On the first day, a search party led by Christine was organized, but they couldn't descend into the depths below the cliff. The time required to clear the monsters clinging to the cliff and secure the surrounding area took much longer than anticipated.

Christine couldn't sleep. The thought of the countless monsters lurking below far outnumbering those she had already defeated haunted her. She worried—was her senior safe? Was he still alive? And if he was, had he pushed himself too hard?

Christine spent the night wide awake. The next day, when the Margrave summoned the search party, he noticed Christine's haggard appearance and clicked his tongue in disapproval.

"Vice-Captain, I warned you to take care of yourself."

"...I’m sorry."

Christine hung her head in shame. The Margrave shook his head in resignation and began explaining the operation’s plan.

The search party, aside from a soldier familiar with the terrain who was brought along as a guide, consisted mainly of volunteers from the Black Crow Knights, including Paola, who had been appointed as the overall leader.

"I hate to say it, but descending into that abyss is practically a suicide mission."

A tense silence fell over the search party.

"Ironically, due to the recent anomaly, the number of monsters has decreased, making this operation possible. Under normal circumstances, we wouldn’t even consider a rescue."

A gust of wind swept uneasily across the wasteland as the Margrave turned to look at the cliff.

"What I mean is, don’t get so caught up in the idea of finding the missing that you neglect your own safety. Down there, you won’t have the luxury of calmly assessing your surroundings."

The Margrave’s expression twisted into a grimace as he looked out over the wasteland beyond the cliff. He turned back to the search party, his gaze stern.

"This may sound harsh, but follow this order: Your safety comes first, always. I’m not going to sacrifice healthy soldiers to search for those who might already be dead. And—"

The Margrave’s eyes locked with Christine’s.

"If you find the missing people alive but can’t rescue both, prioritize the rescue of Theodora Benning, the Captain of the Black Crow Knights. If they’re found dead, don’t risk yourselves to retrieve their bodies."

Every word the Margrave spoke felt like a hammer striking Christine’s chest. Paola, the leader of the search party, nodded.

"We’ll follow your orders."

"I expect you to make rational decisions."

A thick rope was securely fastened and hung down over the cliff’s edge. The Margrave tugged on it firmly to ensure it was properly secured, then ordered the search party to begin their descent.

"Good luck."

"I’ll go first."

Paola volunteered to descend the rope first, followed by the guide and then Roberto and the other knights. Christine prepared to descend, but just as she reached for the rope, the Margrave caught her shoulder.

"…What is it?"

"Vice-Captain, please keep your wits about you. We had no choice but to include you in the search party. Don’t endanger the others just because of your emotions."

Christine met the Margrave’s concerned gaze and slowly nodded.

"I’ll be careful."

"...Come back alive."

With those words, Christine began her descent. The search party had chosen to start from a point somewhat distant from where the cliff had collapsed, as it was deemed more stable. Christine, like the other knights, skillfully made her way down with the help of the others.

"That’s it, take it slow, Vice-Captain."

Contrary to Maxim's wish, there was no magic to fly them down safely. Christine finally reached the bottom of the cliff, her feet landing not on solid ground but on the decaying remains of a beast. She felt the soft, decomposing flesh sink beneath her boots.

With Christine’s arrival, the entire search party had gathered at the bottom. The landscape was littered with jagged rocks and deep ruts, much more grotesque than it had appeared from above. The guide, leading the way, spoke in a tense voice.

"Let’s move to the site of the collapse. We don’t have much time, so we’ll have to make the most of whatever clues we find."

"Hurry."

Paola urged, and the guide quickened his pace.

The journey was nothing short of treacherous. The monsters attacked in waves, as if they were waging an endless guerrilla war in the wasteland. The Margrave had been right; there was no time to thoroughly search or survey the area.

"Was the collapsed part of the cliff always this far?"

Paola asked as she pulled her mace from the skull of a smashed monster. The rubble from the collapse lay scattered ahead of them. The guide examined the debris carefully, then peered into the darkness beyond the collapsed section.

Paola followed the guide and looked inside. There were piles of rocks and a yawning black void. Sweat beaded on Paola’s brow as her years of experience warned her of the danger ahead.

"...We need to be very careful."

The guide’s voice trembled with tension.

"Indeed. Stay on high alert, everyone."

The search party climbed over the debris and began to cautiously move into the collapsed area. Christine conjured a light in the air to illuminate the dark interior of the cliff. The light gradually moved deeper, revealing the crevices within the collapsed cliff.

There were no monsters in the crevices. The ones that had swarmed near the entrance had long been slain by the search party. With Christine’s light leading the way, the party ventured deeper into the cliff. Suddenly, Paola bent down and pulled something out of the rubble.

"This scabbard was deliberately cut."

Paola inspected the severed edge of the scabbard. Christine’s expression hardened as she recognized it—it was Maxim’s scabbard.

"...Why would he do that?"

"I’m not sure. Maybe it was a signal, or perhaps he needed to use the cut scabbard for something."

Christine stared down at the scabbard in her hand, her expression somber, before carefully placing it in her pack. The other members of the Black Crow Knights looked at her with sympathy.

"They must have known that staying here was the best option."

Paola muttered as she began to clear away some of the rocks, perhaps to check if anything was buried beneath them. It didn’t take long for her suspicions to be confirmed.

"Look over there...!"

A panicked shout echoed through the group. The search party turned their heads in the direction of the voice.

"...My God."

The words slipped from Paola’s lips as they stared at the collapsed cliffside illuminated by the light. A massive, gaping hole stared back at them like a monstrous eye.

"Has something like that ever existed?"

Paola’s voice shook.

"Is there a monster capable of doing this?"

"...The only thing that comes to mind is a Death Worm."

A Death Worm that could burrow through rock? Paola couldn’t fathom the existence of such a creature.

"Paola, this is…"

"It’s dangerous. Now I understand why the captain and Maxim didn’t stay here."

Paola looked back at the search party.

"We need to get out of here immediately..."

Rumble.

The ground began to shake. The search party members exchanged alarmed glances.

"This vibration…"

"It’s not safe here...!"

With the guide in the lead, the search party quickly began to retreat from the crevice in the collapsed cliff. Rocks scattered under their feet, sliding down the slope.

"Vice-Captain!"

One of the knights urged Christine, who had been standing in a daze. She quickly followed the others, her breath coming in ragged gasps, her vision spinning. An unknown fear gripped Christine, one that wasn’t simply about the presence of a monster.

Senior, senior.

Christine’s steps grew more frantic. The search party reached the edge of the collapsed cliff.

And then, they were met with a sound they had never heard before—a monstrous, ear-splitting roar that tore through the air.

==

At dawn, when the darkness was broken, the sound of birds would typically signal the coming of the day. But in the wasteland, the only sounds that accompanied the dim light filtering through the cracks were the dying cries of monsters. Maxim stretched his stiff legs, trying to restore some vitality to his frozen joints.

The cold had seeped deep into his bones. After spending a night truly exposed to the elements, the morning air was harsh and dry. Every time Maxim moved his creaking joints, a stiff, cracking sound followed.

There was still a long time until the investigation team would begin their search. Although they might have organized a search party to find him and Theodora, Maxim wasn’t willing to gamble on such an uncertain possibility.

If they used Theodora’s signal flare properly, rescue wouldn’t be impossible.

He wondered if the flare would even shoot high enough to be seen beyond the cliff, but at the very least, the sound of it going off should be audible.

The real problem was when, where, and how to leave the cave and fire the signal flare. Maxim tapped his sword lightly as he thought it through. He was far from his full strength, and Theodora was seriously injured.

‘Surviving in the middle of the wasteland is out of the question.’

It was clear they wouldn’t last long. Eventually, the relentless waves of monsters would wear them down, exploiting their weaknesses until they became nothing more than prey.

So, what’s the best course of action...?

Just then, Theodora stirred, the rustling sound breaking the silence. She coughed dryly and blinked her eyes open.

"What time is it?"

Her voice was hoarse.

"It’s just before dawn."

Theodora exhaled slowly and, like Maxim had done earlier, began to stretch her stiff joints. As she did, Maxim noticed that her right leg still wasn’t moving. The swelling seemed to have subsided somewhat since the previous day.

"...How’s your leg?"

Theodora glanced down at her leg, then nodded, saying it was fine.

"I think I can walk."

"Don’t push yourself. It’s obvious to anyone that you’re not in a condition to walk."

"If I don’t push myself, how are we going to get out of here?"

Theodora retorted as she tentatively moved her injured leg. The pain must have been intense, but she didn’t even flinch.

"Alright, I can move."

"...Once we get out of here, you’re going straight to the medic."

"If we can get out, that is."

Maxim watched as Theodora steadied herself despite her precarious state. She noticed his concerned gaze and sighed.

"You said we’d make it out alive."

Theodora clenched her fist, speaking with determination.

"My leg isn’t amputated; it’s just a broken bone, Maxim. Instead of worrying about my injury, you should focus on how we’re going to escape."

Maxim looked into her resolute eyes. There was no need for concern... at least, that’s how it appeared.

"...Around noon, we’ll leave this cave."

Maxim placed his sword on his lap as he spoke. Theodora nodded in agreement, clutching the pouch at her waist tightly.

"How we use this signal flare will be crucial."

"Yeah, so we’re going back to that ruin."

Theodora’s eyebrows furrowed.

"Back to where that Death Worm is lurking?"

"There won’t be any other monsters there. I think we have a better chance of surviving if we take our chances there."

Theodora glanced at Maxim’s sword. It was stained with blood and severely damaged—not from cutting through monsters’ flesh, but from striking the cliff, digging into the rocky terrain. It wouldn’t hold up for long in another battle with monsters.

"...That makes sense."

"If the Death Worm shows up, we’ll just have to fight it."

Maxim tried to make light of the situation, shrugging his shoulders. Theodora gave him a skeptical look, prompting him to speak in a firmer tone.

"Theodora, I don’t plan on dying here."

"I know."

Theodora closed her eyes, preparing herself by circulating her mana in anticipation of the battle ahead. Maxim followed suit, closing his eyes to find his own sense of calm. He couldn’t circulate his mana like her, but he needed to center himself.

His heart pounded in his chest as images of the enormous worm lurking in the darkness flashed through his mind.

How much time had passed? When the first rays of sunlight filtered through the cracks in the cave, Maxim opened his eyes. Theodora was tightening the straps around her leg, using the hide from the Fenrir as a makeshift brace.

"...Let’s go."

"Yeah."

Maxim stood and hefted his sword. He kicked aside the monster carcasses blocking the cave entrance and stepped out. Theodora, though unsteady, followed him into the light. Maxim watched her unsteady gait with concern.

"I’m fine, really..."

Rumble.

The ground trembled beneath them. Maxim and Theodora locked eyes, both of them filled with the same dread.

How? How could this be happening now?

The parched earth of the wasteland began to crack as if shedding its skin. Shards of rock shot out in every direction as something massive stirred beneath the surface.

"Goddammit...!"

Boom.

Maxim’s curse was drowned out by the rumbling earth as the creature emerged in a cloud of dust. What appeared was only a part of its enormous body, arched high like a bridge. The sunlight revealed its blood-red surface, covered in protrusions from which debris fell away.

And then, its eyeless head came into view. It looked as if its body had been sliced cleanly in two. The Death Worm slowly turned its head towards Maxim and Theodora. Its gaping maw, filled with thousands of rotating, needle-like teeth, opened wide before them. The dark abyss of its mouth expanded and contracted as it took in a loathsome breath.

And around them, more monsters began to gather.

They had been waiting.

But how?

Maxim stood back to back with Theodora. Her leg—there was no way she could fight a creature of that size with her injured leg.

A decision had to be made.

The number of approaching monsters wasn’t overwhelming.

In this moment, nothing else mattered.

Maxim’s heart began to pound, each beat echoing loudly in his chest.