Chapter 171: Onwards to the Cave

Words : 1158 Updated : Oct 12th, 2025

The dawn air was crisp, and a low mist still clung to the base of Elandra’s towering walls as Inigo and Lyra stood just beyond the city gates. There was no carriage. No horses. No hired drivers waiting with reins in hand. Just two people and an empty stretch of dirt road winding toward the northeast hills. Inigo reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a folded black parchment, sealed with a wax insignia—gears and wings etched clean into the crimson surface. With a thumb, he cracked the seal. A faint glow shimmered in the air around him as a translucent interface appeared—visible only to his eyes. He swiped through the selections with muscle memory more than thought, pausing at a familiar listing. Summon: JLTV Tactical Vehicle — Confirm? He tapped it. A low hum vibrated through the air. The grass around them fluttered, not from wind, but from the sudden displacement of magic. Lines of light etched themselves onto the ground, sketching the form of a vehicle before it fully materialized. In seconds, metal shimmered into existence, tires dropped into place, and the unmistakable bulk of a JLTV locked into the real world with a mechanical thud. The tan beast of a vehicle stood gleaming in the morning sun, already humming with latent power. Lyra didn’t even flinch. She stepped forward, opened the passenger side door, and climbed in without a word. "Took you long enough," she said dryly. Inigo smirked and followed her in. "Well excuse me for trying to make an entrance." "Not the first time I’ve ridden in this monster," she said, buckling herself in. "Still not the most graceful ride." "Graceful? No," Inigo agreed. He twisted the ignition switch and the engine roared to life, a deep guttural growl echoing across the countryside. "But reliable? Hell yes." The JLTV rumbled forward, its massive tires crushing gravel as it picked up speed. Trees blurred past in streaks of green and brown as they made their way northeast along the old mining trail. The road became rougher as they gained elevation, but the vehicle’s suspension absorbed the terrain with ease. Inside, the dash glowed with soft blue lights. A digital map synced to Inigo’s interface displayed their path—north-northeast, toward the old Eldrath mining ridge. A pulsing marker blinked where the spider nest was reported. "ETA’s twenty-five minutes," he said, keeping one hand on the wheel and the other adjusting the sling of his M4 Carbine, which rested across his chest. Lyra sat quietly in the passenger seat, longbow resting between her knees, fingers lightly drumming on her thigh. Her eyes weren’t just staring ahead—they were scanning, mentally cataloging everything. The terrain, the foliage, the way shadows shifted with the rising sun. She always got like this before missions. Focused. Sharp. "Hey," Inigo said after a minute. "Ever seriously think about switching that bow out for something modern?" Lyra turned her head slightly, one brow raised. "Not to insult your archery," he added quickly, "You’re damn good with it. But sometimes I wonder what you’d be like with a G36 or even a simple SMG. Fire rate, range, fewer reloads. Could be fun." She considered it for a beat. "I’ve thought about it. Every time you whip out one of those weapons and mow down five enemies before I loose a second arrow, it crosses my mind." Inigo grinned. "So what’s stopping you?" "You, mostly." He blinked. "Me?" "You’ve never offered," she said with a small shrug. "And I wasn’t sure if you’d actually trust me with one of your magic weapons." Inigo chuckled. "Lyra, I’ve trusted you to cover my six while we were waist-deep in Riftspawn. I think I can trust you not to shoot yourself in the foot." "Then yes," she said, nodding. "I’d like to try one. Maybe after this job. When we’re back and not crawling through spider webs." He reached over and tapped her shoulder. "You got it. I’ll give you something solid. Light, stable, good for mid-range. I’m thinking G36C. It’s beginner-friendly but still packs a punch." Lyra looked genuinely pleased. "I’m holding you to that." The JLTV crested a ridge, revealing the forest below stretching out like a sea of green. In the far distance, nestled between two jagged cliffs, was the gaping black mouth of the cave. Even from here, the air looked... stagnant. No movement. No birdsong. Just a dull silence hanging over the forest like a curse. Inigo slowed the vehicle and pulled off the road toward a barely visible wooden shack, covered in moss and vines. A faded red cloth fluttered weakly from a nailed post—Guild marker for a supply cache. They stopped. The two stepped out. Inigo popped the rear compartment of the JLTV and pulled out a hard case. Inside were two loaded M4 mags, several flashbangs, incendiary grenades, and a compact medical kit. He clipped the kit to his belt and handed a flashbang to Lyra. "Close-quarters backup," he said. She nodded and tucked it into her belt without a word. They approached the shack next. Inside were basic supplies—torches, rope, dried rations, and oil jars. Inigo stuffed two torches into his pack and took a coil of rope, slinging it over his shoulder. As he turned to leave, he noticed Lyra holding a torch of her own, staring silently toward the cave in the distance. "You feel it too?" he asked. She nodded. "The air’s wrong. Like the forest is holding its breath." Inigo crouched, running gloved fingers along the soil. He scooped some into a sample vial and sealed it. "Whatever’s in that cave... it’s changing the environment." "Let’s make sure it doesn’t change the rest of Eldrath." He stood, slinging his rifle back into place. "Let’s move." They hiked the remaining few hundred meters on foot, moving through uneven ground and brittle brush until they stood at the mouth of the cavern. Up close, the entrance looked worse. Jagged stone framed the opening like broken teeth. Webbing clung to the walls in glistening strands—some thin and wispy, others thick as rope. A few of the strands pulsed, as if alive. Bones littered the entrance—some human, some animal, all stripped clean. Lyra lit her torch. A soft orange glow cast shadows along the rock face, revealing the full extent of the webbing. It coated nearly every surface, trailing off into the blackness like veins. Inigo clicked his rifle to semi-auto. "Stay sharp." "You think they’re watching us?" she asked quietly. "Oh, no doubt. Spiders like these? They’re probably already surrounding us." He didn’t say it to scare her—it was just likely. These weren’t normal spiders. If the Guild’s scout was right, there was a Broodmother deeper inside—intelligent, tactical, and territorial. Lyra held her torch higher. "You want to go first, or shall I?" "You’ve got the light," Inigo said, motioning with his rifle. "I’ll cover your six." They exchanged one last look. Then stepped into the cave.

Chapter 171: Onwards to the Cave

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