Deep inside the cavern, one pair of eyes after another slowly opened.
Kyle stayed where he was instead of moving forward.
The six Bronze-rank skeletons that were still capable of fighting had already spread out without a sound.
Two stood at the front, while the other four guarded both sides, keeping Kyle and the badly wounded knight behind them.
The figures in the darkness did not rush out immediately.
At first, there was only the faint sound of footsteps.
As they drew closer, the people hidden in the passage gradually came into view.
Three.
Exactly three.
Kyle immediately remembered what the knight had told him.
The remaining three members of their party had all been dragged deeper into the mine.
If these were the three he had been talking about, then every member of the missing six-person party had now been accounted for.
Unfortunately, none of them looked well.
The first was a tall swordsman carrying a longsword in his right hand.
The armor covering his left shoulder had been completely shattered, exposing skin covered in black veins.
Behind him came a female archer.
Her bow was nowhere to be seen, and her right arm hung limply at her side.
Her left leg had clearly been injured as well, causing her to limp with every step.
The black markings on her body were even worse than the swordsman’s.
They had already spread across her face and were creeping toward the corners of her eyes.
The last person wore a mage’s robe.
His condition was the strangest of the three.
There were no obvious serious wounds on his body.
He walked at the back with his head lowered and his arms hanging naturally at his sides.
At first glance, he almost looked healthier than the other two.
Then Kyle noticed his neck.
It was completely black.
And none of them spoke.
“Are those the three you mentioned?” Kyle kept his eyes on them as he asked.
The knight leaning against the rock wall behind him struggled to raise his head.
The moment he saw the three figures clearly, his face turned pale.
“Yes…” “The one in front is Nolan.
The other two are Mia and Jeff.” They were all still alive.
At least their bodies were still moving.
But after what had happened to their captain, Kyle wasn’t about to assume they were fine just because they could still walk.
He raised a hand and cast Detection.
The first set of information appeared over the swordsman.
[Nolan Weiss] [Level: 17] [Class: Swordsman] [Status: Unknown Parasitism] Then came the woman.
[Mia Horne] [Level: 16] [Class: Ranger] [Status: Unknown Parasitism] Finally, the mage.
[Jeff Land] [Level: 17] [Class: Mage] [Status: Unknown Parasitism] All three had been infected.
Kyle didn’t attack immediately.
The captain they had encountered earlier had already proven that being parasitized didn’t necessarily mean the victim’s consciousness was completely gone.
If Kyle could locate the black crystals hidden inside their bodies, there was still a chance to save them.
The problem was whether these three would give him enough time to find them.
As Kyle considered his next move, Nolan suddenly stopped.
Mia and Jeff stopped at exactly the same moment.
The cavern fell silent again.
Then Nolan snapped his head up.
Both of his eyes were completely black.
“Spread out.” Kyle had barely given the order when Nolan charged.
His speed was far beyond what an ordinary Level 17 swordsman should have been capable of.
He crossed more than ten meters in the blink of an eye and brought his longsword down on the Bronze-rank skeleton at the front.
Clang!
Longsword met blade.
Sparks burst between them.
The Bronze-rank skeleton shifted slightly from the impact, while Nolan’s sword was knocked aside by the difference in raw strength.
Normally, a gap that large would have been enough to decide the fight.
Nolan didn’t retreat.
The instant his sword was knocked away, he twisted his wrist and slashed sideways at the skeleton’s neck.
The second Bronze-rank skeleton stepped forward.
Its blade swept upward.
Nolan had no choice but to pull his sword back and block.
Clang!
The second impact was even heavier.
This time, Nolan was forced backward, his boots scraping across the stone floor and leaving two long marks behind him.
Before he could regain his balance, Mia moved.
She didn’t have her bow, but that didn’t seem to slow her down.
She suddenly darted sideways, avoiding the two skeletons at the front and heading straight for Kyle.
Kyle saw it immediately.
Again.
These parasites seemed capable of identifying the real threat.
The black tendrils on the cavern walls had ignored his skeletons and gone after him earlier.
Now Mia was doing exactly the same thing.
“Right side.” One of the Bronze-rank skeletons beside Kyle immediately moved to intercept her.
The moment Mia came within range, its blade swept horizontally across her path.
She stopped abruptly and bent backward at an unnatural angle.
The blade passed barely an inch above her face.
Before the skeleton could strike again, Mia planted both hands on the ground, flipped her body over, and kicked it directly in the chest.
Bang!
The Bronze-rank skeleton didn’t move.
Mia’s right leg, on the other hand, twisted from the force of the impact.
There was no pain on her face.
The moment she landed, she tried to rush Kyle again.
“Don’t kill her.” Kyle gave the order just in time.
The skeleton that had been preparing to swing its blade immediately changed tactics.
One bony hand shot forward and clamped down on Mia’s shoulder.
She struggled violently.
Another skeleton came from the side and seized her other arm.
The two Bronze-rank skeletons forced her to the ground.
Whatever was inside her had clearly strengthened her body, but against skeletons with 3,500 points of Strength, she had no chance of breaking free.
The real problem was the mage.
Jeff hadn’t moved since the fight began.
Kyle had initially assumed that his infection was less severe.
Then Jeff finally raised both hands.
Fire elemental energy rapidly gathered around him.
A fireball began forming above his palm.
And his target was still Kyle.
“Interrupt him.” A Bronze-rank skeleton rushed forward.
Jeff had barely finished forming the fireball when the skeleton reached him.
Kyle had specifically ordered it not to use its weapon.
Instead, the skeleton raised one hand and struck Jeff’s wrist.
Crack!
His wrist twisted at an unnatural angle.
The staff flew from his hand.
The newly formed fireball immediately went out of control and slammed into the nearby wall.
Boom!
Flames erupted as fragments of rock scattered across the cavern.
Jeff showed no reaction to his broken wrist.
His other hand rose at once as he attempted to cast another spell.
The skeleton didn’t give him the chance.
One bony hand clamped down on his shoulder and forced him downward.
Bang!
Jeff’s knees struck the ground.
A second skeleton came up from behind and restrained both of his arms.
It didn’t take long for all three of them to be subdued.
Nolan was pinned down by two skeletons.
Mia couldn’t move either.
Jeff’s arms were firmly restrained, making it impossible for him to complete another spell.
Only then did Kyle step forward.
He didn’t start with Nolan, even though his infection appeared to be the worst.
Instead, he went to Mia.
Her leg had already been damaged from kicking the Bronze-rank skeleton.
If this continued, even if they managed to remove the parasite, her body might be ruined before she regained control of it.
“Hold her.” The two skeletons tightened their grip.
Mia continued struggling.
Kyle crouched beside her and followed the black markings with his eyes.
From the corner of her eye.
Down her cheek.
Across her neck.
Over her shoulder.
The markings eventually converged just below the right side of her collarbone.
Different from the captain.
So the crystal didn’t always form in the same place.
Kyle pulled aside the damaged section of her light armor.
Sure enough, there was a small swelling beneath the skin below her right collarbone.
Something black was faintly visible underneath.
Found it.
Kyle didn’t remove it himself.
“Here.” One of the Bronze-rank skeletons immediately extended a finger.
It didn’t use its blade.
The sharp bone pierced directly into the swollen area.
Blood flowed from the wound.
Mia’s entire body jerked.
The skeleton didn’t stop.
Its fingers found something hard beneath the flesh and hooked around it.
Then it pulled.
A black crystal roughly the size of a thumb came free.
“Ahhh!” For the first time, Mia screamed in her own voice.
At the same moment, the black markings covering her face and neck began writhing violently.
Countless thin black strands crawled out through the wound.
“Move back.” Kyle had been expecting it.
The two skeletons restraining Mia immediately dragged her away while another stepped forward, swinging its blade to stop the black tendrils from following.
Without the crystal, the parasite seemed to have lost control over Mia’s body.
The black strands could only writhe helplessly across the ground.
Kyle didn’t use Corpse Explosion.
There were still living people here, and the blast radius was too large.
Instead, he ordered the skeletons to force the black strands into a crater left by the earlier explosion.
They piled burning pieces of wood over them.
Flames quickly spread across the pile.
Ordinary fire couldn’t destroy the black substance immediately, but after being exposed to the flames for some time, its movements gradually weakened.
Kyle didn’t wait for it to burn completely.
“Next.” This time, it was Jeff.
With the experience from Mia, things went much faster.
Kyle followed the black markings and soon found the second crystal beneath the back of Jeff’s neck.
Remove it.
Restrain him.
Burn the parasite.
Then came Nolan.
His infection was the most severe.
Black markings covered more than half of his face, and the crystal was buried much deeper, almost against his abdomen.
The moment the skeleton broke the skin, Nolan began struggling violently.
His strength suddenly increased.
The two skeletons holding him down tightened their grip.
Bang!
Nolan was slammed back against the ground.
A low growl escaped his throat as the black markings across his abdomen began spreading rapidly.
Kyle frowned.
“Faster.” A third Bronze-rank skeleton immediately reached into the wound.
Its fingers pierced deeper.
Black liquid sprayed out.
The crystal was deeper than expected.
The skeleton failed to catch it on the first attempt.
Nolan’s struggling grew even more violent.
Black liquid had begun leaking from his eyes.
Kyle didn’t hesitate.
“Cut it open.” The blade moved across his abdomen.
The wound widened.
This time, the black crystal buried deep inside his flesh was finally exposed.
The Bronze-rank skeleton grabbed it.
And pulled.
Crack!
The moment the crystal left Nolan’s body, all the strength seemed to disappear from him at once.
His body went limp.
A mass of black tendrils immediately began crawling out through the wound.
Kyle ordered the skeletons to drag Nolan away.
The remaining black matter was thrown into the fire.
Before long, a foul, burnt smell filled the cavern.
The wounded knight had watched everything from beside the rock wall.
Only after confirming that all three of his teammates were still breathing did the tension finally leave his body.
“Alive…” His voice trembled.
“They’re still alive.” “For now,” Kyle corrected.
The parasites had been removed, but all three of them were in terrible condition.
Nolan was especially bad.
Without proper treatment soon, blood loss alone could kill him.
“We can’t stay here.” Kyle looked toward the deeper part of the cavern.
Throughout the fight, the black markings covering the walls had continued to move slightly.
Now that all three parasitic crystals had been removed, their movements seemed to have become more obvious.
Almost as if something deeper inside the mine had noticed what had happened.
Kyle had no intention of investigating further.
He had come here to investigate the abnormality, not to get himself killed.
They had already confirmed that the black substance could parasitize both monsters and humans, and they had rescued several survivors.
That was enough information to bring back.
More importantly, the wounded needed treatment.
Kyle ordered two Bronze-rank skeletons to carry Nolan and Jeff.
Another picked Mia up since she could no longer walk properly.
The badly injured knight was carried by another skeleton.
As for the dead captain and mage— Kyle was silent for a moment.
“Bring them too.” The remaining two skeletons lifted the bodies.
All six were now occupied.
Kyle took the lead.
The return journey was much slower than the way in.
Fortunately, they didn’t encounter any more infected people.
After passing through the narrow crack and returning to the section of the mine where the Goblin King had fallen, the survivors’ breathing was still weak, but stable.
Kyle didn’t stop.
He headed straight for the dungeon exit.
Only when the familiar black vortex appeared ahead did he relax slightly.
He stepped through.
White light filled his vision.
A moment later, cool night air brushed against his face.
Kyle was back outside the Blackstone Mine dungeon.
The adventurers waiting nearby quickly noticed him.
Then their attention shifted to the Bronze-rank skeletons following behind.
One.
Two.
Three…
Every skeleton was carrying someone.
Some were covered in blood.
Some were unconscious.
Two were clearly already dead.
The noisy crowd around the entrance quickly fell silent.
The Westport Adventurers’ Guild personnel stationed at Blackstone Mine were the first to react.
“It’s them!” “The party that went missing last night!” “Quick!” “Get the healers over here!” Several people immediately rushed forward.
Kyle didn’t stop them.
He ordered the skeletons to lower the survivors to the ground, then took out the container holding the black sample he had collected earlier.
“They weren’t attacked by ordinary monsters.” The middle-aged adventurer taking charge of the survivors looked up.
“What do you mean?” Kyle handed him the container.
Inside, the short piece of black tendril was still slightly curled.
“Parasites.” “These things can enter the bodies of monsters and adventurers.” “The black markings on the goblins inside the mine were caused by the same thing.” The man’s expression changed immediately.
Kyle continued.
“After infection, the victim’s strength and speed increase.
Detection doesn’t always reveal anything at first.
Once the infection gets worse, a black crystal forms somewhere inside the body.” “Removing the crystal seems to break the parasite’s control.” The middle-aged man took the container from him, his expression turning serious.
“I’ll notify Westport immediately.” He turned toward several guild members.
“Seal the sample.” “Examine every injured person.” “Pay special attention to any black markings beneath the skin.” “Anyone who entered Blackstone Mine tonight gets checked.
No exceptions.” The area quickly became busy.
Kyle didn’t stay with them.
He had already told them everything he knew.
As for what those black parasites actually were, that wasn’t something he could figure out right now.
He found an open spot away from the crowd and sat down.
One of the Bronze-rank skeletons in the best condition was summoned back to his side and stood silently on guard.
Kyle closed his eyes and began meditating to recover his mental power.
After several battles in a row, he needed the rest.
He wasn’t sure how much time had passed when the smell of roasting meat drifted through the air.
Kyle opened his eyes.
Night had completely fallen.
Campfires burned all around the dungeon entrance.
Adventurers sat around them in small groups.
Some were sorting their equipment, others were counting the materials they had brought out of the dungeon, while a few had set up iron racks over the flames to roast meat.
Kyle rubbed his stomach.
He was hungry.
Out of habit, he reached into his storage space for a roasted sweet potato.
His hand found nothing.
Then he remembered.
Nia had taken all of them.
Kyle fell silent for a couple of seconds as he remembered the girl leaving with an armful of sweet potatoes—and his coat along with them.
In the end, he could only take out a piece of bread.
He had just taken his first bite when someone called out from nearby.
“Hey, man.” Kyle looked over.
A young man in his early twenties was sitting beside one of the campfires, smiling as he waved him over.
“Want to come eat with us?” The meat roasting over the fire sizzled softly.
Its rich aroma drifted toward Kyle on the night breeze.