Chapter 44: Hidden Cave

Ethan had twenty days to collect those weapons. Still, there were some real challenges waiting for him if he wanted to finish the quest.

He couldn’t loot enemies’ inventories, especially after they died.

The only way was to make them weak enough and then make a deal so they would willingly hand over their weapons to him.

Sounded easy, right? But it wasn’t that simple.

Some players considered their weapons special. They would rather die and respawn in the game world than hand over their weapons during the event.

The logic was simple—if they died while still holding their weapons, they would respawn at the altar with them.

But if they gave their weapons away during the event and then failed, getting sent back to the altar, those weapons would be gone forever.

I’ve already guessed this Talent Quest would be harder, considering how this event works.

The event itself lasted for thirty days, while the Talent Quest lasted for twenty.

What if I just quit and look for those weapons back in the game world?

No… that would ruin my entire plan for this event.

Ethan truly felt torn. The reward for players who made it into the top ten was high-rank gear and weapons, plus contribution points for their guilds.

He had promised to give his contribution points to Luscho, as payment for letting him join.

If Ethan failed, he’d have to give up his life to Luscho as agreed.

“Ethan?”

What if I trade for them? Maybe I can buy those weapons with Star Essence. But Star Essence is way more valuable in this event…

“Ethan?!” Nuwa called again.

To get Star Essence, I’d need to do a bunch of side quests, kill specific monsters, or find hidden caves…

“ETHAN?!” Nuwa yelled.

The woman grabbed Ethan’s hand and yanked him back, snapping him out of his thoughts.

When he looked ahead, there was a steep cliff right in front of him—he had almost fallen to his death. Ethan’s heart pounded hard after seeing that.

“What’s wrong with you? Were you thinking about something?” Nuwa asked. Ethan turned around to face her.

“Sorry. I wasn’t paying attention.”

I can’t afford to lose focus like that. I’ll think about the plan after finishing this side quest.

“Thanks, Nuwa,” Ethan said, and Nuwa nodded.

Ethan’s attention shifted to the area around them. They had already exited the forest part of the mountain and were now walking along a rocky cliff path—steep and prone to landslides.

It was still a long way to the top, and the sun was already setting. It would be dangerous to keep moving at night since most monsters out there were nocturnal.

“It’s too risky to keep climbing,” Ethan said.

“Nuwa,” he called out.

“What?” she asked curiously.

“Use your assassin speed and senses to find us a safe place to rest for the night,” Ethan ordered.

Nuwa nodded in understanding. She drew her daggers and jumped swiftly onto the tree branches, leaping from one tree to another deeper into the forest.

Ethan followed her from below, walking on the ground.

He could move like her if he wanted to, but his jumps were too powerful—he was worried the branches wouldn’t be able to handle his strength.

Before long, Nuwa stopped when she found a stone cave hidden behind thick forest growth.

Ethan walked up to her, and both of them stared at the cave entrance.

“Is this another hidden cave?” Nuwa asked.

“Looks like it.”

Ethan stepped inside, with Nuwa following close behind.

The smell of sulfur leaked out from the cave walls, and the deeper they went, the dimmer the light became.

“Jack,” Ethan said. Servant Jack Spearsun nodded.

He moved his hand forward, summoning a small orb of fire the size of a golf ball that lit the path ahead.

As they walked, Nuwa kept watching the damp black walls. Ethan warned her not to touch them.

Even though it smelled like sulfur, Ethan stayed cautious—there could be toxic liquid hidden in the cave walls, capable of seeping into a player’s body through the pores of their fingers.

They both stopped when they reached a dead end. In front of them were three chests—two dull wooden ones and one glowing blue.

“Do these chests have Star Essence inside?” Nuwa asked. Ethan didn’t answer.

Curiosity got the better of him. He walked forward and carefully opened the blue chest first.

Instantly, an item panel popped up, showing what he and his team had received.

[Congratulations! You have obtained the following items:]

[100x Star Essence || 10 HP Potions Lv. 2 || 10 MP Potions Lv. 2 || 1000 Gold]

[Team Name: Sword Liberation]

[Rank: 27,560]

[Star Essence Count: 115]

The number went up? As far as I remember, we only got 104 with this chest. Maybe the other team members found some too?

The same panel appeared for Nuwa and the rest of the team. Nuwa looked shocked as she counted the Star Essence total—it didn’t add up.

“One hundred fifteen? Where did the extra eleven come from?” she asked.

“That’s good news,” Ethan replied.

“It means the others survived and have started hunting for Star Essence too,” he said.

Nuwa smiled brightly. “I knew it! They must’ve made it. Lara’s probably protecting them.”

Ethan nodded, then closed the blue chest and moved to the two remaining wooden ones.

Nuwa took the right chest while Ethan opened the left.

They opened them at the same time. Ethan was unlucky—his chest was a trap. Sharp roots shot out, wrapping tightly around his body.

“W-What is that?!” Nuwa shouted.

“A trap!” Ethan snapped.

Even though it startled him, Ethan wasn’t too worried. The thorny roots were easy to cut.

He summoned his sword and slashed through the roots, freeing himself.

Nuwa had been panicking, but she relaxed once she saw Ethan unharmed.

“How about you?” Ethan asked, curious about her loot.

“Weapons, equipment, and a Crystal Spirit,” she said.

He squinted. There weren’t many pieces—just a few pieces of gear, not even a full set.

The weapons and Crystal Spirit were Uncommon rank, while the equipment was Rare.

Ethan sighed. Weapons were fine, but their rank was too low. They were useless for his Talent Quest.

After finishing up in the hidden cave, Ethan and Nuwa went back outside.

They had successfully claimed the treasure chests, which meant no other players could take anything from that cave anymore.

“So, what now?” Nuwa asked.

At the cave entrance, the sound of crickets and night bugs echoed through the forest. The cold air bit at their skin, making Nuwa shiver.

“Resting out here in the forest is too dangerous,” Ethan said.

“We’ll rest inside the cave.”

Nuwa nodded. She began unpacking her camping gear—just a sleeping bag for herself, not much else.

She hadn’t expected to rest out in the open, so she hadn’t brought much.

Luscho had assigned Luca to handle supplies, but Ethan had no idea where Luca was now.

A campfire flickered to life after Ethan gathered dry wood and had Jack Spearsun light it.

At least they could warm up a bit now.

“Can you make the fire bigger?” Nuwa asked.

She was already lying inside her sleeping bag, while Ethan sat cross-legged by the fire, preparing something for their dinner.

“The cave walls smell like sulfur. Sulfur burns easily—it’s better to keep the fire small unless you want the cave to explode,” Ethan said.

“You sure know a lot about stuff like this,” Nuwa said.

“It’s basic science. Didn’t you learn it in high school too?” Ethan asked.

“Maybe. I don’t remember—probably forgot,” Nuwa joked.

Ethan smiled as he grilled the meat he’d bought before joining the event. The smell made Nuwa’s stomach growl.

“I thought you were cold and selfish, Ethan,” Nuwa said.

“If you judge someone just by their PK status, that’s not wise,” he replied.

“So what are you, then? A villain with a hero’s heart?” Nuwa teased.

“I don’t know,” Ethan said with a small smile. “I’m not sure if I’m a villain or a hero.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, confused.

“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

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