Malakai gave a slow nod, silently processing all the information.
Jerom soon returned to his seated spot along with Kendal, who had his arms crossed, still scowling at Malakai like he’d stolen something precious.
Meanwhile, Malakai busied himself with the corpses of the darkness creatures, kneeling beside one and inspecting its form.
‘Hopefully I can gain some insights into how they fight.’
Understanding the way potential enemies fought would make the difference between life and death.
After a few minutes of careful observation, he began noticing a pattern, two distinct types of killing blows among the corpses.
The first was crude. Some of the creatures had been split in two, and their bodies were torn apart by heavy, unrefined slashes. The cuts were jagged, brutal, and lacked precision.
The second type was cleaner. Their heads had been severed with accuracy, single, clean strokes.
‘The first should belong to the Tauron… and the second, the Lucerna,’ Malakai thought, his eyes turning to their weapons.
Both of them carried swords, but there were differences.
Kendal’s weapon was larger and crueler in shape, thicker than a longsword, not quite a broadsword, but close. Jerom’s sword, by contrast, was thinner, shorter, and far more refined.
‘The first is a brute who fights with raw power. The second is about precision and technique.’
As he analyzed their styles, his eyes glinted. He had suddenly seen an opportunity, one he’d been patiently waiting for.
Without a word, Malakai reached for his utility belt and pulled out a long, black bottle. He uncorked it and began drinking slowly.
The movement caught their attention.
Both Jerom and Kendal turned to glance at him as he took a gulp. Their eyes stayed, more focused than before.
‘As expected,’ Malakai thought. Unlike him, who had prepared meticulously, packing supplies for the worst-case scenario before coming to the Pit, the descendants had entered the Pit with their adults, likely expecting a quick and easy outing. They hadn’t packed supplies properly.
Just one look was enough, he could practically feel their thirst.
Malakai lowered the bottle, then turned toward them and casually extended it.
“You want some?”
“Yes—!” Kendal blurted, but before he could finish, Jerom pinched him sharply in the back, making him flinch.
Jerom’s gaze was steady and suspicious. “You’d just give us your supply… just like that?”
It was a valid question. In a place like this, giving away precious resources wasn’t just generous, it was suspicious.
Malakai shrugged. “You both look tired and thirsty. It’ll be a problem if you can’t fight effectively. I can’t handle the creatures alone.”
Jerom kept his eyes locked on him. The logic was sound, and the gesture reasonable… but something about it still made him uneasy.
Before he could respond, Kendal suddenly stood up. “He’s right, Jerom. We need this!” He stepped forward eagerly. “Besides, there’s nothing to worry about, he drank from it first, didn’t he? And if anything, he owes us after all the work we’ve already done.”
“Kendal, wait—” Jerom started, but it was too late.
Kendal had already taken the bottle from Malakai’s hand and began drinking deeply.
After a few large gulps, Kendal finally stopped drinking and let out a long sigh of relief. “Ahhh… that hit the spot,” he said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He burped loudly, completely unbothered, and grinned.
“You see?” he said, turning to Jerom. “I’m all good. He didn’t try to hide anything.”
Jerom stared at him, baffled, still processing how casually Kendal had just thrown caution to the wind.
Kendal held the bottle out to him. “Here, you should drink some too.”
Jerom hesitated, then gave a small smile. “I’ll take it later.”
“What do you mean later?” Kendal frowned. “He’s gonna take his bottle back—”
But before he could finish, Malakai’s spoke up. “Keep it.”
He turned and walked away without looking back.
Kendal blinked, then pumped a fist. “Score! Now you’re making yourself useful.”
But Malakai didn’t respond. He ignored the jab completely, already refocusing on the corpses scattered across the cave floor, scanning them in silence.
Jerom watched him quietly, with his eyes narrowing slightly. Something about Malakai still didn’t sit right with him.
‘Scratch that. A lot of things,’ Jerom thought to himself.
Still, he let it be… for now.
‘Fine,’ Jerom thought. ‘We’ll team up for now… but when the chance comes, we get rid of him.’
His eyes glinted coldly in the dim green light of the cave, already thinking of his next moves.
Time passed. Nearly an hour slipped by in silence before Kendal stretched and stood up, brushing dust from his pants. “Alright, let’s keep moving. I’m getting bored.”
Jerom rose soon after. “Yeah. We shouldn’t waste any more time.”
Malakai gave a slight nod. He had no objections.
With weapons drawn and tension hanging in the air, the trio stood at the cave’s next entrance.
Kendal took the lead with confidence. Jerom and Malakai remained at the rear, flanking him.
The first few minutes passed in silence, but the atmosphere was tense. There was no sign of movement. Still, none of them let their guards down.
That changed quickly.
A sound suddenly echoed through the tunnel, then the darkness swarmed.
Multitudes of creatures barreled forward, flooding the tunnel with terrifying speed.
‘All gradeless,’ Malakai noted calmly as his eyes swept over the incoming horde.
Some slithered across the floor like serpents, others had numerous legs, skittering unnaturally fast. A few crawled along the walls with gaping mouths and thin limbs, while others had bloated torsos and long claws dragging against the stone.
“Finally!” Kendal shouted, ripping his sword off his back with a grin.
“Be careful,” Jerom warned. “Stick to the plan.”
“I know, I know,” Kendal said with a roll of his eyes.
As the first wave of creatures reached them, Kendal’s body tensed.
“Muscle Form: First Gate,” he muttered.
His figure bulked up instantly, veins bulging beneath his skin. His weight increased, and in the blink of an eye, he met the swarm with a brutal swing.
The front line of creatures was cleaved apart, bodies split, limbs flying. Black ichor splattered the cave walls.
