Theodora woke up. Large rocks were scattered everywhere, but none provided a suitable hiding spot. He needed to reach the rock ridge a few minutes away, even though it meant cutting through dozens of monsters along the way.

There must be another way…!

At that moment, something caught Maxim’s eye—a section of the cliff, eroded and hollowed out, hidden among the countless monster corpses.

Maxim didn’t hesitate.

In battle, once a decision was made, it had to be acted upon immediately. He couldn’t just stand there, waiting hopelessly for a rescue that might never come.

Screech!

Monsters charged at him. There was no time to discern what kind they were—some looked like dogs, others like snakes, some a mix of birds and insects. Maxim swung his sword wildly. Techniques, strategies—those were forgotten. He let his instincts and muscle memory guide his blade.

He dodged snapping jaws, let his armor absorb the blows from claws, and remained vigilant to protect Theodora from any attacks. As exhaustion threatened to overtake him, sheer desperation kept him moving. His awareness was entirely focused on Theodora as he cut down his enemies.

Thud, thud.

Wherever Maxim stepped, the corpses of monsters fell like leaves. Other monsters swarmed the fallen bodies, creating chaos in their wake. Maxim left the carnage behind and ran toward the weakened section of the cliff. With two quick slashes, he cleared away the monster corpses blocking the entrance. A foul stench of decay filled the air.

Maxim tossed his sword ahead and then gently lifted Theodora from his back, carrying her in his arms as he leaped into the small cave.

==

Christine arrived at the site of the collapsed cliff and fired a signal flare into the sky to gather all the members of the first team. It was a signal meant to be used only in critical situations or when someone’s life was in immediate danger, but this was an emergency. It was time to account for everyone.

And then, the worst-case scenario unfolded.

"...Senior..."

The captain of the Black Crow Knights, Theodora Benning, and her senior, Maxim Apart, were missing.

"Vice-Captain."

"Don’t stop me."

Christine walked toward the edge of the collapsed cliff. Behind her, knights and soldiers tried to dissuade her. The sheer drop below was terrifyingly deep and dark. The captain and senior had fallen into that abyss.

"It’s dangerous. If you get too close to the edge—"

Ignoring their warnings, Christine peered down into the collapsed chasm. She couldn’t see anything. Desperately, she conjured a light and dropped it below. The light drifted slowly, like a feather, illuminating the interior of the cliff as it descended.

"Please..."

Christine whispered, her voice trembling with urgency. The light was nearing the bottom. Christine watched intently, her eyes filled with dread.

"...!"

Soldiers standing next to Christine suddenly pointed to a spot below.

"Vice-Captain, look there!"

Christine followed their gaze. The light revealed a smear of what looked like blood on the surface of the rubble. Beyond that, there were torn pieces of Fenrir's pelt, broken armor, and what appeared to be a cut-up scabbard.

"Vice-Captain, the captain..."

"They’re alive."

Christine declared firmly.

"Someone deliberately broke the armor at the joints. The scabbard was cleanly cut."

Christine raised her head.

"We need to report this to the Margrave. Quickly, to the rendezvous point...!"

Christine sprang to her feet and took off at a run, with the knights and soldiers scrambling to follow her.

Christine poured every ounce of her mana into enhancing her body as she raced toward the second team’s meeting point. She ran so fast that the knights had to sprint at full speed just to keep up. When Christine arrived at the rendezvous point, she found the knight she had sent ahead, talking to the Margrave with a grave expression.

"Margrave...!"

Christine called out breathlessly. The Margrave turned his head, frowning, and upon seeing Christine's expression, he looked puzzled.

"Vice-Captain. What’s happened?"

"Two of our members... were caught in the cliff collapse and are trapped."

The Margrave’s puzzled expression turned to a scowl. He realized the situation was far more serious than he had anticipated.

"Who are they?"

"The captain of the Black Crow Knights, Theodora Benning, and the knight Maxim Apart."

The Margrave clicked his tongue in frustration. She quickly summoned the soldiers. The troops from the second team gathered around.

"Prepare for a night operation."

"Yes, understood."

At the Margrave’s command, the soldiers quickly began preparing for the night. The Margrave turned back to Christine.

"Can you give me a full report on the situation?"

"How much have you heard?"

"I know the cliff partially collapsed with a loud noise."

Christine took a moment to organize her chaotic thoughts and began to explain the situation.

"After the collapse, I used a signal flare to gather the members of the first team to check for any missing or injured members."

The Margrave nodded, listening intently.

"Upon checking, I discovered that both the captain and Maxim were missing. I had suspected something when the captain didn’t fire the signal flare herself."

"And then?"

"I approached the edge of the collapsed cliff to investigate. I used magic to illuminate the area below and saw faint traces of blood, broken armor, and a cut scabbard."

The Margrave frowned.

"...That means they might still be alive."

"They’re definitely alive. I’m sure of it."

Christine asserted confidently.

"To think this would happen just three days before we were supposed to return to the capital."

The Margrave clenched his teeth in frustration.

"Vice-Captain, there’s something you need to understand."

"What is it?"

"I can’t just send soldiers or knights down there recklessly. Even if we do send someone, it’ll only be a small, elite team."

Christine nodded, her face pale.

"The search can’t go on for too long, either. Everyone will need to pull out an hour before sunset. And..."

The Margrave looked Christine in the eyes.

"You’ll likely be part of the search team."

"That’s exactly what I want."

The Margrave sighed deeply.

"Damn it."

His gaze stretched out over the vast wasteland.

==

It was dark.

Theodora slowly became aware that her eyes were closed. A nauseating stench, like the smell of rotting flesh and blood, filled the air. Was she dead and in hell? Every inch of her body throbbed with pain. She exhaled heavily and struggled to open her eyes, her eyelids trembling.

Even when she opened her eyes, all she could see was darkness. Her pupils dilated, trying to gather what little light there was. Gradually, the surroundings came into focus—a low ceiling, rough as if carved from stone. No, it was indeed made of stone.

Next, she became aware of the sharp pain in her right leg. She tried to move it, but it was as if her leg was bound, fixed in place. The cold air sporadically brushing against her skin suggested that her leg armor had been removed.

And then she saw him.

Maxim, looking down at her with worried eyes. Only then did Theodora begin to recall what had happened—the cliff, the collapse, the fall. Maxim, still tense but clearly relieved, spoke to her in a concerned voice.

"You're awake?"

"Maxim... where are we..."

Theodora's face grew pale as she realized the dire situation they were in.