"Oh, shit. I didn't know this detail. I wonder why Hyobe and his friend faced the dungeon on their own... what were they hoping to do?" Yoichi thought aloud. In his mind, he remembered the face of the man in the cowboy hat.

Seized by the courage of that moment, he had not thought about how difficult it could be to find an object as small as a necklace in such a dark place. According to Blackborough villagers, there were so many Komoerus inside the mine to prevent anyone from reaching the boss. ​​

"Perhaps we were wrong to come here… I mean, only the three of us. I don't question your strength, Shioko, but are you sure that in your state you're able to fight?" Enatsu asked, interrupting Yoichi's thoughts.

"I've already told you. I have completed this dungeon numerous times already, I know it perfectly. Once that fucking necklace is recovered, we'll head to the dungeon core and kill the boss. At that point, we can cross the Demonic Veil without suffering any penalty", the red-haired tamer replied superficially.

Enatsu took a deep, long breath. Unlike other times, when Yoichi reassured him and tried to give him courage, this time the young tamer was assailed by unexpected anguish.

Strong negative energy came from the end of that path. He sensed that something bad and unexpected would turn the tables.

Believing that those sensations had come from that macabre forest, Yoichi tried not to think about it, reacting positively. He petted Ichiro, thinking about how much such an experience would make him grow: a dungeon like that was a perfect opportunity to use on Kenji the keikemon given to him by Kuniaki.

I'm going to grab the necklace and go back to Ambershire. After receiving the reward I deserve, I will come back to Ryutaro and dedicate myself to cultivate my spirit, he thought. Satisfied with having so many things to do, he too spurred his demonic horse, ordering it to speed up the pace.

The vegetation that lined the path became denser and the red soil road started to get lost under the roots of the trees. The shadow of the mountain became increasingly imposing as the three adventurers approached its foot.

Due to the total absence of the sun's rays, the air in the vicinity of the mine was cold and humid. The reflection of the dim afternoon light, however, was enough to illuminate the path, as that gloomy forest wanted the three Nightblades to reach its jaws.

The singing of crickets sounded more and more intense and the large bushes thickened, blocking part of the road with their protruding branches. Suddenly, Taya's front hooves stepped on something sticky.

*splat*splat* - The red-haired tamer mare silently neighed, frantically moving its legs forward. "Hey, what's going on?" Shioko asked, leaning out of her horse and looking down.

Yoichi and Enatsu's narrowed eyes caught a glimpse of something: a black, oil-dense mud occupied every corner of the narrow path, stretching from both sides.

With a jump-like movement, Taya quickly moved from its position, freeing its hooves. "What the fuck is this stuff?" Shioko gasped again, sure she had never seen anything like it.

"Tweet! Tweet!" Sora frantically chirped, breaking its silence and making Enatsu jump. "Hey, what's wrong with you? Be quiet, Sora! This is not the time!"

"Hiii! Frr... hiii!" – the Waromu chirping and Ichiro's nitrite joined, sharing their anxiety. Both demons looked frightened by that blackish substance and had no desire to get any closer.

"Stay here!" Yoichi whispered in the ear of his Inoshuma. After those words, he jumped off his horse, walking with circumspection towards the black mud.

"Yoichi? What are you doing, brother? I... I don't think it's a good idea," Enatsu trembled, stroking Sora and helping it calm down. Shioko witnessed the scene in silence.

When Yoichi's feet stopped in front of the mud, the young tamer crouched down, trying to see it up close. He moved his body sideways, making sure he did not cover that substance with his own shadow.

*plop*blurp* - with a movement of his hand, he silenced his companions, trying to perceive that strange sound. That black mud pulsated, vibrated, and small bubbles formed on its surface.

Consisting of a dense sticky and wet matrix, it seemed a living substance, able to move on its own will. Yochi's eyes tried to trace the long mud tongue, but they quickly noticed that it entered the darkness of the vegetation.

Moving a few inches to the right, he noticed that the black mud had reached the trees near the path, totally covering the red soil and submerging their roots: the trunks of those majestic conifers, in those places, appeared rotten and decadent.

Remains of small rodents and reptiles were soaked in sticky mud, choke to death and consumed by it. When Yoichi noticed all these little details, he stood up, looking at the path ahead with a clear head.

"There is no doubt. It's the same dark substance that reached Blackborough and destroyed the Crimson Lotus plantation," he affirmed with conviction. His gaze was still pointed towards the darkness.

"The path is impracticable. It just seems like we'll have to walk on foot," Shioko replied, ready to solve the problem.

"Walking to such a place? I hope you're joking!" Enatsu gulped. "How do you know our horses will stay safe? How long till we reach the mine?" he added, trembling with fear.

Shioko came down Taya's back, stroking her coat and calming it down. "My Taya is used to stay alone. She can take care of herself," she answered, moving away from the black mud for a few meters.

The red-haired tamer grabbed the reins of Enatsu's horse, pulling it with her. "Hey, watch out! You make me fall!" the merchant mumbled, knowing he had no decision-making power.

"You can stay here with the horses if you want. All alone, in the darkness. You know better than I do that when night falls, this place will be infested with demons," Shioko spoke, looking sternly at the young merchant. Enatsu looked away, rejecting the proposal.