205 - The Edge Beyond the Map

The northern mines reopened to limited survey teams five days after Subin's expedition restored the bypass. Underpass workers began repairing the old service road, and traders who had avoided the district for years cautiously returned. The Abyssal Stone Reaver remained somewhere beyond the flooded tunnels, but it had not approached the settlement, and Varik had no intention of sending armed groups into its territory without a clear reason.

For Subin, the immediate work was finished. The expedition had found an ancient regulator, prevented its failure, and established a safer route through the abandoned mines. He could have remained in Underpass to oversee further surveys, but Ara's latest map had revealed something worth investigating before the team returned to Earth.

The northern water system extended beyond the mapped mining district, eventually meeting a long underground river that flowed toward the western mountains. The route was too extensive for a single survey, yet its discovery suggested that several isolated settlements might be connected by waterways no one currently used for travel.

Subin wanted to see where the river led.

He presented the idea to Varik and Sel during a meeting at Underpass's command hall. Rather than asking permission to claim the territory, he proposed a joint expedition with a small local guide team. Underpass would retain authority over its land, Crossroads would receive the resulting maps, and any newly discovered settlements would be contacted before outsiders entered their territory.

Varik considered the proposal for several moments before agreeing.

"Most powerful Awakeners arrive here wanting access to resources," he said. "You repaired a road, left the Stone Reaver alone, and now you're asking to map a river. I don't know whether you're unusually patient or simply interested in things other people overlook."

"Both can be useful," Subin replied.

Sel laughed. "I'll record that as an official statement from the Sword God."

"Please don't."

The meeting ended with an agreement to send four Underpass guides and two Crossroads surveyors. Yerin, Jae-hyun, Liu Wei, Rafael, and Ara would accompany Subin, while Ethan remained at Crossroads to coordinate the next international expedition. The team departed the following morning, carrying only the supplies needed for several days underground.

Their route passed through the abandoned mining district before descending toward the river. Beyond the last marked tunnel, the terrain opened into a natural cavern where the ceiling rose high enough to hide in darkness. A broad river flowed through its center, reflecting blue light from crystals embedded in the walls. Strange plants grew along the banks, their translucent leaves glowing softly whenever the current disturbed the air.

The guides had never traveled this far. One of them, a broad-shouldered man named Toren, admitted that older residents had spoken of a river beyond the mines, but no one in Underpass knew where it went.

"People used to follow it during the early mining years," Toren explained as they walked along the bank. "A few returned with stories about stone forests and enormous creatures. Others never came back. Eventually, the northern road was closed, and the river became an old tale."

"Did anyone confirm the stories?" Yerin asked.

"Some. The stone forests are real. The rest depends on who tells the story."

Jae-hyun glanced at Subin. "If we find a giant monster, I vote that we leave the story unconfirmed."

"You can vote after we see it," Subin replied.

Their journey continued without incident until the river divided around a massive outcrop. The eastern branch ran beneath a low ceiling, while the western branch opened into a cavern filled with tall stone formations. Ara checked the map and identified the western route as the stronger continuation of the current.

They followed it for nearly an hour before hearing the sounds of combat.

The team slowed as the tunnel widened. Ahead, a group of humanoid creatures stood on a rocky ledge above the river, fighting several large, insect-like monsters. The humanoids were lean and tall, with grey-green skin, long ears, and simple armor made from layered hides and polished stone. Their weapons were crude by Awakener standards, but they moved with discipline, protecting two wounded companions while holding the narrow approach.

The insects were larger than horses, with six legs and broad, segmented shells. One had already fallen into the river, while another pressed the defenders toward the ledge.

"Those aren't monsters attacking a dungeon party," Rafael murmured. "They're people defending their home."

Subin nodded and moved forward.

The nearest insect turned toward the newcomers, its mandibles opening as it rushed down the slope. Jae-hyun met it first, cutting across one foreleg to disrupt its charge, while Liu Wei struck the exposed joint beneath its head. The creature stumbled, giving Rafael enough time to force it away from the defenders.

Subin dealt with the second insect before it could reach the wounded group. Its shell resisted the first strike, but he shifted his angle and cut through the softer underside where the front plates overlapped. The creature collapsed beside the river, its remaining legs scraping against the stone.

The other insects scattered when their front line broke. Yerin pursued one long enough to prevent it from circling back toward the defenders, then returned without killing it when it retreated into a narrow crack.

The fighting ended quickly, leaving the cavern filled with the sound of rushing water and the groans of the injured.

A tall grey-green man approached with a curved stone blade in hand. His armor bore a distinctive pattern of white markings, and a deep cut across his shoulder stained the material beneath it.

"You came from the southern tunnels," he said in accented but understandable language. "Are you traders, soldiers, or scavengers?"

"Travelers," Subin answered. "We came from Underpass to map the river. We intervened because those creatures were about to kill your people."

The man studied them before lowering his weapon. "I'm Orvek, captain of the river watch. This is the territory of the Kharan."

He gestured toward the injured defenders, and Yerin immediately joined the local healer to help stabilize one of the wounded. Ara and the surveyors kept their equipment packed away until Orvek gave permission to approach the ledge.

The Kharan had established a settlement several kilometers downstream, built around a natural crossing where the river narrowed between two cliffs. Their people hunted the local creatures, cultivated glowing river plants, and traded mineral goods with settlements farther west. The insect creatures had begun appearing near their hunting grounds more frequently, forcing the river watch to patrol areas they had previously considered safe.

"How long has this been happening?" Subin asked.

"Almost a month. At first, there were only a few. Now entire groups move through the lower caverns, and the larger ones have started attacking our patrols."

"Have they attacked your settlement?"

"Not yet. We have strong walls, but if enough of them come at once, walls will not be enough."

Orvek invited the expedition to accompany him to the settlement. Subin accepted, both because the Kharan needed help and because the local patrols knew the river better than any map could. The team followed the western bank until they reached the crossing, where stone buildings rose from the cliffs and rope bridges connected watch platforms above the water.

The settlement, called Kharad, was larger than Subin expected. Several hundred residents moved through its narrow streets, carrying baskets of food and bundles of minerals. Children watched the newcomers from behind doorways, while armed guards kept a close eye on their weapons. News of the fight spread quickly, and by the time Orvek brought the group to the settlement hall, its leader was waiting for them.

Elder Maresh was an elderly Kharan with silver markings along his face and a wooden staff polished by years of use. He listened as Orvek described the encounter, then asked Subin why a powerful swordsman would spend time exploring a river instead of seeking stronger monsters.

"Because a map is useful only if someone knows what is on it," Subin replied. "And because the people living along an unmapped route shouldn't have to face every danger alone."

Maresh seemed satisfied with the answer. He explained that Kharad had maintained the river crossing for generations, but the lower caverns had become increasingly dangerous. Their hunters had discovered several abandoned nests, and the insects were moving toward the settlement from the west. The Kharan had sent scouts to investigate, but none had reached the far end of the cavern system.

"We cannot spare enough fighters to clear the western caverns," Maresh said. "If you intend to continue along the river, you will encounter them again. I can provide guides, but I will not ask you to risk your lives for our settlement."

Subin glanced at his companions. They had intended to map the river, not launch a campaign against an unknown population of monsters. Still, the Kharan's problem lay directly along their route, and allowing the insects to multiply unchecked could endanger both Kharad and any future travelers.

"We'll inspect the western caverns," he said. "If the threat is manageable, we'll deal with it. If it's larger than expected, we'll return with a better plan."

Maresh offered two guides, and the expedition rested overnight before departing at first light.

The western cavern system was more difficult to navigate than the river route. Narrow passages opened into broad chambers, while steep shelves forced the team to climb around deep pools. The insect creatures appeared intermittently, but the expedition encountered no large groups until they reached a cavern where dozens of them had gathered around a cluster of pale eggs.

The creatures immediately became aggressive when the team entered their territory.

Subin ordered the guides to remain behind the entrance while the combat group spread across the rocky floor. The insects rushed forward in overlapping waves, using their numbers to force the expedition toward the water. Rafael held the center while Yerin and Liu Wei prevented the creatures from surrounding them. Jae-hyun targeted the larger insects, disrupting their formation before they could support the smaller ones.

Subin moved through the gaps their attacks created, cutting down the creatures that threatened the team's flanks. He avoided striking the egg cluster, which lay beneath a shelf of rock near the far wall. The insects were defending their nest, and destroying it would not necessarily solve the problem if more nests existed deeper in the caverns.

When the last group retreated, Ara examined the area. Several tunnels extended beyond the nest, and the floor was covered with tracks leading toward the western passage.

"This isn't their only nesting site," she said. "The tracks suggest several groups are moving between these caverns. We could destroy this nest, but that would only remove one part of the population."

"Can we find where the groups are coming from?" Subin asked.

Ara pointed toward a broad tunnel beyond the eggs. "The tracks converge there. If the larger creatures are directing the movement, we should find them farther west."

The team followed the tunnel until it opened into a vast cavern where the river disappeared beneath a shelf of black rock. At the far end, enormous insect creatures moved among hundreds of smaller ones. Their bodies were broader, their shells darker, and their mandibles strong enough to break stone.

The system identified the largest creature.

Cavern Brood Matriarch

Level 268 — A+

The Matriarch was nearly twenty meters long, with armored plates covering its back and a thick abdomen that pulsed as it moved. Several smaller creatures gathered around it, responding to movements of its antennae. It was not simply another predator in the cavern; it was the center of the colony.

The Matriarch turned toward the expedition, and the smaller insects surged forward.

Subin's expression sharpened. "Now we know why the river watch has been overwhelmed."

He raised Simple Edge as the first wave reached the cavern entrance. The expedition had come to map an unfamiliar region, but the next few minutes would decide whether the Kharan could continue living beside the river without fighting for every stretch of their own territory.

Subin stepped into the advancing swarm, already searching for the opening that would let him reach the Matriarch without being buried beneath its defenders.