novelraw Chapter 81 81: Waking Up A Slumbering Lion
Chapter 81 81: Waking Up A Slumbering Lion
After finishing their business with the now dead scavenger, Rayden and Grah moved toward the place the man had described.
When Rayden questioned him earlier, he kept Soul Echo Vision activated the entire time. The skill helped him detach, strip emotion from thought, read the tremor beneath words. Lies had a rhythm. Fear had a pulse.
The man had not lied.
The cave existed.
But that did not mean it was safe.
If a group as powerful and notorious as the scavengers did not dare approach it, then only one thing made sense.
The treasure was guarded.
Or worse.
Rayden's eyes sharpened.
He would not walk in foolishly.
No.
He would go.
But he would tread carefully.
After a long stretch of walking, the cave finally came into view.
It was perched near the top of a massive mountain, carved into the rock like the open mouth of some ancient beast. The entrance alone spanned several diameters wide. Dark. Silent. Waiting.
If something that large was filled with treasure…
Rayden could not bring himself to turn back.
"No matter what's inside," he muttered, "I'm taking something."
He looked down at Grah.
"Come on. Let's keep going."
They moved forward.
Then stopped.
Not by choice.
It felt like the air thickened.
No.
Not air.
Pressure.
Their movements slowed.
Then slowed more.
Until they could barely take another step.
A suffocating presence poured out from the cave. Its aura alone made them feel like insects standing before a god.
Grah forced another step.
His legs trembled violently.
He almost collapsed.
"What the hell…" Rayden muttered. "Why does it feel like gravity just multiplied?"
Grah tried again.
The invisible force slammed him into the ground.
Hard.
The wolf coughed out a mouthful of blood, body shaking under the crushing weight.
Rayden's jaw tightened.
This would not do.
He focused.
Not inward this time.
Outward.
Soul Conduit activated.
He tried to push against the gravity pressing on them.
The skill flickered.
Then shut off almost immediately.
Useless.
Grah growled and attempted to rise again.
The increased gravity smashed him back down. The ground cracked beneath his body.
Rayden's mind raced.
Hellskein Fortification was already active. If not for that, his infant body might have been crushed flat by now. Utter Bastion would only let him walk a few more meters before the weight forced him into the dirt.
None of his known applications would work.
Except one.
His instincts whispered.
Try again.
"Soul Conduit."
The skill activated once more.
This time, Rayden did not try to resist the gravity.
He reached for its source.
He directed the conduit toward the aura itself, toward the oppressive energy radiating from the cave.
It felt like trying to pull a mountain with a thread.
His veins bulged.
His vision blurred.
The pressure screamed against his will.
But he locked onto a strand of the energy.
A single strand.
And pulled.
The conduit caught it.
Drew it in.
Slowly.
A thread at a time.
The gravity lightened.
Barely.
Then more.
Grah sucked in a ragged breath, relief flashing in his eyes.
Rayden felt it too.
Not just relief.
Understanding.
Soul Conduit was not just for linking.
Not just for transfer.
It could devour.
A grin spread across his face despite the strain.
His skills were evolving beyond their descriptions.
Soul Echo Vision.
Hell Influence.
Now this.
If every skill had hidden applications waiting to be uncovered…
His combat prowess would skyrocket.
The gravity continued to weaken as he siphoned more of the aura.
If he kept proceeding at this pace, he might finally uncover the rest of his skills' hidden uses. And when that happened, his combat prowess would rise to another level entirely.
Rayden did not daydream for long.
His gaze dropped to his soul energy bar.
It had not increased.
But the color was changing.
From green… to a yellowish red.
He narrowed his eyes.
There was no system explanation, no neat line of text spelling it out for him. But he could feel it.
The quality was rising.
That was good.
Very good.
Soon, they reached the top of the mountain. The cave entrance was only a few meters away now. Close enough to feel the faint breath of cold air leaking from within.
"Stay here," Rayden said as he slid off Grah's back. "I'll go in alone."
He expected resistance.
A growl. A stubborn declaration.
I will follow you, my lord.
But Grah only nodded and stood guard, expression serious.
Rayden's eyes twitched.
This bastard clearly had no desire to step inside. It was like giving food to a starving child and watching him refuse it.
Pathetic.
Rayden shook his head.
"If I need you, I'll whistle. The moment you hear it, rush in and get me out as fast as possible."
Grah nodded again. Still serious. Still unmoving.
Rayden did not spare him another glance.
He stepped toward the cave.
Before his foot touched the ground inside, his body blurred.
Then vanished.
Ethereal Shroud.
With the skill active, sensing his presence would be near impossible. Seeing him was out of the question. That alone was why Rayden was confident he could steal from this place and leave alive.
He entered.
Stillness greeted him.
There was no suffocating pressure inside.
Not entirely.
His gaze shifted.
There.
A massive beast lay curled deeper within the cavern.
Asleep.
It stood around six to seven meters tall, three to four meters wide. Its body was encased in dark blue armor that looked grown rather than forged. Beneath it, fur of lighter blue and green shimmered faintly in the dim light.
A lion.
Majestic.
Terrifying.
Beautiful.
Most would be awed.
Rayden was.
And irritated by it.
Without anyone telling him, he could feel it. This beast was stronger than anything he had encountered in this world so far. Even the dead giant snake felt like an exception rather than a comparison.
The air here was calm because the lion had retracted its aura to sleep.
To feel awe toward such a creature…
Rayden scoffed inwardly.
His human side was becoming more irritable.
Why should he feel small before a petty beast?
Pathetic.
Absolutely pathetic.
It took him a few seconds to snap back to focus.
This was not the time for ego.
This was time for looting.
His eyes left the lion and swept across the cave.
Treasure.
Everywhere.
Gold. Jades. Trinkets. Ancient coins. Weapons. Strange artifacts. Piles upon piles lining the cavern floor like a dragon's hoard.
Rayden's eyes gleamed.
The place was enormous.
And the wealth inside it was even greater than he imagined.
He opened the small bag at his side and got to work.
He did not grab blindly.
No.
He examined.
Texture.
Energy density.
Pressure.
Resonance.
He picked only the best.
The good news?
There were many that met his third classifications.
He had already classified the treasures he gathered over the past days.
Bronze.
Silver.
Gold.
Platinum.
Most of what his underlings looted from random mobs barely reached Bronze rank.
Trash.
But here?
The smallest piece in this cave was Silver.
Most were Gold.
Rayden moved steadily, fast but controlled, eyes gleaming as he inspected pile after pile. The density here was insane. The energy pressure alone made his fingers tingle.
Sincerely, he wanted a storage space.
Some kind of dimensional vault where he could hoard everything.
Treasure like this would be useful one day. He was certain of it.
Even as he worked, part of his mind remained locked onto the lion. Watching. Measuring. Waiting for the slightest twitch.
He was not foolish.
If that beast woke and locked onto him, escape would be almost impossible.
He would die here.
So before that happened, he had to leave.
When his small bag finally grew too full to take another item, Rayden clicked his tongue in annoyance.
Then he asked.
"Hey. Hellbrand. Isn't there some storage feature in this system to help in situations like this?"
Silence.
Then the system responded.
Yes, Host. There is.
Relief flickered across his face.
Then the next line appeared.
However, the system has not been fully activated yet. Storage feature currently inaccessible.
Rayden's eyes twitched violently.
His fist clenched.
"This damn system…"
For a moment, irritation surged.
But he forced himself to calm down.
The lion was still asleep.
That alone was a miracle.
It was time to leave.
With Ethereal Shroud still active, Rayden began retreating. One careful step at a time. Heartbeat slow. Breathing controlled. Presence sealed tight.
He was only a few meters from the entrance.
Freedom within reach.
Then—
Ding.
A crisp notification rang in his mind.
Rayden's face darkened as he read.
System Alert.
New Side Quest Triggered.
Wake the slumbering lion and escape its rage.
Quest Reward:
One time limitless soul energy power up.
Ten times power boost to all skill cards.
System Remark:
You are a warlord. A human baby in appearance, but a notorious reaper at heart.
Since when did taking the easy way out become your norm?
Face risk as you always do and reap the reward.
Well.
If you survive.
Meanwhile, far away from the mountain and its sleeping lion…
Deep beneath the Scavenger base.
Underground.
Where the stubborn captured men were kept in iron cages that stank of blood and rust.
Two scavengers walked through the prison corridor, boots echoing against stone. They did not even glance at the chained men lining the walls.
"Why isn't Juan back yet?" one of them muttered, irritation clear in his tone.
The second man patted his shoulder lazily. "Looks like you'll be on guard alone today. Juan didn't show."
"That's not fair," the first grumbled. "This place is boring as hell."
The second scavenger chuckled, cold and low. "If you're that bored, mess up a few of these bastards. One of them might scream nicely. That should entertain you."
The guard snorted. "It's not fun anymore. Same thing over and over. Even screams get old."
After a bit more idle talk, the second scavenger left.
The corridor fell silent.
The lone guard turned slowly, eyes drifting from one caged prisoner to another.
Who would scream the loudest tonight?
His lips curled slightly.
Maybe that would cure the boredom.
"Over here."
A voice reached him.
Calm.
The guard turned.
One of the chained men was staring at him. His gaze hollow. Empty. As if whatever was inside him had long since died.
The guard smirked.
Lost his mind from the beatings, huh?
Maybe this one would be interesting.
He walked closer, keys at his waist clanking softly.
"What is it?" he asked.
The chained man spoke quietly.
"Tell me. Do you have the keys to break these chains on you?"
The guard barked out a laugh, grabbing the keyring at his side and shaking it. Metal clanged together.
"I do. But do you think I'll release you because you asked nicely?"
He leaned closer, eyes mocking.
"Are you stupid?"
The chained man slowly shook his head.
Then something changed.
The hollowness in his eyes sharpened.
Turned lethal.
"No," he said calmly.
"You are already dead."
The guard frowned.
He did not understand.
Then instinct screamed.
Danger.
He tried to turn.
Too late.
The chained man's legs were no longer bound.
The broken chains hung loose.
In the next second, a hand clamped around the guard's neck.
Cold.
Unshakable.
Before he could shout, there was a brutal twist.
Crack.
His head spun completely around.
Three hundred and sixty degrees.
His body hit the floor lifeless.
Silence returned.
The chained man exhaled softly.
He dragged the corpse closer.
With his toes, he hooked the keyring and flicked it upward. He caught it in his mouth with precise control, then struggled to angle it into the cuffs binding him to the wall.
It took effort.
His body was drenched in blood. Lash marks covered his back and chest, flesh torn open by countless whips.
But finally—
Click.
The cuffs released.
He fell forward, landing on the ground with a heavy thud.
For a moment, he stayed there.
Breathing.
Then he rose.
Despite the blood.
Despite the wounds.
His presence felt steady.
Cold.
He looked at the other prisoners, eyes sweeping across them.
When he spoke, his voice was calm.
Soft.
Yet somehow colder than the stone walls.
"I am leaving this accursed place."
He paused.
"Who is with me?"
The man was none other than Callack Dravenheart.
Rayden's father.
To be continued…
Author's Note:
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