Chapter 643: [Bonus - ] Back to the Trench.

Chapter 643: [Bonus Chapter] Back to the Trench.

Leaving Draven’s cave, Thoren didn’t bother returning to the inn. He headed straight for the exit of Scarwind Camp, intending to begin his exploration as soon as possible.

He had spent enough time observing the camp, and with the map now in his possession, there was little reason to stay.

As for relying on the pathfinders or scavengers to find a route off the floor, he considered that foolish.

Their interests didn’t necessarily align with his own.

Pathfinders mapped new routes for the camp lord while scavengers hunted beasts and gathered resources to sustain themselves.

Although both held valuable information, neither owed anyone a damn thing. Even if they knew where the exit gateway was, they wouldn’t share it.

Inside the Abyss, everyone was ultimately responsible for themselves.

He reached the main entrance of the camp, where several awakeners moved through the area, some preparing to leave while others returning from the trenches.

Nobody paid him any attention.

To them, he was just another awakener going about his business, and there was nothing unusual about someone leaving the camp alone.

Outside, Thoren followed the route marked on the map, walking for about ten minutes before turning left into another passage.

The tunnel stretched ahead, its rough walls lit by the faint yellow glow of the stones in the ceiling.

The light was enough to show the terrain, but not enough to chase away the shadows gathered in the deeper sections.

Along the way, he passed many awakeners returning from their explorations.

Some walked in groups of three or four, supporting injured companions who could barely keep their balance.

Others carried blood-stained weapons, their clothes torn and their bodies covered in wounds. A few had bandages wrapped around their arms or legs, and some had to lean against the cave walls.

Most looked tired.

Some seemed frustrated by how their expeditions had gone, others walked in silence, focused on reaching the camp.

Thoren raised his eyebrows slightly at how many were injured.

’Is this the safest route?’

According to Draven, this was a one-star route, one of the safest passages his party had explored and one the camp used extensively.

Thoren had expected it to be manageable for most awakeners. Yet the people returning looked as though they had barely escaped a disaster.

After a moment’s thought, he reached a reasonable conclusion. Draven and Rynna’s idea of safety was probably very different from that of ordinary awakeners.

Their party was among the strongest scavenger groups in the camp, with far more experience and fighting ability than the smaller parties.

They had spent months exploring dangerous routes and fighting powerful beasts, and they knew how to respond when an expedition went wrong.

In this regard, there was no way the smaller party could compare to them.

So, the scene before him wasn’t surprising. A route that posed little danger to Draven’s party could still be a serious threat to ordinary awakeners.

The star rating was only a general assessment of danger, not a promise that everyone would return safely.

With that settled, Thoren continued deeper into the tunnel.

The farther he moved from the camp, the fewer glowing stones lined the ceiling. The yellow light weakened, leaving larger stretches of the passage in shadow, and the outlines of the rocks grew indistinct.

The people thinned out as well.

At first, he still passed occasional groups heading back toward the camp, their voices echoing faintly before fading behind him.

A few minutes later even those stopped, leaving only the soft rhythm of his footsteps and the faint noises of the underground cave system.

For an ordinary person, the darkness and silence might have bred unease. But it had no noticeable effect on Thoren.

He had already endured something far worse when he first arrived on the third floor and traveled through the deep trenches, where the darkness had been heavier.

Compared with that, this route was easy. The map gave him a general understanding of the passages ahead, and as long as he stayed cautious and alert, there was no reason to be concerned.

After another couple of minutes, the terrain began to change. The stone floor grew uneven, then softer with every step, until Thoren felt damp, muddy soil beneath his boots.

It was a clear sign that he had left the organized passages near the camp and entered the trenches

The difference was immediate.

The air turned colder, and a chilling wind swept through the narrow passage, brushing his clothes before vanishing into the darkness ahead.

Unlike the gentle air movement inside the camp, this wind had an oppressive quality that made the surroundings feel hostile.

It moved in irregular gusts, sometimes dying away until the passage was completely still.

A heavy atmosphere settled over the long trench.

There were no voices, no footsteps, no sign of anyone nearby.

The silence was so complete that even the smallest sound seemed loud, and every so often the wind carried faint noises from somewhere deeper in the passage.

As for Thoren, he kept walking at a steady pace. His expression was calm as he noted the changes in the ground and the direction of the passage.

He hadn’t come here to admire the scenery, nor to waste time worrying about every unfamiliar sound.

He had a map, a clear objective, and enough means to protect himself if danger appeared.

And to him, that was enough for now.

Suddenly, Thoren halted in track.

He stood motionless for a brief moment, then slowly turned his head to look over his shoulder. His gaze settled on the dark passage behind him, and the corners of his lips curled into a faint smile.

Calmly, he resumed his journey as he headed deeper into the trenches. When he was being hunted by the Ash Tide, these trenches seemed like a massive maw ready to devour him.

And when he fell into it, he had already prepared for the worst but now. Here he was, calmly walking inside the trench and ready to unearth its secret.

And perhaps more...