Cade stood before the door for a few seconds, bracing himself, as he had no idea what lay beyond it. He didn’t want to make any speculations because this was a world full of limitless possibilities, and he didn’t want to limit his own imagination.

This door was identical to the other, except it had a complete doorknob, which Cade noted as he grabbed hold of it. He twisted the doorknob and the door opened. Excitement and caution filled Cade as he walked through, eager to discover what lay ahead.

As the door swung open, it revealed a long stone corridor. A single torch illuminated the space, casting shadows on the opposite wall. At the end of the corridor stood another identical door. Cade walked down the corridor, his bony feet clacking against the stone ground, the sound echoing through the passageway.

When Cade reached the door, he walked through it and found himself in a cellar sized room, the layout very minimal. The stone walls had no decorations, and the room was lit up by a metal chandelier hanging from the ceiling, its six candles casting a soft glow. The chandelier’s base featured a curved metal sheet, presumably to catch the dripping wax. In the center of the room stood a simple wooden table, surrounded by four wooden chairs.

At the end of the room, there was a doorway sized space that had the start of stone stairs curving and disappearing behind the wall. Cade proceeded towards the stairs, not taking the time to secure the room as there was nothing that caught his attention. Upon reaching the bottom of the stone stairs, Cade looked up to see where they led, and his eyes caught the flickering of light.

Since it was the only way out, he cautiously ascended the stairs, remaining vigilant. The stairs, Cade a full circle before ending in front of a metal door. There was a box-shaped opening in the door, large enough for a head to fit through. When Cade peered through the door, he saw a vast chamber with high ceilings. Torches lined the walls, their light revealing the unsettling sight that made even Cade uneasy.

The room was littered with dozens, maybe even hundreds, of corpses, all in varying stages of decay. Some were already bones, while others had flesh that had begun to rot. Even though Cade no longer had a sense of smell, he didn’t need much imagination to know how rancid the air must be.

Cade opened the door but felt resistance. He pressed his shoulder against it and forced it open, hearing bones snap and break. As he walked into the room, he had no choice but to step on bones and decaying bodies as the floor was no longer visible.

As he looked around, trying his best to ignore the sound of flesh ripping and bones breaking with every step, he noticed holes in the ceiling, evenly spread out. They appeared large to accommodate a body, and then it dawned on him: he was in an underground body dump.

Cade took his time and examined the holes, trying to see if he could spot any light. Maybe he could use Flashstep to make his way up and out of the holes. However, as he looked, he only saw darkness and no sign of their entrances. ‘Can’t get out that way,’ Cade thought to himself. He scanned the rest of the room but couldn’t find anything that could aid in his escape from this wretched room.

Just as Cade was about to sit down and start to think about what he could do to get out, he heard scrapping coming from above. He looked up in time to see a body drop from the hole at the far end of the room. Intrigued, he made his way to the body to see why it was dumped here among all the others. When his gaze fell on the body, a display appeared. He didn’t know why it appeared now and not when he looked at the other corpses or when he fought the three humans a while back.

[Name: Kaser Mantro]

[Job: Royal Guard]

[Race: Human]

[Power: D (213)]

[Royal Guard: Sworn to protect the Kolaya Family, the Royal Guards loyalty is unrivaled as they are willing to give their lives to protect the Throne. The Royal Guards are second in power within the kingdom, following the Cardinals.]

Cade read the information, confused as to what could kill a human with so much power. There was either a war raging on the surface, or this person was betrayed in some manner. As he looked over the body, he saw that the human was in excellent shape—defined muscles, battle-hardened skin, and a handsome face. At least this kingdom didn’t compromise when it came to selecting their protectors.

Cade glanced around the room and noticed that some of the corpses had similar features. It seemed like this place served as a dumping ground for fallen soldiers. However, with so many deceased soldiers, what was causing their deaths? He shook his head, realizing he couldn’t afford to delve into matters within the kingdom. His primary concern, at least for now, should be his own well-being and finding a way out of this place.

Cade pondered the situation carefully. In an enclosed space filled with decaying bodies, the odor would eventually permeate through the holes in the ceiling and spread to areas above ground. They must have a method for cleaning the bodies, which would require access to the room. With this theory in mind, he approached a wall and placed his hands on its stone surface. Moving along the wall, he explored its width with his hands, searching for anything concealed.

Having examined the entire length of the wall that led to the stairs without finding anything, he was certain that the second half held something of importance. Continuing his exploration along those walls, he suddenly felt his hand pass over a small gap in one of the rocks. He paused and inspected the space carefully. When he pressed his hand against the rock, his palm slightly sank into it. Confident that he had discovered something, he firmly pressed both hands onto the rock, causing a section of the wall to swing open, revealing stone stairs leading upward.

Not wanting to spend any more time than necessary in the room full of unfortunate souls, Cade began ascending the stairs, staying cautious as always. Since there was no light to illuminate his path, he kept one hand on the wall and the other stretched out in front of him so he would know when to stop if there was an obstacle. He continued to climb the stairs for what felt like five minutes. ‘That chamber of bodies must be deep underground if the stairs are this long,’ Cade thought to himself.

Cade knew he had reached the top of the stairs when his hand contacted something. He searched the surface with his hands and found a hook-like shape. Gripping it, he realized it was a handle, indicating he had found the door leading out. He pressed down on the handle and the door swung open, revealing another corridor.

Unlike the previous corridor, there was one significant difference: two guards were staring right at him.