As the Hunters led the chained prisoners deeper into the abandoned tomb, Ishy's eyes darted nervously from shadow to shadow. Every step sent a fresh jolt of burning pain up his right leg from the iron shackle. The heavy chain dragged behind him, clinking loudly against the stone floor and echoing through the narrow hallway like a death knell.
One of the Hunters raised a torch high. The flickering orange light revealed the horrifying truth — the walls and corners of the hallway were packed with slumbering Hollowed Scourge. These grotesque Unholy Beings looked like twisted lizard hatchlings, their scaly bodies curled up in unnatural positions. But what made them truly disturbing were the dozens of eyes covering their heads, some closed in sleep, others half-open and staring blankly even while unconscious.
How is something like this even possible? Ishy thought, his stomach twisting. This was the Catalyst Anchor's doing — an alternate realm where nightmares could take physical form.
One of the female Hunters wrinkled her nose and muttered under her breath, "What ugly bastards… and they smell like—"
She suddenly gagged, quickly covering her mouth with the back of her hand. The stench was overwhelming — a thick, nauseating mixture of rotting meat, spoiled blood, and something sickly sweet that clung to the back of the throat.
"What the fuck is that smell?" she hissed, her voice strained as she fought the urge to vomit. She shook her head and pushed forward, torch held high. "Keep moving! All of you — up the stairs, now!"
She roughly shoved the backline of prisoners forward. Ishy stumbled as he was pushed, the chain yanking painfully on his ankle. Behind him, he could hear Lina whisper in terror, "They're everywhere…" while Kael muttered curses under his breath.
As they began climbing the worn stone stairs, Ishy couldn't shake the feeling that some of those many eyes weren't actually sleeping.
They climbed the worn stone stairs at a painfully slow pace. The heavy iron chains dragged behind every prisoner, weighing them down and turning each step into a struggle. Ishy gritted his teeth as the burning pain in his right ankle flared with every upward step. The shackle felt like it was growing hotter, biting deeper into his flesh.
The female Hunter at the back quickly lost her patience. With an irritated growl, she drew her threaded cane and shifted it into its whiplash form. Without hesitation, she cracked the whip across the backs of the prisoners in the rear.
"You bastards! All of you! Move faster!" she shouted, her voice sharp with authority.
The loud crack echoed through the stairwell like thunder. Ishy flinched as the sound rang in his ears. Behind him, he heard Lina gasp in pain and Kael curse under his breath.
The noise immediately drew the lead Hunter's attention. He turned and barked at his companion, "Take the front and lead them." The man nodded and moved ahead, while the leader strode back to the rear.
He arrived just as Scarlet raised her whip again. Before she could strike, he grabbed her wrist firmly.
"What the hell are you doing, Scarlet?!" he hissed, his face a mix of anger and caution. "Do you want to get us all killed? Those Hollowed Scourge may be asleep, but if you keep making noise like that, you won't just wake them — you might attract their mother too!"
Scarlet looked ready to argue, her face flushed with frustration and exhaustion, but she knew better. She swallowed her words and replied in a low, irritated voice.
"Fine… But I want to move to the front. I hate being stuck back here."
The leader sighed heavily. He wanted this expedition to proceed smoothly. Releasing her wrist, he nodded and let her switch places with the other Hunter, moving up to the front line.
Now the leader himself took control of the backline, walking behind the prisoners with a calm but watchful gaze, his hand resting near the hilt of his serrated blade.
Ishy kept his head down, breathing through the pain. The whip hadn't hit him this time, but the threat lingered in the air like a promise. Every clink of his chain reminded him how little control he had.
And somewhere in the darkness behind them, he could have sworn he heard the faint sound of many eyes slowly opening.
While the group continued climbing the worn stone stairs, the lead Hunter stayed at the back, constantly scanning the darkness behind them. He wanted to ensure the prisoners remained in usable condition before they were thrown into the vault.
Unlike Scarlet, he didn't resort to violence. Instead, he placed his hands on the backs of the slower prisoners and pushed them forward firmly.
"All of you… make haste," he ordered, his voice low but commanding. "We don't have any time to waste."
Ishy gritted his teeth as he forced his legs to keep moving. The iron shackle around his right ankle burned hotter with every step, the heavy chain dragging behind him like an anchor. Sweat dripped down his face, and his breathing grew ragged. Each upward step felt like punishment.
***
Suddenly, a loud, heavy thud echoed from somewhere outside the tomb — deep, powerful, and far too close.
Everyone froze on the spot. The prisoners stopped breathing. Ishy's heart slammed against his ribs. No one dared move a muscle.
The leader's companion swallowed hard and muttered under his breath, "The mother is here… We need to hurry up."
Without another word, he began moving upstairs at a brisk, almost frantic pace, practically dragging the front prisoners along with him as they climbed floor after floor. The rest followed quickly, chains clinking loudly in the tense silence.
Ishy stumbled forward, pain shooting up his leg with every hurried step. Behind him, he could hear Lina's quiet, terrified breathing and Kael muttering curses. The sound of that single thud still rang in his ears.
Whatever "mother" was coming… it sounded massive.
And it was getting closer.
***
As they reached the top floor, a disturbing noise echoed from the lower levels — something heavy was coming. The lead Hunter quickly leaned over the staircase wall to take a look. His eyes widened in shock. The Hollowed Scourge hatchlings had awakened from their deep slumber, stirred by the scent of their mother's arrival.
While the Hunters were busy securing the line and the leader was scouting the hatchlings, Ishy seized the chance to check his [STATUS] menu. To his surprise, a new notification from the Catalyst Anchor appeared.
In his mind, he desperately hoped for something useful — a sword, a weapon, anything he could use in battle.
Please be a sword! Please be a sword!
The menu displayed:
[You have been granted a Hunter's Gift by the Catalyst Anchor]
[Tier 1 Hunter's Gift: Whistle of Death]
[Gift Description: A whistle made from the vocal cords of a Hollowed Scourge. It can be used for distraction or to call forth a calamity. However, beware — it always brings misfortune to the user and their surroundings.]
Ishy's eyes widened in surprise, then his face twisted into a frown. He had hoped for something useful, but instead he received a misfortune-bringing whistle. He sighed silently and continued moving with the other prisoners, keeping the despised gift hidden.
The lead Hunter suddenly snapped out of his scouting and quickly silenced himself so he wouldn't alert the hatchlings. He muttered under his breath, "Shit… the kids are awakened. We need to move faster."
He rushed upstairs and led the remaining prisoners until they finally reached the "Vault" floor.
The Vault was filled with the thick stench of blood, and scattered skeletons littered the floor. The gruesome scene sent chills running down the prisoners' spines.
To their horror, they realized the "Vault" was actually a sacrificial altar where Infected were offered to the echoes of the Fallen Gods. In the Hunters' eyes, these echoes were a blessing — granting them massive amounts of Blood Stones and greatly increasing their Insight.
The lead Hunter stepped forward and lined up the prisoners.
"Alright, fellas… your time is almost up. Any last words?"
No one spoke. A heavy silence fell over the group, filled with fear and sadness as they thought about the lives they had left behind in the real world.
The lead Hunter looked at them in confusion, then shrugged. He drew his serrated blade, clearly intending to cut them down.
Meanwhile, Ishy stood there emotionless, as if he already knew what he had to do. His calm demeanor in such a dire situation caught Scarlet's attention. She moved to the back row, her threaded cane shifted into a staff, and asked with a mocking tone,
"Seems like someone isn't scared of death here… am I right, kiddo?"
Ishy replied in a coarse but ice-cold voice, "Of course I don't fear death… because death only comes for those who are left unprepared."
He covered his mouth with both palms, summoned the Whistle of Death to his lips, and blew hard.
A high-pitched, deafening noise erupted, echoing throughout the entire vault floor.
The sound made both Hunters and prisoners shiver and tremble from the ear-piercing wail. It also alerted the Hollowed Scourge below, which immediately began rushing toward the top floor at terrifying speed.
Ishy used the chaos to move aside and quickly pull Lina, Kael, and as many other prisoners as he could reach into the cracked holes in the wall to hide. Those unholy beings lunged at the Hunters with savage force.
Ishy looked back at the prisoners he couldn't reach, worry flashing across his face. Fortunately, they managed to evade the scourges' attacks and scattered to hide in whatever cover they could find.
While the Hunters were busy fighting for their lives, Ishy gathered the remaining prisoners and led them in a desperate run to escape the Abandoned Tomb.