Chapter 196 : Chapter 196

Chapter 196: With Thread

In ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍the original work, what tormented Ratel and Jing was not something like werewolves.

“Everyone, ‍​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍steel yourselves. If you cannot cross this cave, no one can deal with the monsters. In this moment, even if something happens to the companions around you, think only of your own survival.”

Mona’s ‍​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍voice, saying something completely different from what I thought, rang among the people.

The ‍​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍gap in the huge rock Mona pointed to faced the people with its black maw open wide.

It ‍​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍did not look like a place anyone should carelessly enter, no matter who looked at it, so no one stepped forward rashly.

“Is ‍​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍that thing safe?”

Adol seemed uneasy too, because his voice trembled a little.

“What are you going to do if it isn’t? It’s not like you can quit now.”

At my words, Adol glared at me.

In the meantime, someone brave standing at the front approached to look inside.

But soon, overwhelmed by the endless darkness, he stepped backward.

“You’re telling us to go in there?”

“What? I didn’t hear anything about that.”

Murmurs came from here and there.

“He said he had killed werewolves before, but didn’t he just run away while other people became food?”

Among them were some who doubted Mona’s plan.

“Shut up!”

As the dissatisfied voices grew louder, Enil shouted with a growl.

It grew quiet for a moment, but he could not calm the dissatisfaction of those gathered.

“Enil, step back.”

“But......”

“That’s enough.”

After pushing back Enil, who had been about to shout again, Mona opened his mouth once more.

“You came here to catch werewolves, so you should all know. Werewolves are monsters that are neither wolves nor humans. They move in packs, but their intelligence and physical ability are far superior to wolves, so if humans approach their habitat even a little, they enter a state of alert. That means you may lose them before you even attack, or the humans may be the ones who get hunted instead.”

He removed the guard covering his hand and placed his hand on the huge rock that overwhelmed people.

Among the scars filling his hand, the one that stood out the most was a long scar that began from the gap between his thumb and index finger.

Wider than a cut made by a knife, the rough scar continued beneath his sleeve, making it impossible to know where it ended.

It was a wound that looked as if it had been inflicted by a beast.

“Through countless sacrifices, we discovered a shortcut leading to their base. It is the safest and most dangerous path. Daybreak will come soon. When the sun rises, the monsters’ movements will grow dull. If we raid them before they come to their senses, we can kill more of them. This path will serve as our attack route and our retreat route at the same time.”

The sound of someone swallowing at the dreamlike story could be heard.

“I-if you’ve already raided them several times, shouldn’t they obviously have moved their base?”

At someone’s question, Enil shook his head.

“We don’t know why, but those things don’t leave this area. No matter how many times they’re attacked, they return to the same place.”

“If the end of this path is the monsters’ nest, why haven’t other people found this path? It’s exposed so defenselessly.”

At the question from a man standing nearby, Mona raised one corner of his mouth slightly this time.

“Did I not say so? It is the safest and the most dangerous path. Only those who can cross the long, dark path without going mad can defeat the monsters and obtain the spoils. Or perhaps they can finish their revenge.”

After finishing his words, Mona’s gaze turned toward Adol, who had been craning his neck out of the line.

The startled boy pulled his body back inside and bumped into me.

Regardless of that, Mona’s long speech continued.

“Those with greed, follow behind me. I, who survived, will be your guide.”

With those words, Mona vanished into the darkness.

While everyone swallowed their breath, Enil also followed behind him without hesitation.

“Damn it! I can’t come all the way here and go back empty-handed!”

The two large men who had been panting at the front disappeared into the darkness next.

Starting with that, the people who had been standing there vanished into the gap between the rocks one after another.

“......”

I could see Adol, who had been watching them, gulping.

“Looks like we’ll need to hold hands.”

“What?”

“Because I’m scared. I think I’ll need to hold your hand.”

Perhaps thinking I was mocking him for being afraid, Adol’s eyes shot up toward the sky again.

I opened my mouth to correct the misunderstanding.

“Not you. Me. I’m scared, so I think I need to hold hands.”

“......I don’t know if you’re just insane, or if you’ve really gone completely off the deep end.”

Even so, when I did not withdraw the hand I held out, he sighed and stretched out his hand in irritation.

When I grabbed the hand of the bastard who looked utterly disgusted, the person who had somehow come to stand right in front of me was also moving forward.

My steps felt heavy as I followed those people, whether they were simple or determined.

Honestly, I did not want to go inside.

Part of it was because I did not like Mona’s speech, which had tried to inspire people by attaching all kinds of words to the situation, but it was also because I could guess what I would see there.

I hadn’t planned to follow him to such a rough place.

I clenched my fist after putting it into the darkness and moved forward one step at a time.

At last, even my heel and the hand that had been holding Adol’s were swallowed by the darkness.

Darkness and silence crashed over me.

Adol beside me had already disappeared.

Because I had been holding Adol’s hand, I knew that fact clearly.

Even the people who had not held someone else’s hand would have realized something was strange.

If we had simply entered a dark cave, there was no way to explain a situation where sound had disappeared.

It made no sense that, with so many people having entered, there was no noise at all.

But by the time one noticed it, it was already too late.

Thinking I was an idiot for entering even though I had known, I moved forward.

Even if a monster with its mouth wide open waited ahead, it did not matter.

No, perhaps that would be better.

As I walked through darkness thicker than the sight I had when my eyes were closed, enough time seemed to pass that I could no longer tell whether my eyes were really open or not.

The moment I took another difficult step, someone grabbed my shoulder from behind.

“You dogshit bastard. I told you that you couldn’t run away, didn’t I?”

Along with a rough curse.

It was a familiar voice.

A voice that could return me to a terrible past with only a short sentence.

“Are you ignoring me right now?”

This time, the owner of the voice, trembling from alcohol addiction, grabbed my hair and yanked.

In the end, I turned and opened the eyes I had closed.

What spread before my eyes was an equally familiar space.

My only home, the cramped room of an old villa, and the terrible human who filled it.

“Wow, it’s exactly the same.”

I muttered before I knew it.

Perhaps the voice that came out calmer than expected made the other party even angrier, because his voice grew louder.

“You bastard. I told you not to look at me with those eyes, didn’t I?”

In the end, I raised the eyes he hated so much and looked at the man glaring at me as if he would kill me.

Red eyes with every blood vessel burst, a swollen face, and a gaze full of hatred.

It was my father.

Once my sight opened, the stench of alcohol and cigarettes, and the smell of phlegm, dug into my nose.

He was exactly the father in my memories.

An urgency, as if revulsion had become tangible and was about to crawl up my throat, sent me a warning.

That I had to shake this off and run away right now.

But the moment I tensed my body to pull free from the hand gripping my shoulder and hair, my hands and feet came into view.

They were smaller hands and feet than now. No, smaller than before I had entered the world inside the book.

Ah, right.

My body goes back to the past too.

Looking at my father raising his hand as if mocking me, I closed my eyes.

Damn it. I would rather have entered Ran’s memories.

***

“Hey, hey! Ran! Get a hold of yourself! Why are you suddenly like this?”

Adol tried hard to ignore the heat gathering behind his eyes from fear and shook Ran’s hand, which was gripping his tightly.

But the man who had been chattering uselessly until a moment ago now only stood there with his mouth clamped shut.

“Damn it, what happened?”

The inside of the rocky cave was darker and wider than he had imagined.

Though it wounded his pride, Adol had kept moving forward while feeling reassured by their joined hands and the strength with which Ran slowly pulled him along.

Until Ran stopped walking.

The steps that had been neither slow nor fast gradually slowed, then came to a complete stop.

At first, Adol thought Ran was playing another pointless prank.

“If you’re playing some weird joke again......”

The child, who had been about to get angry in order to hide his fear, soon realized that Ran had not stopped there by his own will.

Adol looked around.

In his vision, which had grown used to the darkness, he saw others who had stopped in place just like Ran.

The flustered Adol pulled at Ran’s hand.

Fortunately, Ran did not collapse or fall, and slowly moved his feet as Adol led him.

Feeling pathetic for taking even that small comfort, Adol approached another man standing like a statue.

“Hey, can’t you hear me? Why did everyone stop?”

“......”

But he too gave no answer, just like Ran.

Now it was really starting to become frightening.

The fact that he was alone in this deep, wide darkness reached his skin.

Where should he go?

Forward? Or back?

The more he looked around in confusion, the dizzier his head grew.

Step.

Footsteps reached the ears of the child who felt as if he were about to be eaten by fear.

Adol’s mind returned like a person submerged deep underwater who had barely been dragged to the surface.

“Hey, is someone there?”

Adol perked up his ears and looked in the direction the sound had come from.

Step.

The sound of footsteps came again.

This time, from a little farther away.

Only then did Mona’s existence come to Adol’s mind.

It had to be Mona.

Hadn’t he said he had passed through this place several times?

Adol did not know what method he had used, but it seemed he could also pass through this cave.

“Hey, wait!!!”

Afraid the distance would grow farther, Adol hurriedly tried to follow the sound of footsteps, then stopped.

Ran’s hand was still holding his.

If he was too late, it felt like he would lose his only guide.

Chasing after that while dragging Ran, who could not move properly, would not be easy.

Adol hesitated for a moment.

‘Strictly speaking, he didn’t collapse. Then can’t I just leave him?’

The strength holding his hand was not that strong.

It meant shaking him off would not be difficult.

But what held Adol’s hand was not Ran’s strength.

-This isn’t a request. It’s advice, and a deal. If you save me, I’ll save you too.

It was a promise of no great importance.

Step.

The footsteps rang again, and Adol chased after them.

With a burden in one hand, and a little slower.