9. Shadow Wolf

Zhong Zemo was the first to notice the peculiarities of the cave: the obvious signs of maintenance and the intermittently embedded lampstands testified that life had once thrived here.

After following the direction of the airflow for some time, faint, shattered, and grotesquely twisted characters appeared on the rock walls on either side.

The group paused briefly. Zhong Zemo curiously touched the defaced totems and inscriptions. The ravages of time could not conceal the deliberate damage—the chaotic scratches that tore through the characters spilled wildly, exuding a sense of madness.

The relatively narrow passage suddenly opened up at a fork resembling a crossroads, revealing an area as large as a football field, scattered with broken stone tables and benches.

What truly caught their breath was the more than a dozen statues arranged here.

The statues, carved from a marble-like material, had their heads missing without a trace; their torsos bore marks of brutal chopping, intermingled with claw marks like those of ferocious beasts.

Covered in green moss, with mutilated bodies and savage, crude “lines,” they formed a series of harrowing scenes of suffering, radiating a sense of sacrilege.

Everyone instinctively swallowed hard.

The jailer had wanted to joke, “This is where the horror game’s music should kick in and the jump scare hits,” but wisely kept silent.

“How do we proceed?” Potato Chips brushed a stray lock of hair from the corner of his eye and asked.

Three paths lay before them, none marked.

The simple method was to try each one in turn—time was on their side.

As for the other method…

Orange Tea sensed everyone’s gaze and froze for a moment.

“Shall I try the [Unknown Revelation]?”

[Unknown Revelation] was a skill exclusive to the Faithful faction.

It relied on affinity with faith to sense echoes from the spiritual realm and capture the voice of revelation.

The stronger one’s faith, the clearer the revelation, and the greater the chance of a positive omen.

Orange Tea clasped her hands, holding the Prayer Starstone gifted by the Nameless Witch in her palm. Closing her eyes, a pure white gentle light enveloped her, softly permeating her being.

“The light particle effects are amazing—worthy of the Proof of the Stars.”

Potato Chips glared at the jailer, snapping coldly, “Shut up.”

The jailer immediately shrank back, knowing he had once again broken the immersion.

Although ever since the first day in the game, players had been croaking like frogs, listening to the symphony of croaks, it was hard to resist making a joke.

Orange Tea slowly opened her eyes.

“Well?”

“The sound isn’t very clear,” she said, scratching her cheek with a troubled expression.

The Unknown Revelation issued a warning of “Danger” for the left tunnel.

The middle path remained silent.

The right tunnel was marked “Monsters.”

“How reliable is Unknown Revelation?” Zhong Zemo asked, curious.

He rarely visited forums and knew nothing of factions outside his own.

Jiang Heyi, who surfed the community extensively, replied, “The skill’s description says it all: ‘Those who place their hopes on elusive things granting salvation are often deceived.’”

What the devout hear may not be divine revelations but the seductive whispers of the fallen.

Some Unknown Revelations are half-truths designed to lead one into despair.

As team leader, Jiang Heyi made a decision.

“Let’s test the monsters first, then explore each branch.”

Potato Chips twisted his face, complaining, “Is this what a leader’s decision looks like? I could do better.”

“Then you lead.”

“No interest.”

After a game-time hour, Orange Tea, a newcomer, gradually sensed the team’s lively and playful atmosphere: everyone messing around and pranking was just part of the routine.

The right cave tunnel was not cramped—compared to the passages they had initially explored, this one was spacious.

To prepare for any sudden danger, everyone accepted Orange Tea's [Spirit Cat Blessing].

This special magic muffled some of the footsteps during their walk.

For some reason, it felt a bit too quiet.

Where were the monsters?

After advancing for some time, Jiang Heyi’s initial vigilance relaxed amid the long absence of encounters.

Suddenly, Orange Tea muttered softly, “Can I cast Unknown Revelation again?”

Eyes on the dark, unlit depths ahead and behind, everyone instinctively shielded Orange Tea in the middle.

At that moment, Jiang Heyi heard a faint whisper near his ear.

His eyes widened instantly. Casting a subtle sideways glance, he immediately reached out and tapped Potato Chips on the shoulder closest to him.

Potato Chips looked at him suspiciously; if not for the need to guard against monsters, she might have started interrogating Jiang Heyi.

Seeing his lips move slightly, she narrowed her eyes.

In a flash, Jiang Heyi conjured a bottle of light attribute liquid potion in his hand.

His dagger and Potato Chips’ long knife crossed; pouring the potion over the blades, the flowing light infused the edges and spilled onto the darkness beneath.

In an instant, brilliance radiated, and shadows recoiled.

Zhong Zemo and the jailer looked on dumbfounded, unaware of what had just happened.

Following Orange Tea’s finger, a chill ran down their spines.

Under the dazzling light, shadows traced from behind emerged faintly nearby.

They seemed to leap from a painter’s sketchpad, mere black, blurry outlines lacking flesh and blood.

Judging from the outlines, Jiang Heyi imagined two upright walking beastmen, their sharp claws and thick thighs unmistakable.

“Don’t help—watch your backs!” Jiang Heyi urgently instructed.

Zhong Zemo quickly raised his shield to protect the jailer and Orange Tea, vigilantly scanning the surroundings while keeping an eye overhead. Once an FPS expert, he had honed excellent reconnaissance skills through countless tactical duels.

The jailer, disregarding mana consumption, cast a second illumination orb.

With more mana, the orb’s “lifeforce” strengthened, and the adorable little jellyfish floated above them, circling.

Paired with the light attribute potion, it wielded blinding power.

This time, there was no shadow left beneath anyone’s feet.

Only two monsters lurked in this passage.

“What the hell are those things?” Zhong Zemo glanced back, sweat pouring down his face. “Where did they come from?”

Orange Tea swallowed hard, breathing rapidly. “I—I kept feeling like something was watching me… so I casually used Unknown Revelation… It told me, ‘underfoot.’”

No wonder they hadn’t found monsters for so long; they had thought it a false revelation, but the creatures had long been lurking in imperceptible shadows, tailing them.

The overwhelming light seemed to intimidate the two shadows, who maintained a half-crouched posture once discovered.

If Jiang Heyi guessed right, this was a stance that allowed them to unleash their strength explosively.

No one dared move rashly; the two sides faced each other cautiously like wild beasts suddenly encountering one another in the jungle.

Orange Tea’s shield magic broke the silence. Jiang Heyi caught a fleeting black shadow and instinctively swung his blade at midair.

No skills—pure instinct.

His strike was perfectly timed; the blade’s force met the shadow’s hard, iron-like claw.

Potato Chips did the same. Her long knife ignited flames, tracing a fiery arc in the air. At the end of her fiery blade, a claw sliced through the air.

Their explosive powers collided with a deafening clang of metal against metal, whipping up a storm in the tunnel and scattering grit and stones.

Though prepared, the monsters’ strength far outmatched theirs. Jiang Heyi and Potato Chips withdrew with their blades plunged into the ground, sliding back to crash into Zhong Zemo’s massive shield, which absorbed the monsters’ full force.

Zhong Zemo stepped forward, positioning the reassuringly sturdy shield before the two.

The monsters did not immediately launch a second assault. Their claws shimmered with silvery light, and their unseen mouths emitted low, rhythmic growls.

Recovering, Jiang Heyi reminded everyone, “Low light—they’re weak to light.”

The monsters shook their hands, the weapons enchanted with light attribute potions leaving corrosive wounds. The sizzling sound blended with their deep threats.

“Their hands…” the jailer warned.

The injured palms revealed flesh, gray-black fur, and blood-red fluid.

No longer mere outlines, the rough lines from the sketchpad gained color within breaths.

“Werewolves…” Potato Chips murmured.

“And ones that dance with shadows,” Jiang Heyi added.

Zhong Zemo felt his scalp tingle. “What now?”

Before he finished, the werewolves vanished like ink dissolving into air.

This time, their speed was faster, impossible to track.

Jiang Heyi sprang up, holding his enchanted dagger across his chest.

The next moment, a werewolf appeared, its claws aimed at the glowing jellyfish above Jiang Heyi.

The bright light from the orb-shaped creature irritated them.

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