CHAPTER 65: DECEIVED

The fire’s glow seemed to shrink and shadows trembling against the stone walls as the walking sound grew closer with deliberate and unhurried steps echoing from the cave’s depths.

Clawdia’s ears flattened, a low growl rumbling from her throat as her silver fur bristled. Astrael shifted slightly forward, his hand already brushing the hilt of his sword, though his muscles screamed in protest.

The adventurers rose in unison, weapons sliding free with a hiss of steel. Tavion’s smirk was gone now, his knife poised and his eyes narrowed into the dark. Mira’s staff pulsed faintly with light, a spell gathering at her fingertips.

From the shadows, a deep, rough hiss rolled out, so heavy it reverberated in Astrael’s chest.

The leader’s voice was soft, steady, but tinged with tension."...That doesn’t sound like a beast."

The crunch of stone stopped. Then, slowly, two burning, amber eyes blinked open in the blackness of the cave.

The eyes drew closer until the firelight finally caught a figure stepping from the shadows. Atall, broad-shouldered, wrapped in a shabby hooded cloak that seemed older than the cave itself. His stride was steady, deliberate, every step stepping over gravel with the weight of something that didn’t belong here.

The adventurer’s expression shifted uneasily, and their weapons raised to guard.

The blond leader broke the silence first, voice firm but laced with caution. "Old man... what are you doing here? This cave’s no place for a wanderer."

The stranger gave no reply. His head remained bowed, shadowed by the hood. The fire’s glow flickered at the edge of his beard, but his expression remained hidden.

Mira frowned, taking a step forward. "Did you hear him? Who are you? Speak."

Still nothing.

Tavion’s knife twirled once more in his fingers, his smirk returning, though tighter this time. "Either he’s deaf... or thinks he’s above answering."

The fire crackled louder, the silence pressing heavier with every heartbeat.

The old man finally lifted his head, and though his lips never parted, Astrael felt a chill run down his spine

The old man’s head tilted, the hood slipping just enough to reveal eyes faintly glowing—an unnatural amber, catching the firelight like molten metal. His cracked lips finally parted, and his voice was low, coarse, yet it carried through the cave like a command.

"Give me the thing."

The adventurers froze. For a heartbeat, none of them moved. Then the youngest woman, Mira, forced a nervous laugh, brushing her fingers over her bowstring. "The... thing? You’ll need to be a bit more specific, old man. We’re carrying plenty of things."

The hooded stranger didn’t blink. His gaze swept across the group with an unhurried weight, finally settling on the pack slung across the burly warrior’s back. The man’s shoulders tensed, his hand instinctively shifting closer to his axe.

"You know what I seek." The old man’s voice cracked like dry wood, yet its force made the fire flicker. "Don’t insult me."

Tavion, the assassin, let his knife twirl once more before flipping it into his palm, his smirk sharpening. "Bold of you, stranger. Walking into our path and making demands."

The old man stepped closer, slowly. His presence seemed heavier with every pace. "Bold... is keeping what does not belong to you."

The dark-haired leader, Darius, finally rose from where he sat. His hand gripped his sword hilt, his voice calm but edged. "Old man, if you want to keep those bones of yours unbroken, I suggest you leave. Now."

For the first time, the old man smiled, a thin, unsettling curve beneath his beard.

The air in the cave grew tense, Clawdia’s growls now echoing like warning drums.

And without another word, the adventurers moved into position, as if they had practised many times. Hands reached for a weapon, and the flickering fire cast long, warping shadows across the cave walls as Darius barked sharply—

"Form up!"

Darius lunged first, his sword sweeping down in a smooth, practised motion. Sparks hissed as the blade hit—yet instead of flesh or bone, the steel clanged as if it had struck stone. The old man didn’t flinch. His glowing eyes remained fixed on them.

"Wh–what the—?!" Darius stumbled back, knuckles white around his hilt.

Selena followed, loosing an arrow straight at the man’s chest. The shaft snapped in two on impact, falling harmlessly to the floor. Her lips parted, disbelief flooding her face.

The burly warrior bellowed, his great axe cleaving through the air with raw force. The weapon slammed into the old man’s shoulder with enough power to crack a boulder—yet the axe head bounced away, vibrating violently as though it had struck iron. The shock nearly tore it from his grip.

"Impossible..." the warrior gasped, sweat beading his brow.

Tavion was already in motion, slipping low and fast. His knife plunged into the man’s side, thrust with deadly precision. But when the blade met cloth, it halted and stopped dead, as if caught in the air. Tavion jerked it free, with narrowed eyes, his grin faltering for the first time.

The last, the mage, raised both hands, a sphere of fire flaring to life. She hurled it with a shout, flames bursting over the old man’s cloak, bathing him in orange glow. For a breath, the cave lit up like day. The fire licked the stone, casting heat across Astrael’s face.

But as the smoke cleared, the old man stood untouched. Not a single thread of his ragged robe was singed.

Clawdia pressed closer into Astrael’s leg, her fur bristling, ears flat. Astrael’s eyes narrowed, every instinct screaming that this was no ordinary enemy.

The adventurers regrouped, unease cutting through their confidence. Varic’s grip tightened on his sword, his voice harsh with a dawning fear.

"What... are you?"

The old man finally raised his head fully, pulling back the hood. His face was lined, weathered by time, but the veins beneath his skin pulsed faintly red, glowing like molten rivers beneath cracked earth. His amber eyes blazed brighter, as though reflecting some hidden inferno.

"I am the one you stole from," he said simply, his smile now sharp and cruel.

And then, he stepped forward.

Varic’s jaw tightened. His eyes flicked to the others, a silent message exchanged in a fraction of a second. Selena’s bow lowered, her lips pressed thin. The mage clenched her fists, his breath ragged with strain, while Tavion’s knife spun once between his fingers before locking tight in his grip. Even the burly warrior set his axe firm against the ground, steadying himself.

"...Guess you’ve forced our hand, old man," Varic finally said, his voice hard, carrying the kind of weight that came only from desperation. "We didn’t want to use this... but you leave us no choice."

The old man’s lips twitched into something between a sneer and a smirk. "Use whatever toys you like. It will not matter."

The mage’s eyes glowed suddenly, brighter than the firelight, as a deep chant rolled from her throat. Sigils of crimson and silver spread beneath hes feet, crawling outward across the stone like veins of molten metal. Heat surged through the chamber, making Astrael’s skin prickle as though standing too close to an open furnace.

At the same time, Mira drew a black-feathered arrow tipped with a gleaming shard of something Astrael had never seen before—it pulsed faintly, unnervingly alive. Her hands didn’t tremble, but her jaw was locked tight.

The burly warrior’s axe began to glow faintly with golden light, runes etching themselves along the steel as if carved by invisible hands. His muscles bulged, his veins standing out like cords, as though every ounce of his strength was being pulled to the surface.

Tavion melted into the shadows at the cave’s edge, his presence vanishing from Astrael’s eyes as if he’d been swallowed by the dark. Only the faint scrape of metal against stone betrayed him.

And Varic, he raised his sword, his aura igniting, black flames curling along the steel. His gaze never wavered from the old man. "This ends now."

The cave thrummed with energy and an oppressive aura. Even Clawdia shrank closer against Astrael, as if the combined aura of the five could suffocate her.

The old man, however, merely stopped in his tracks. His eyes swept the circle of light and shadow, lingering briefly on each of them before settling on Astrael. For the first time, the faintest flicker of amusement crossed his weathered face.

"Ah... so you still dare cling to hope."

He spread his arms wide, as though welcoming their fury. "Then show me what your hope is worth."

The mage Mira’s sigils erupted, flooding the cave with searing light.

Selena’s black arrow loosed, shrieking through the air like a banshee’s cry.

The warrior’s axe descended, glowing like molten sunfire.

From the shadows, Tavion’s blades struck with lethal precision.

And Varic’s black-flamed sword cleaved straight for the old man’s heart, only for his body to blur, as though he were smoke..

🌟 Hey, fellow traveller of tales and treasures! 🧭 Your presence here is a journey filled with surprises, like uncovering hidden gems 💎. Isn’t it fascinating how a little GOLDEN ✨ something can change everything? 💛